Living with Graves Disease: 4 Quick Life Style Changes for Better Health and Better Life
Watch your thoughts, they become words; Watch your words, they become actions; Watch your actions, they become habits; Watch your habits, they become character; Watch your character, it becomes your destiny!
Author Unknown
Let me tell you why I think the above is true. I discovered that by changing the way I think and by guarding my thoughts (really, really guarding them). I can change my perception about the world, how I act and react. This finally will determines what I do every day and certainly my future.
I have my fears. Questions like: What if I fail? What if does not happens that way I want to? What if I die in poverty, and cannot deal with the situations that will come? What will happen to me? I would wake up a few times per night with nightmares and questions like those running in my head. Accordingly, all my actions the next day will be guided by these thoughts: I’ll be upset, angry and in general my actions will be driven by my fears! How fun! Needless to say, “I attract in my life whatever I give my energy, focus and attention to, whether wanted or unwanted” as Michael Losier said in his “Law of Attraction”. I was attracting problems of all kind.
The Graves’ Disease trap: This is crucial for people suffering from Graves’ Disease and Hyperthyroidism. They cannot sleep anyway, they are anxious and worried about everything and anything. This is because of some of our personal traits, but also because of the rain of excessive thyroid hormones running through our bodies. Living with Graves Disease is not an easy thing to do, I admit that.
So this is what I came up with:
1. Living with Graves disease and hyperthyroidism requires you to guard your thoughts
While I am not able to control what’s happening to me, I can choose how to interpret the things that are coming on my way. I could be positive or negative. Glass half full, or half empty. My choice.
Worry is the #1 happiness and energy drainer. The fastest way to fill yourself with never-ending joy and energy is to quit worrying. How in the world you can achieve that? Each time you have a destructive and harmful thought, immediately replace it with an optimistic and constructive thought such as a solution to your miseries, real or imaginary People who focus on solutions rather than problems are optimistic, happy and confident, not to mention healthy. I am pretty sure that they are also very healthy!
2. Living with Graves Disease and hyperthyroidism requires you to guard your words
I became very careful what I am saying: am I complaining, blaming, being negative or am I using positive affirmations and words? How do I talk about people and events, and most important about myself? I have a sticky note on the mirror in my bathroom: “You say it, you own it”. That sentence helps me to remember that everything that goes out of my mouth goes into God’s ears. Are my words in my control? Yes, they are.
Changing the way you speak can actually change your attitude, emotions and feelings. Use “upbeat” words, instead of “upset” words.
For example, you can say, “I feel exhausted and tired” which is upsetting. Or, you can say, “I would take better care of myself…by doing so and so..”, which is positive. One of the most interesting differences between happy and unhappy people, says Maryann Troiani, Psy.D., is that happy people never or rarely use the word ‘try’ or ‘but.’ These two words leave people feeling hopeless and not in control of their lives. Happy people feel hopeful, and they know they can do it. The words ‘try’ and ‘but’ are excuses and unhappy people have tons of excuses for everything.
3. Living with Graves Disease and hyperthyroidism requires you to guard your actions
I noticed that I am doing things that are not necessarily of my best interest- they are time consuming, they don’t serve me anymore, they are not useful for me. For example small talk with people about things that I really don’t care about (and spending hours!). The Graves’ disease trap: we are overly nice with people who don’t deserve it, or are not important for us. Let’s talk about self-care!
I also have not being consistent when learning new things- like a new computer software or program- I’ll never follow the instructions or tutorials. First I’ll try it in practice and then, if I have problems, I’ll start looking for solutions. And if there are too many problems- I’ll just give up.
Needless to say, most of the above are big challenges for me. So, I decided to finish what I start, if I start to write an article- finish it, if I have to install a program- learn how to operate it and so on. If I don’t know how I’ll call someone who knows. Living with Graves disease requires to dedicate your time to things that really matter to you!
4. Living with Graves disease also requires you to guard your habits
As we all know not all of our habits are the best for us. Examine them, see what’s working and what’s not and change what needs to be changed.
If your habit for example is to argue with your boss/husband (not of your best interest!) try to listen to him/her next time and RE-position yourself (in that case meaning to try a different approach). If you don’t know exactly how, let me know and I’ll help you with this.
Do I get tired of guarding all these things? Yes, I do- sometimes I just want to soak into my old behavior and old self-pity mood, it’s so attractive to be unhappy sometimes, but these moments became shorter and shorter. I try to remind myself that the optimism and good attitude is the hidden key to my personal success and health.
Optimists create a clear vision of what their lives should look like, assertively working on their goals to achieve their vision and take self- responsibility. That pertains to your health goals as well. How can we have career goals, family goals but we are lacking health goals?
In contrast, pessimists have no clear vision about how their life should look like, and they love to whine, blame and moan. So which do I want to be: the happy and optimistic, or unhappy and pessimistic? The choice is yours again.
Living with Graves Disease requires you to set your own goals, not somebody else’s.
Final thoughts:
What will be my or your destiny? We don’t know. What I know is that I’ll do my best to make my experience on this Earth more pleasant and I’ll believe that whatever comes on my way- I can deal with it and it’s for my highest good. I prefer to believe this, instead of the option that I could fail.
I cannot resist sharing a Latin proverb with you, which reminds me why we are all here on this Earth:
“Fuga i dearum” or “ The Purpose is Pleasure”. So, whatever makes you feel well, do more of that and more often. That’s your mantra.