If you have been dealing with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) for more than a week you have likely heard “It’s all in your head.” Well, that’s simply not true. It’s wrong.
However, in the journey towards understanding and conquering CFS, our brains do play a crucial role. It’s like going into battle, you wouldn’t want to leave any of your arsenal behind, right? The brain, being the most powerful organ of your body, can be a formidable ally in your fight against CFS. So let’s unpack how your brain can aid in finding your own unique solution to fatigue.
With the medical community still scratching their heads about the root cause and cure for ME/CFS, every conqueror’s path to recovery can look quite different. It can be daunting, but don’t worry, the stories of others who have emerged victorious can light the way for you. However, since these experiences are unique and sometimes contradictory, your brain’s ability to solve complex problems becomes your best tool for creating your recovery strategy.
Be your own scientist to uncover your fatigue solution
Think of yourself as your own scientist, but without all the hefty tuition fees. You’d be surprised how simple it can be! Your experiment could be as straightforward as altering your diet for a couple of months and observing the changes in your energy levels, or discontinuing any activities whenever your heart rate rises above a set rate for 3 weeks. Then track if your activity tolerance increased. Repeat, rinse, and keep doing what works while discarding what doesn’t. Over time, you’ll discover the best approach to reclaim your energy, specific to you. You’re the Sherlock Holmes of your own recovery journey!
Learn God’s design to discover opportunities for recovery
Now, as Christians, the Bible forms the cornerstone of our belief systems. While it doesn’t have every answer to every question, it offers invaluable wisdom on how we’re designed to function physically, mentally, and spiritually. By understanding God’s blueprint, we can pinpoint areas of our lives that need some fine-tuning to align with His design.
For instance, take a look at Adam and Eve’s diet in the Garden of Eden, and you’ll see God’s design for a whole food, plant-based diet. It’s a fantastic starting point for any health or recovery journey. Moreover, in Philippians 4, Paul encourages us to maintain a positive, faith-filled mindset, which clearly indicates that incessant self-criticism and pessimism aren’t part of God’s plan for us. By learning God’s design and comparing it to our lives, we can recognize opportunities to make recovery-supportive changes.
Just understanding that you’re divinely engineered to be healthy can boost your confidence that recovery is possible. Just like a car functions better when maintained properly, so do our bodies when we align ourselves with God’s design.
Supercharge your calm to reduce your stress and heal your body
But that’s not all. Our brains, being intimately connected to the rest of our bodies, can significantly influence our physical state. Just think about it – when you’re scared or embarrassed, doesn’t your heart race or your face blush? It’s clear evidence of how our thoughts and emotions can directly affect our physical state.
While our brains are adept at responding to threats, they’re also equipped to calm our bodies, fostering a healing environment conducive to cellular regeneration and repair. Techniques such as deep relaxation or body focused meditation (a nonreligious practice) can help activate the calming processes in our brains and reduce stress.
I believe Christians are especially vulnerable to a few unhelpful mental patterns. Take, for instance, the Helper pattern, where one feels compelled to continuously assist others, often neglecting self-care. Or the Perfectionist pattern, where the need to be perfect can cause anxiety and stress. Identifying these patterns and replacing them with healthier ones is a key step towards recovery.
(To see if you may have some energy draining patterns take my free assessment quiz, here)
Even Christ took time away from people asking for healing to rejuvenate His spirit and stay focused on his mission. (Mark 1:29-38) Remembering this can help alleviate the guilt of not helping everyone. And looking at how God accepted and even protected Abraham right in the middle of his faithless fear driven lies can remind you that you are good enough for God, imperfections and all. (Gen 12:10-20 and Gen 20) In fact you may even realize perfection isn’t actually expected. Great news, since its impossible! Pairing these realizations with body focused meditation or other deep relaxation methods can help reprogram our brains, allowing us to reduce the strain of stress and live the joyful peace and confidence God designed us for.
So there you have it. Your brain isn’t conjuring up your CFS, but it can definitely be your co-pilot in navigating your way out. Stay strong, keep exploring, and remember, you’re not alone on this journey
So that’s it for this article… Have you found ways your mind has helped in your recovery? Do you have struggles actually engaging your brain in ways that may be helpful?