2784: For Your Best Health: 8 Things to Consider if You are Sick and Tired by Courtney Carver of Be More With Less

[00:00:00] This is Optimal Health Daily. For Your Best Health, 8 Things to Consider if You are Sick and Tired by Courtney Carver of BeMoreWithLess.com and I'm Dr. Neal, your host and narrator.

[00:00:12] Hey there, welcome back to another week of Optimal Health Daily. This is where I read to you from some of the best health and fitness blogs on the web, kind of like an ongoing audiobook.

[00:00:22] And don't forget, we've got five shows where we narrate blogs for you, covering a bunch of different topics. You can check them all out by searching for Optimal Living Daily wherever you're hearing this.

[00:00:33] Now today's post is sort of a mix between a few of our shows. Courtney Carver is typically narrated on Optimal Living Daily, especially for Minimalist Mondays.

[00:00:43] But this is a good fit for this show. So today's topic, I think you'll see, is going to apply nicely to Optimal Health Daily.

[00:00:51] So with that, let's get right to her post as we optimize your life.

[00:00:59] For Your Best Health, 8 Things to Consider if You are Sick and Tired by Courtney Carver of BeMoreWithLess.com

[00:01:08] I didn't simplify my life for clean countertops or to be better organized. I simplified my life because I got sick, really sick.

[00:01:17] I was sick, tired, and overwhelmed for a long time. But when I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, I knew things had to change.

[00:01:27] The stress and excess in my life may not have caused my disease, but it contributed to relapses, new symptoms, and other health issues.

[00:01:35] If you've ever thought, this is too much, or things need to change, or this headache, or cold, or my exhaustion, is my body telling me to slow down?

[00:01:46] Then you can relate. We've all been impacted by the effects of stress and excess.

[00:01:51] Some of us notice and shift things around, and for others like me, we let it go on for far too long thinking, it is what it is.

[00:01:59] Until our bodies say, enough is enough. Someone with MS recently asked me, how can I be healthier with MS?

[00:02:07] After writing back with some suggestions, I realized, you don't need MS to benefit from these recommendations.

[00:02:13] They apply to all autoimmune and other chronic conditions. In fact, even if you don't have a specific diagnosis or condition,

[00:02:21] but are running low on energy, or don't sleep well, or get frequent headaches, or simply don't feel your best, these might be helpful.

[00:02:28] So, for your best health, here are 8 things to consider if you are sick and tired.

[00:02:34] Number 1. Build a medical team you trust.

[00:02:38] My first neurologist and her team were terrible. I was diagnosed over the phone.

[00:02:42] They told me to review the pharmaceutical kits and pick my own drug.

[00:02:46] They told me diet and exercise don't matter. They told me my health would decline.

[00:02:51] After a few months, I realized they weren't on my team, and I fired them.

[00:02:55] But also, that I had to rise up and build and lead a team.

[00:03:00] I used to be intimidated by doctors and other medical professionals, but now I know we have to work together.

[00:03:05] They know their stuff, and I know my stuff.

[00:03:08] Number 2. Remember, you know your body better than anyone else.

[00:03:13] I just mentioned that I know my stuff, and by that, I mean I know what I believe, and know my body.

[00:03:20] You know your stuff too.

[00:03:22] Keep this in mind when working with your medical professionals, or when taking advice from well-meaning friends and family,

[00:03:27] and especially when gathering information from the internet.

[00:03:30] Trusting what you know will take some practice, but you do know.

[00:03:34] Number 3. Reduce stress.

[00:03:37] If we want to improve our health and live with more energy and wellness,

[00:03:40] we have to be willing to live with less stress.

[00:03:43] Here's the road to less stress.

[00:03:45] Less stuff.

[00:03:47] Less busyness.

[00:03:48] Less drama.

[00:03:50] Less debt.

[00:03:51] Less worry.

[00:03:52] Less fear.

[00:03:53] It takes time, but go down this road.

[00:03:57] Number 4. Rest when you need to rest.

[00:04:00] Let's stop apologizing for taking care of ourselves, for taking naps, for staying in on a Friday night and taking a bath.

[00:04:07] Pushing through the pain doesn't usually lead to less pain.

[00:04:11] Rest and renew.

[00:04:13] Number 5. Fuel when you need to fuel.

[00:04:16] Make a list of the things that fuel you.

[00:04:18] Body, mind, heart, and soul.

[00:04:21] Fill up on good food, exercise, meditation, writing, and connecting with people you love.

[00:04:28] Number 6. Don't try to do it all at once.

[00:04:31] You didn't get sick and tired overnight.

[00:04:34] Give yourself time to heal, and don't put a time limit on it.

[00:04:37] Adding random deadlines for feeling better only adds more stress.

[00:04:41] Instead, take a little step each day, rest when you need to rest, and fuel when you need to fuel.

[00:04:47] Number 7. Don't give up.

[00:04:50] Keep experimenting.

[00:04:52] Ask for help.

[00:04:53] Do whatever it takes to feel well, and to be well.

[00:04:56] And lastly, number 8.

[00:04:59] Give hope all the time it needs to replace fear.

[00:05:02] Not feeling well is scary.

[00:05:04] Not knowing what's wrong is scary.

[00:05:06] A devastating diagnosis is scary.

[00:05:09] The words chronic, debilitating, unknown, all scary.

[00:05:13] But we have to make a choice.

[00:05:15] Will we live in fear or in hope?

[00:05:18] It's not easy as a flip of a switch,

[00:05:20] but if you find daily pockets of hope each day,

[00:05:23] the fear will dissipate.

[00:05:25] Write down what you are afraid of, and what makes you smile.

[00:05:28] What you're curious about, and what you're willing to do to feel better.

[00:05:31] Keep writing it down until your hope lists are longer than your fear lists.

[00:05:36] It's been more than a decade since I've had an MS relapse,

[00:05:39] but I still remember what it was like to wake up afraid

[00:05:41] that I wouldn't be able to see, or walk, or think straight.

[00:05:44] I can't predict the future, but now I wake up hopeful and excited for the day ahead,

[00:05:50] and I find it easier to focus on what really matters to me.

[00:05:54] Your best health will be unique for you.

[00:05:56] It won't look like my best health,

[00:05:58] your partner's best health,

[00:06:00] or anyone else's best health.

[00:06:02] It will look different today than it does in 5 years.

[00:06:05] Figure out what your best health is today.

[00:06:08] You've done a great job taking care of everyone and everything around you,

[00:06:12] and now it's time to do what's best for you.

[00:06:15] Take all the time you need to give that gift to yourself.

[00:06:22] You just listened to the post titled,

[00:06:24] For Your Best Health,

[00:06:26] 8 Things to Consider If You Are Sick and Tired,

[00:06:29] by Courtney Carver of BeMoreWithLess.com,

[00:06:32] and I'll be right back with my commentary.

[00:06:35] Dr. Neil here for my commentary.

[00:06:37] As a sufferer of a chronic condition myself,

[00:06:40] I can absolutely relate to what Courtney was mentioning.

[00:06:43] And so I do experience a lot of fear.

[00:06:46] Well, at least I used to.

[00:06:47] And I really appreciated that she took the time to mention

[00:06:50] building a medical team.

[00:06:52] Because building a medical team you trust is so important

[00:06:55] when it comes to getting good advice, for example.

[00:06:58] Are your physicians current with the latest research?

[00:07:01] Or has it been a while since they've looked at the latest studies

[00:07:04] and the latest treatments?

[00:07:05] That can make a huge difference when it comes to really treating anything.

[00:07:09] And of course, like I always say on this show,

[00:07:11] you know yourself best.

[00:07:13] You likely know what's going to work and what's going to motivate you.

[00:07:17] For me, exercise has to be a daily thing.

[00:07:20] Otherwise, I don't feel like myself.

[00:07:22] I've also realized at work, I've had to say no.

[00:07:26] Meaning, no, I cannot take on more

[00:07:28] because I know what's going to happen to me.

[00:07:29] And so that kind of relates back to stress.

[00:07:32] Saying no, relieves some of my stress.

[00:07:35] I've always said that exercise affects you in a good way,

[00:07:38] in a positive way from head to toe.

[00:07:40] Stress kind of does the opposite.

[00:07:42] If stress goes on for too long,

[00:07:43] it affects basically every cell in your body

[00:07:46] in a not so good way from head to toe.

[00:07:49] And so for me, stress definitely flares me up.

[00:07:52] It flares up my condition.

[00:07:53] So for me, learning to say no, delegating,

[00:07:56] that helps reduce my stress and prevents any kind of relapse.

[00:08:01] And just as Courtney said, this didn't happen overnight.

[00:08:03] For me, this took lots and lots of time.

[00:08:06] I had to practice it.

[00:08:07] I had to be consistent.

[00:08:08] I hated to exercise.

[00:08:10] Exercise was not my thing for the longest time.

[00:08:13] I much rather prefer to eat fast food.

[00:08:16] These all took time to change.

[00:08:17] So as she said, give yourself that time and it will happen.

[00:08:22] All right, really quickly before I go,

[00:08:24] you can hear more from Courtney Carver

[00:08:26] being narrated on pretty much all of our shows

[00:08:28] because she writes about a wide range of topics.

[00:08:31] So to subscribe to our other podcasts,

[00:08:34] just search for Optimal Living Daily.

[00:08:36] All right, I hope you have a great rest of your Monday.

[00:08:39] I'll be back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.