Guide to Setting Smart Goals

Taking action provides us with a sense of personal power. When we don’t like something, are unhappy, or want more positive qualities in our life, we must make a conscious choice for it to come about. Rather than giving in, or resigning ourselves to more of the same, we can get stuck in and make an effort to be proactive.

Do keep in mind however, that especially when it comes to situations of recovering health, that in some cases, the action may be less about doing and more about making a decision to accept a current situation and make the best of things, until more activity and ability to move forward can be taken. Acceptance in general can be deceiving, we may at first think that it is giving into weakness, or even apathy, yet it’s often the first stage to true transformation; and this stage cannot be rushed. Things don’t end at acceptance, it’s just an essential step for any type of new birth in life.

Once you have accepted your current reality as it is, including all “perceived” and real limitations, then you are ready to see what is truly possible. Often we don’t know what we are completely capable of, until we try. This is especially true when treading new horizons in our world. Be prepared for all manner of events, as you step into a slight unknown.

A goal comes about once the desire for change is big enough for you to devise a plan or create an aim to make a new or different step. This visionary stage is the first step. Often, if the feeling for something more positive in your life is strong enough, then you will have the fuel to get you through each stages of achieving your goal.

There are certain highly regarded qualities which are normally at the heart of our desire, which lie behind our goal. We don’t always recognise these at first, but it can help to look deeply into our bubbling passion, because once we understand these universal qualities, we can attract greater assistance from the universal flow of our life. In a nutshell, it brings us into a place of deeper manifestation.

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Holistic Tools and Techniques 

IMG_2890As part of your recovery plan, using tools in addition to skills you learn can really help to make you feel comforted, not to mention pro-active. This is especially beneficial when these techniques hold an aim to create a deeper sense of calm and more space for healing.

Here is a list of a number of useful tools and techniques I’ve used to nurture my body and mind:

  • Tens machine
  • Nail bed
  • Crystals
  • Meditation
  • Foot rubbing for grounding
  • Listening to ambient music
  • Tuning fork
  • Touch/stroking on area of nerve pain
  • Energy healing
  • Emotional freedom technique
  • Deep breathing exercises
  • Light singing or sounding out feelings
  • Blankets and hot water bottles
  • Sound oasis machine
  • Positive visualisation

Building a Recovery Plan – How to Do it!

recovery plan and strategiesI guess it wasn’t until I truly made a type of recovery plan, that things started to come together. I also didn’t do this until three months after diagnosis, on the back of a major relapse. Until you’re diagnosed it’s hard to set any helpful ideas in place, because you’re just in a shitty place wondering what the hell is happening to your body. Sadly I was in this position for a year and a half, which was too long, and which made my health worse because of a spiral of panic.

So the plan comes about, I guess at a different time for everybody. Even though in May 2014, I started to receive more specific help from my local ME/CFS service, it was limited and I needed to create something which I felt would address all areas where there was stress or weakness, not just physically but also psychologically. I knew there were cycles within cycles occurring and I needed to get free of them.

After hitting almost bottom again after a few months of progression, I realised I needed a foundation to see me through and help me gain some greater control. Funnily enough the plan I mapped for healing my body, looks to me now, like areas which contribute to a balanced life. I didn’t know then I was to be re-modelling my world, which continues!

One of the best ways to understand something is through a visual representation, so I made this video which outlines the main areas I added to my plan, and which can hopefully be useful for yours.

 

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Inspirational Books to Keep You Motivated

mecfsrecoverybestbookshannaehlersCommon on the road to recovery, is the situation of spending a considerable amount of time in your own company. This, in normal circumstances is something that is easy or generally enjoyed, however when you feel it has been forced upon you by your body not playing ball anymore, in addition to feeling like you are dying a lot of the time, you likely don’t want to be alone with the experience.

Reality check! You need to be able to get to a place of becoming as comfortable as you can with whatever is going on in your body, then you can know what you need and how to make nurturing decisions. Being at one with pain, exhaustion and negative emotion, is all knocking on your door to be mastered! Meditation will be one of the most helpful ways to embrace this, but that is another post, so for now lets imagine you are embracing the, “you time”, even if it’s nightmare-ish you time, and you could do with something else other than meditation, listening to music etc. Next step is liberating, motivating, hope-filled books…

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