Hi there,
I'm so glad you're here.
My name is Lieke and I'm from the Netherlands and in this talk I want to share some tools that can be very useful on your healing journey with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Now I know how challenging it is to live with this condition.
It can feel very overwhelming and I'm so sorry you're going through this.
I'll share some of the practical things that have helped me on this journey.
And I'm still on my healing journey too,
So I still use these,
Especially when my symptoms flare up.
Maybe you also have symptoms like crushing fatigue,
Dizziness,
Or hot or cold sensations.
Or maybe your symptoms are completely different.
One of the most important tools for me was learning how to regulate my nervous system.
And I still do this a lot.
And there are many ways to regulate the nervous system and I noticed that a lot of them were too intense or just too stimulating for me.
And maybe you also have a very sensitive system like I do.
And if that's the case,
It's important to honor that and to explore what your system needs.
And maybe you too need very gentle little practices.
And although they can look small and simple.
They can work really,
Really well.
One of those simple things that I use,
For example,
Is when symptoms flare up,
I like to touch something that's very soft.
I become fully present with the softness and I notice how does this feel in my hand.
Working with your senses can be a great way to calm your system and to teach your body that it's safe enough right now.
And when the body feels safe,
It sends safety signals to the brain and nervous system as well.
So you work with your body to send signals of safety to the brain.
They also call this the bottom-up approach,
So from body to brain.
And I actually bought myself a very small,
Soft bunny.
It's small enough to hold in one hand,
So I can even take it with me when I go for a walk or something.
And it's simply something cute and soft to touch.
And my body finds that very comfortable.
You can look around in your own house.
Are there things that are soft and nice to touch?
Maybe your couch or soft pants,
Something you can touch with full presence.
And this might sound funny or even childish,
But on this healing journey it's important to nurture ourselves and our bodies in whatever way we can.
So you can ask yourself,
What would feel good to touch?
Or maybe there's a scent that you like very much.
Engaging the senses in a nurturing way can help regulate your nervous system.
And another very small simple thing is washing my hands with warm water.
That can also feel deeply relaxing.
So it's really about trying little things and noticing how your body responds.
What feels comfortable for your body?
And yeah,
This is an experiment because oftentimes we don't know and we can't figure it out by thinking.
So it's about taking gentle and curious action steps.
And when you start working with your nervous system,
Know that it's a very individual journey.
What works for one person can be too intense for someone else.
So just start very small.
You can,
For instance,
Rest one hand on your shoulder and take a gentle breath there.
Or sometimes it can feel good to gently rock your body if that's possible.
And you don't even have to touch your body if that feels like too much.
It all depends on your current baseline.
And gazing out of the window at a tree can already be very soothing as well.
There was a time when I was completely bedbound and I had to find other ways to soothe myself.
And what I learned at that time from my MindBodyCoach was to gently massage my hands with hand lotion.
Simply noticing the scent of the lotion and the feeling of being present with myself,
Taking care of myself.
This may sound so funny and maybe you think,
Does that really help?
How does that help me?
But I noticed that being present with yourself and being present in your body and sending signals to your brain and to your body of safety,
Of I'm here,
I'm feeling you,
I want to take care of you,
I'm doing my best to listen to your needs and to take care of that,
That in itself is a very,
Very healthy way So it's not about the exact action that you take.
It has to do with the intention behind it,
With the love behind it,
And with your willingness to be present and to take care of your body in whatever way possible.
And it's very,
Very difficult when you are so limited in your actions,
Right?
But even these very,
Very small things can be so helpful and it can really send these safety signals signals to the body,
To the brain,
To the nervous system.
You can also try stroking your upper legs with your hands,
From your hips down towards your knees.
No pressure is needed.
These are all little ways to let the energy move again.
And usually when I start to yawn,
I know,
Ah,
Okay.
I'm getting more relaxed now or sometimes I feel the pressure in my head ease.
And these are all small things I do on a daily basis and they don't take a lot of time.
So when I feel overstimulated,
I sit down on the couch and gently rock my body or I open a window and get some fresh air.
Or I look at a tree.
It's about getting curious about how you can best support and nurture your body and what would feel good in this current moment.
And even if you feel just one percent more relaxed or five percent,
That's already a good sign.
With these little practices you are gently retraining your brain.
I know a lot of us are high achievers and perfectionists and we want to see bigger results right away and then we can forget that small daily steps really matter.
And step by step we can learn what our bodies need.
And how we can regulate ourselves.
I'm sending you so much gentleness and strength.
And with that gentle strength,
You can continue step by step on your healing journey.
