Brain Fog Archives - The Unchargeables

March 7, 2020February 27, 2020

How To Use Yoga as a Tool to Become More Motivated in Life

A thought that often crosses our minds in the morning is “I have no motivation to get through the day”. Lack of motivation; an easy thing to explain but a difficult thing to understand and fix. Every person experiences issues throughout life that can cause an impact on them, and this impact can be neglected. We carry all the negativity we acquire during the course of the day without being conscious or aware of it; and the next thing we know, we may become bound to our beds, struggling miserably to get out of it and get some work done.

Why does this happen, though?

Difficult situations are very draining on our energy. Our minds can become full with negative thoughts which can lead to poor self esteem and little self-belief. While for some this can result in one or two low and gloomy days, it can also become a severe and serious thing for others.

People with chronic illnesses can be even more prone to regular levels of low motivation. We should all be aware of different tools that can be used to become as healthy and as happy as you possibly can, even while experiencing a lack of motivation. Now that I have introduced this concept to you, it is time for me to tell you the answer to becoming more motivated; Yoga!

How yoga can help you become more motivated in life

Yoga has a great many benefits and one of the most obvious ones is instilling motivation. Given below are the few ways how yoga becomes the best practice to be motivated in life.

Yoga lowers stress and anxiety levels

Practicing yoga involves a great deal of stretching your muscles. This, in turn, reduces all the stress and tension accumulated in the muscles and relaxes them significantly. The constant breathing exercises help in energizing your body as it regulates the blood flow. This also helps rich and oxygenated blood to reach your brain.

As the brain receives rich blood and your body starts relaxing, the mind also works towards calming itself down. When this happens, you became aware of all the negative thoughts that have been causing you distress and anxiety and can, therefore, push them out of your head effectively. Once your stress levels are lowered, you feel more energized and motivated to work your way through most days.

How yoga can help lower stress and anxiety levels

Yoga increases your ability to problem solve

When your mood is low, one of the most annoying things that could happen to you is not being able to solve the slightest of the problems that come your way. Since your mind may be filled with negative thoughts, it can be difficult to think straight and therefore it may seem like the easiest thing to do is to give up on that difficult task.

The breathing exercises involved in yoga, as discussed above, help to clear out all the negative thoughts. They also assist in making your mind focus better. This means that when you come across a problem in life, you’d be able to focus on it properly. You will be able to come up with practical solutions faster, and therefore there would be no hindrance in the process of becoming a more motivated and happy self.

Yoga encourages self awareness

To keep yourself motivated, you need to know yourself properly first. You need to understand your behavioural patterns, as well as what makes you happy and what keeps you energized at work. Yoga helps in directing your focus towards your own self. It helps you understand your emotions better and makes you capable of consciously keeping them regulated. It helps you balance out all the negativity with positivity and enables you to make more practical and sensible decisions.

If what I have said above interests you, you can get started on your yoga journey by discovering which style of yoga works best for you.

About the Author:

Manmohan Singh is a passionate Yogi, Yoga Teacher and a Traveler in India. He organizes Ayurveda Courses in India and Yoga retreat in Nepal . He loves writing and reading books related to yoga, health, nature, Himalayas and Trekking Tours in India.

January 25, 2020January 4, 2020

At least it’s not cancer…

Let me start of by saying, I am very happy I don’t have cancer. It’s a horrible disease and I don’t wish it on anyone. That being said, telling me “At least it’s not cancer” is not making me feel any better.

Fibromyalgia the mysterious disease

I live with Fibromyalgia, there’s not a whole lot known about the disease. We have recently found out that it’s a progressive neuro-disease. At least that’s what they think now. It changes about every year, because the fact is, they really don’t know. It’s mysterious and there is no cure.

I am in pain every single day, the pain travels through my body. I never know how bad it’s gonna be, where it’s gonna show up or if I’m even able to function at all.

With fibromyalgia comes the fibro fog, or brain fog. That means that it feels like there is a thick fog in my brain preventing me to think clearly. Or even find the simplest of words, in any laguage for that matter (I speak three on a daily basis)

Next to my Fibromyalgia I have been diagnosed with Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s disease (both autoimmune thyroid disorders), Celiac disease and Raynauds disease (both autoimmune as well). They say when you have one autoimmune disease, more will follow. Why is that though?

Many vague symptoms

Prior to being diagnosed with any of my conditions I had a long list of vague symptoms that didn’t seem to correlate to eachother. The first thing they test for is cancer. It’s the most well known disease that can show itself in different ways.

Along with a bunch of other test, including general autoimmune (ANA) test they came back. All your test results are negative. You are the picture of perfect health.

doctors don't know what's causing my symptoms

People around me were relieved. “At least it’s not cancer”. While I was relieved I didn’t have cancer, I still did’t know why I felt so ill all the time.

Graves’ Disease

At the young age of 19, after 3 years of being tested on a range of things without any results, this one came back positive. I had Graves’ disease. It was so extreme and in such far stages, that my main symptom (being out of breath) was caused by the strain on my heart.

At the age of 19 I was rushed into the heart monitor room because they were afraid I could have a heart attack at any moment.

But at least it’s not cancer, right?

The way to treat Graves’ disease back then, is to give you some type of chemo therapy, to slow your thyroid down. By the way chemo therapy is also used on patients with Lupus, RA and other autoimmune conditions as a treatment option.

A decade later

Fast forward a decade and some. The Graves’ disease is in remission, yay! I’ve gotten all the new diagnosis I’ve mentioned above. But also a msyterious new thing that is making me loose weight, fast. Very fast!

Even though I eat plenty, I keep loosing weight. Again they have done a lot of test, tested for cancer again. All clear. “At least it’s not cancer” someone says to me. Uhm that’s all nice and all, but I am loosing weight so rapidly that my organs are now in danger of failling. And they can’t figure out why.

lot's of health lab tests without a result

“At least it’s not cancer” is again not making me feel any better.

6 months go by, and I weigh 45kg/99 lbs and I am 1.73cm/5 feet 7 I am very very underweight. Finally they figure out I have a bacteria causing all my issues and the road to recovery can begin. Yet again

What does the future hold?

At this point in time I think I have all my autoimmune issues and other health stuff under control. They are chronic, meaning they will never go away. The furture is uncertain, because we simply don’t know how my issues will progess with time.

I have new undiagnosed issues, like my teeth dissolving from the inside out. No idea why that is happening, but we’re trying to treat it.

I concider myself very lucky that I don’t have cancer. That is a fact. It’s also not what the article is about. My point is, there are things that are just as bad and deadly as cancer. And things that need to be treated the same way as cancer. The diagnosis “not cancer” isn’t always a good one. Please remember that when you tell your friend next time “At least it’s not cancer”

February 13, 2019February 12, 2019

Five Activities That Are Difficult When Living With Brain Fog

I know that we all have forgotten what we were saying mid-conversation or have spent 10 minutes looking for our keys. For most people, these are quick and sporadic events. But for those with chronic illnesses, it can be very different. Those with chronic illnesses generally use the term ‘brain fog’ (or something similar) to explain their moments of forgetfulness. But what is brain fog? Is it even a real thing?!? While it may sound like something from a horror movie, it’s quite the opposite.

What is Brain Fog?

Everyone has probably dealt with it at one time or another since it has many names. You may have heard of baby brain, chemo brain, Fibro fog or even Lupus fog just to name a few. But what is it really? Well, brain fog is a very broad term that encompasses lots of issues including problems focusing, learning, and memory. It can even cause short episodes of confusion or disorientation. This can also be a source of anxiety for some. While brain fog is probably not a serious condition, it is very frustrating and can interfere with daily life.

So what causes this condition? According to Healthline (https://www.healthline.com/health/brain-fog), brain fog can be caused by a wide array of conditions. Ranging from stress to lack of sleep, and hormonal changes to diet and medications. Based on this list of causes, it isn’t a condition that only the chronically ill deal with, it can potentially affect anyone.

Since we know what brain fog is, and have an idea of what causes it, let’s look at some things that are difficult for those dealing with brain fog.

Activities That Are Difficult When You Are Experiencing Brain Fog

Carrying on a conversation– For someone dealing with brain fog issues, it can be very hard at times to carry on a conversation. This is the case because at times it is difficult to continue a train of thought. If something distracts you, your whole train of thought may be gone, and you may or may not remember where you were going with what you were saying.

Writing – At times you may actually lose words altogether or use the wrong words. Yes, this is pretty normal for all people, but for people dealing with brain fog it can be more of a problem. Sometimes the word may come back to you and other times you may have to describe the word you are trying to remember because the word is totally gone.

Holding down a job– Not everyone who has issues with brain fog will have problems keeping a job. But for some with more extreme cases, it may be hard to continue to work, especially if you are in a job where speaking or writing may be part of your job description. This is because, as we talked about before, those two areas are sometimes the hardest for people dealing with this issue.

Remembering dates or appointments– This is often a BIG struggle for those dealing with brain fog. For many, chances are if you didn’t write down your next doctor’s appointment or dinner with a friend on a calendar, you may forget it. It is not intentional and can be hard for others to understand. But unless it’s on a calendar, the chances are high that you will forget something.

Cooking – This can actually be a potentially dangerous problem. Like with any other task it is easy for those dealing with this condition to walk away from the stove when they are distracted by something else. It also can be difficult at times to remember those recipes that have been passed down for generations.

Memory and Concentration Issues Occurring with Brain Fog

Brain fog may seem like a joke or something, and we know how funny it can be at times when we use the completely wrong word. But for those who live with it on a daily basis, it is far from funny. There are many things that become much more difficult when your brain is foggy, and it is quite frustrating for the person dealing with it. So, if you have a family member or friend who suffers from any kind of cognitive disorder, please try to help them remember rather than laughing at them.

For more information on brain fog, check out Healthline’s 13 Things You Know Too Well If You Live with Brain Fog, as well as WebMD’s Reasons You May Have Brain Fog.

Amber writes at theworldseesnormal.com. She is a Registered Nurse by trade but due to her illness, she is no longer able to work outside the home, though her years of medical background give her a different point of view on many topics. Her goal in life has become raising awareness for the issues those with chronic conditions face, as well as for the conditions themselves. She also wants to make sure that those suffering from a chronic illness know that they are not alone in their fight.