Weekly recovery guidance - ME/CFS and related illnesses.
- s-porter4
- Aug 22, 2025
- 3 min read
Weekly inspirational quotes, guidance & tips to support recovery from ME/CFS, Long Covid, Fibromyalgia and related illnesses.
Week 15 - 22/8/2025 (Post 17)
The Enemies of CFS, Long Covid and Fibromyalgia
1 - Boredom
When it comes to the enemies of these type of illnesses there is nothing more significant and influential than the impact of stress on the nervous system, (I will tackle this in a future blog) however there are others, such as fixation on symptoms, reaction to symptoms and today's topic, boredom.
Our brains crave variety, normality, joyful feelings, calmness and of course most importantly, safety. When we get struck down with these illnesses our world shrinks. We find it more difficult to find happiness, it is a real challenge to escape from the feeling of anxiety and at times, twenty four hours can feel like a lifetime.
I know from my own experiences that boredom can be a significant hurdle when it comes to recovery. When we are bored we get drawn into the exact opposite of what is needed for healing to happen. Our brains are less engaged so we are more likely to do the following;
Fixate on our symptoms. This leads to anxiety, overthinking and catastrophising etc.
Worry about the future and the past e.g. regret, fear for the unknown etc.
Create stories in our minds that have no evidence base.
All of the above are likely to lead to a feeling of being unsafe and unhappy.
I totally appreciate that finding things to do is a real challenge when you are faced with such restrictions. This is particularly the case when you are bedbound with pain, very limited energy, or your body is in shutdown. However it is essential that we start to send the right messages to the brain so that healing can begin to happen. There are some incredible stories of how symptoms can reduce in intensity when we engage in something that we find joyful, interesting and fulfilling. Below are some of my top suggestions for dealing with boredom associated with CFS, Long Covid, Fibromyalgia etc.
Try and find opportunities in your day to experience joy. This is so powerful. It is the opposite of fear and the antidote to stress and CFS symptoms. Plan these into your week. When you are bedbound this could be meditations, visualisations, short telephone conversations with friends, word searches etc. Try and think out of the box. Make a list of things of things that bring you happiness and try to plan them into your schedule for the following week. You obviously need to be mindful of how you balance your emotional, mental and physical energy levels.
Try and vary things as much as possible. For example, lie down/sit down in different chairs in different rooms, eat different meals, adapt your walks, be intuitive and change your activities frequently. Fatigue is much more likely to intensify if the brain is bored and seeks stimulation.
This is really hard, but try and work out whether you are experiencing fatigue or tiredness. The appropriate response can look very different. It is so easy to experience fatigue and go to a default response of rest. This is not always the best response and sometimes just changing the activity can reduce the symptoms. I am not suggesting that you push on through. I am just asking you to question why the symptom is present, or intensifying. Perhaps, it is the brain sending a message that your needs are not being fulfilled.
Early on in my illness I placed a piece of card on the wall in front of me. I would see it each morning when I woke up.
It simply read.
'My brain and body want me to find balance, variety and fun today.'
What could your message be?
Look after yourself.
Until next week
Stuart
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