1. Community
  2. Brain and nerves
  3. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Having a hard time managing stress

Posted , 7 users are following.

judy390211
judy390211

Exercise was always my main tool for combating stress and depression. It's been almost 2 years with CFS now. When things are quiet, I manage my energy and stress and get by okay. 

There have been a lot of external stressors lately that are outside of my control, and I know that by not containing my stress levels I am making my flare ups worse, and thus starts a vicious cycle.

How do you manage stress during flare ups?

1 like, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • tracy47348
    tracy47348 judy390211

    Posted

    Well for me reducing stress is my life! I wish i had a jacuzzi or a sauna! But instead i take hot epsom salt baths once a week and i believe i sweat alot of toxins out also in that process. I also do EFTs and 4-7-8 breathing which u will have to google as we cant attach links on here😡. I do small porch fires, the flames are stress reducing. I DID have a glass of wine or a beer occasionally but i have eliminated all alcohol 😭😭 as people with POTS apparently cannot tolerate it. Put me in bed with bad heart pain for a week so now im scared.! Anyway you may be able to. Then there's stretching! Oh how i love my stretches and back massages traded with my daughter! Long overdue! If you can resort your energy to a short walk in the woods, the chlorophyll from the leaves is soo awsome to breath in! And prayer! I have a healing prayer i say often. U can google that to. Its all we have! Best of luck! Do u take fish oil? They say the omega 3s are great for depression and stress. I bought some but i think 1000mgs is too much for me as i am sensative to all meds and some supplements. May cut in half.

  • catherine41708
    catherine41708 judy390211

    Posted

    Hi judy.  I hope you get back to exercising at some time.  A recovered CFS friend swears it keeps him well. My life saver is just breathing in for the count of six and out for the count of six.... there's a good explanation of why this helps, but I can't remember it.  

  • Guava
    Guava judy390211

    Posted

    Hi Judy I highly recommend learning very light yin yoga and all types of yogic breathing , nadi nostril , fire breath to name a few. smile and chanting is a wonderful release also ,, the phrase Wahe Guru , means from darkness to light ,you can do this whilst sitting outside barefoot if you can doing a slow 6 sec in out breath and looking at the tip of your nose ,, once you have mastered that you can take your focus to third eye between the eye brows ,, but if your not very grounded its best to start out with a sitting chi `gong ,let me know if your interested and ill tell you how ,, theses things help me out heaps! take care <3 Guava

  • DiannaO
    DiannaO judy390211

    Posted

    I feel your pain. I used to dance my stress away. 3 hours on the dance floor every other weekend would do the trick. Of course now exercise is very limited but I manage. I think you've got some really good advice here! Here's some things that work for me - some are probably what others have mentioned.

    1) Meditation: I don't know where I would be without it. It scares me to even think about it.

    2)  I do yoga but GENTLE yoga. There are some yoga youtube videos for people who are recovering from chronic illnesses.

    3) Also, there's a thing I do called "Shaking the tree".  I just stand with my legs about a foot apart and I gently just bounce my body up and down and shake for a few minutes.It really feels good.

    4)  I also do EFT and the 4/7/8 breathing.

    5) Magnesium is very calming.

    6) Body work is great! (acupuncture, massage, etc).

    7) Every night before bed you could do some Journaling "where I found joy today" which was very helpful for depression when I was really not well. And sometimes all I could find was something simple like "eating blueberries" but I always found something.

    8) Playing music you love and singing loudly, screaming into a pillow or alone in the car, - those things can let off steam or built up frustration.

    9) A short walk 5 minute walk and breathing deeply can even help especially if you're in nature.

    10) Cranial sacral is fantastic. If you can't find someone to do it, take 2 tennis balls and place them in a sock back to back. Lie down on the floor on your back and put them at the base of your occipital ridge (one on each side) which is about where the bottom of your head and your neck meet. Stay there until you feel your body sigh, yawn, exhale a few times without trying. Usually a couple minutes or so.

    • elaine62759
      elaine62759 DiannaO

      Posted

      I find a lot of these things helpful too. I currently do numbers 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9!!! I like the sound of the shaking the tree so will get a go too and also fancy trying the tennis balls in the socks. When you do EFT which parts of your body do you tap? Did you learn the points somewhere? Do you say a message to yourself when tapping? I think it helps to stay focus on the positives and what you can do rather than what you can't do. 

    • tracy47348
      tracy47348 elaine62759

      Posted

      I want to try the shaking tree also! I youtubed it and it looks interesting! When i do EFTs i tap everywhere they say to . Middle of eyebrows, side temples, under eye, under nose , chin, clavical , side under arm, sides of hands and top of head. Just started tapping wrists together. I agree with you on saying positive stuff. I dont focus on what i cant do. I usually pray to god to heal me and thank him for everything I Do have, as I tap.
    • DiannaO
      DiannaO elaine62759

      Posted

      I used to tap all the usual places that they tell you to tap on with EFT, but as the years went by I found its not necessary. I just do the wrist for the set up and the collarbone. I start with saying "this pain" - and I identify the pain the best I can so that I get deeply into connecting to it. That helps to release the pain. Then when it feels fully released, I start tapping with positive affirmations that come naturally so they don't feel forced.

    • elaine62759
      elaine62759 tracy47348

      Posted

      I looked it up on youtube earlier and gave it a go. It felt good but made my legs ache so couldn't do it for long but think if you did it regularly you could build up the time you do it for. I also noticed some seated Qigong moves which might be manageable so will give them a go another time! There is also a Qigong move called the Energy Ball which I've found helpful before. 

    • elaine62759
      elaine62759 DiannaO

      Posted

      I usually find if I have to lift my arms up and tap my face or head it really hurts my arms but I could probably manage my collarbones and wrists and do an affirmation so will give this a go!
  • Solsikke
    Solsikke judy390211

    Posted

    I understand you, I have the exact same problem myself. Since my ME I have had a very low tolerance to stress, and right now there are severe stress factors, also beyond my control. I will be interested in what people say.

    Breathing exercises are good. So is meditation if that is something you can make work for you. Music with nature sounds help.

    Very slow and careful dancing to music helps.

    Various herbs can help, for instance Valerian.

    I find that all of these are necessary if I am to have a chance.

    Last resort: laugh! Funny film, or something. Even if it only produces a slight smile, it helps to put a spoke in the wheel of stress.

    Good luck.

     

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.