My son is running cross country this year for the first time, so as a former runner and lover of running, we’ve had lots of interesting talks. The most interesting happened the other day, and as I’ve thought about it, these principles apply to any difficulty or strife or chronic illness situation as well.
We all want to finish the race. We all want to run well, but there are too many days that we feel unable, feel inept, feel overwhelmed by what our physical bodies are incapable of accomplishing.
The conversation began when he asked me what to do when you get tired and your legs feel like they can’t go on. So the following principles are pieced together from our conversation and are techniques I have used in running or in sports to keep on keeping on. It was later that I realized how these very skills were things I utilized in the darkest days of Lyme disease too.
- One step at a time. Don’t look up at how far you have to go. Just look a few steps in front of you and do one small section at a time in short goals. Pass the next runner, then the next. Go around this corner and then the next. Don’t look at the finish line when you are tired. Head down. Look just at what is right in front of you. I have a friend right now that is overwhelmed with life circumstances and feels inept to handle them all. Right everything down on a list and then only look at one thing at a time. If you are fighting chronic illness, one day at a time. One hour at a time, one meal at a time, one night at a time. Don’t think about next week, or next year or tomorrow. That is too far ahead. Focus on today and right now. One thing at a time.
- Take the focus off of what is hurting. If your legs are tired, focus on your arms. Technique helps when the physical body is tired. Make good habits while running tired. Great arms technique. Roll your feet nicely. Lengthen your stride. Relax your shoulders. Lift up your knees. Seriously, this works for pain in general. Think about blinking, think about breathing. Listen to your heartbeat. Tap your fingers. Count your toes. You must trick the mind by redirecting to something other than the pain. Focusing on the pain, just intensifies the mental and emotional struggle and thus increases the physiological symptom. Focus elsewhere and the pain doesn’t go away, but it will not snowball.
- Steady your breathing. In two three, Out two three.Get your heart in rhythm with your body. Get in sync. Getting in sync buys you extra energy. Doesn’t the turtle always win against the hare? Slow and steady wins the race. Don’t be the fastest, be the most consistent. Steady onward. I get that in chronic illness, you find it hard to get out of bed. Everything feels erratic. Everything is unstable. Sit still in the middle of the room and be quiet and just breathe. Calm. Peace. Meditate. Get in sync and get steady.
- Sing song lyrics in your mind. This one is a no brainer and needs no explanation. If you don’t like song lyrics, hum a tune. Make a grocery list instead. Name everyone’s birthdays in your family. You must occupy your mind. Distraction. Distraction. Distraction. Song lyrics are my favorite because 3 1/2 minutes pass while you are singing them. Bonus if it is an uplifting song, it can positively affect your heart as well. If you are ill and having one of those extreme painful herx or flareups, singing song lyrics can help buy time until it passes.
- Positive affirmations. I think I can. I think I can. Those are powerful words for all of us, not just the little engine who could. Mind over body. I was in sports and have always been active, so I thought I understood the mind over body phenomenon. It wasn’t until I was struck with debilitating chronic Lyme that I fully comprehended what it meant to be mind over body. You must speak out loud in opposition to your mind. Controlling and defeating the negativity of your mind is the front lines of the battle in chronic illness. When your mind is telling you that your body is failing or dying, you must speak truth out loud. You must speak and think to overcome the mind. You must listen to positive and sing positive and speak positive in order to train your mind to think positive. The mind is powerful and can overcome physical limitations beyond our comprehension.
Blessings and Healing,
Janice Fairbairn – The Lyme Evangelist
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