Assignment for Week 5 from Bruce Campbell's Recovery from CFS Program
Discussion:
Describe two or three things that help you to relieve stress or things you think might help.
The Serenity Prayer: “Help me accept those things I cannot change...”
Giving myself permission to postpone an activity if I'm nearing my limits
Meditation or Tai Chi (I bet they're great; I want to try them more.)
Last Week's Target Report
Not so good. 2 weeks ago, when I walked over a mile, faster than 3mph, three days in a row, I crashed. While down, I picked up a cold which kept me down longer. I stayed down well after that to be sure I had fully recovered from the crash and the cold. I only really got moving again until this past Saturday.
I'll try to hit my modified target, walking a mile+ every other day, alternating with gentle strength training on the off days, but I will trump that with rest if I need it so I don't crash.
Target:
This week I am flying to SC to see my GF. The travel will be tiring, as will some of the activities we've planned. It will also be exciting and emotional, and emotions, both bad AND good, are tiring. In order to enjoy my trip to the fullest W/O crashing (what fun is that?) I will limit my activity and rest often and pre-emptively.
What: Rest before tired
How Much: I plan on an hour per rest period
When: Every day
How Often: two or three planned rests, more if needed
Confidence Level: 9
Describe two or three things that help you to relieve stress or things you think might help.
The Serenity Prayer: “Help me accept those things I cannot change...”
Giving myself permission to postpone an activity if I'm nearing my limits
Meditation or Tai Chi (I bet they're great; I want to try them more.)
Last Week's Target Report
Not so good. 2 weeks ago, when I walked over a mile, faster than 3mph, three days in a row, I crashed. While down, I picked up a cold which kept me down longer. I stayed down well after that to be sure I had fully recovered from the crash and the cold. I only really got moving again until this past Saturday.
I'll try to hit my modified target, walking a mile+ every other day, alternating with gentle strength training on the off days, but I will trump that with rest if I need it so I don't crash.
Target:
This week I am flying to SC to see my GF. The travel will be tiring, as will some of the activities we've planned. It will also be exciting and emotional, and emotions, both bad AND good, are tiring. In order to enjoy my trip to the fullest W/O crashing (what fun is that?) I will limit my activity and rest often and pre-emptively.
What: Rest before tired
How Much: I plan on an hour per rest period
When: Every day
How Often: two or three planned rests, more if needed
Confidence Level: 9
Replies
Solid plan! Pace pace pace... activities every other day as opposed to daily, perhaps? Have great, GREAT time. You deserve it!
I liked the part where you said, \"Rest before tired.\" Yeah, that is the one I need to do. I love the Serenity Prayer too. I do some work with people in recovery, so that prayer is special to all of us. Blessings.
Thank you Denise, I\'m sure I will! (Actually, I can hardly stand it now!!) As for e/o/day instead of daily, that\'s a goal, not an iron-clad rule... I didn\'t set out to exercise at all yesterday, but still ended up walking about a mile to visit an old housemate who just moved into a new place up the road.... so it\'s all good! :D
Heather, \"Rest before tired\" is the key for me -- also the hardest, since my body\'s signals that it\'s running out of energy come LATE so often. I have gotten pretty good at listening to and hearing those tiny signals and HEEDING THEM. I used to be task-oriented, i.e. \"I\'ll just finish this last little bit, then I\'ll knock off\". Nuh-uh -- doesn\'t work for me anymore. I HAVE to stop AS SOON AS I realize I\'m getting tired, or I crash myself.
\"Help me accept those things I cannot change... That\'s very freeing, since it covers just about EVERYTHING except my own thoughts, words and deeds. That narrows my responsibilities enormously, and gives me all that energy I previously wasted on everything else to use to \"change the things what I can\"...
That first line of the Serenity Prayer was the first thing I could really hang my hat on when I began recovery....
Great planning, Jack! this is what I need to do before my trip to London and before I see my dad again, too. If you can, write or print out your plan and put it in a prominent place when you arrive (like a nightstand) so you remember each day how to make it a great day. I know yo\'ll have a great visit! Hugs to you!