Recently I’ve realized something I may have already known, but it’s struck me so profoundly I thought I ought to pass it on.
I dread mornings. Â I wake up with an upset stomach, a headache, and body that hurts so badly I can barely move. Â Every morning. Â It is a rare occasion that I stay in bed more than one minute after my alarm sounds. Â Now, don’t get me wrong. Â I always want to roll over, call in sick, and sleep the day away, because at least when I sleep I don’t hurt. Â But the reality is the more quickly I get up and out of bed, the more quickly I feel I can function.
And here’s the point…
How many of us give in to these awful mornings? Â How many of us lose resolve after a few of these miserable mornings? Â How many of us choose to go back to sleep, just to escape the pain? Â Isn’t the reality that such a choice is actually inhibiting our progress toward being well and pain-free?
Too many fibro folks choose to do what seems easy (roll over and go back to sleep), or even wise, and by doing so choose to feel a bit worse each day. Â We take a sick day, take it easy, and skip our exercise. Â And we create our own version of the reality that so many fibromyalgia and chronic pain stereotypes are based on. Â We act lazy, we sleep all day, and we think no one understands.
I am not immune to such follies. Â I too give in to my pain, far too often. Â But since my trip to Arizona I have rededicated myself to doing what is truly best for my body… getting up, going out, and doing something.
I need to show what I can do.
I need to see myself succeed.
I need to feel my health improve.
And I firmly believe that by doing so, I can create and maintain a cycle of improvement. Â I know I will face truly challenging days. Â But I pray my future lows will be higher than mast highs. Â Improvement is my goal. Â May it be a goal we share.
So, please don’t give in the bad days. Â And if you are stuck in a cycle of submitting to the mornings you think movement is an impossibility, strive for the little victories. Â Set achievable goals, hold yourself accountable (to yourself, a goal, or a loved one), and tell me about your successes. Â Please. Â We can motivate each other.
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