Harsh rays of sunlight are scratching at my eyelids, begging to be let in. I squint trying to lift the heavy lids and figure out where I am at. It doesn’t feel like my pillow or my bed, and my window faces West. I’m never harshly woken like this in the morning.
It’s a hotel, and the “blackout curtains” they boasted about on their page do not reach the ceiling. It must be nearly 7:00 am anyway, so its time to wake up. Even on vacation, I don’t dare sleep in and disturb my circadian rhythms. That would send me crashing into a cycle of narcolepsy symptoms that I don’t like dealing with.
I can read all the tips for wakefullness in the world and work on my sleep hygiene, but it doesn’t matter unless I decide to change my own health.
Sometimes I think about how much having narcolepsy has affected my life. Especially my mental state. It is always on my mind. It can still be a limitation if I let it. I can read all the tips for wakefulness in the world and work on my sleep hygiene, but it doesn’t matter unless I decide to change my health.
While I can’t cure narcolepsy and I no longer take stimulants to keep me awake, I have learned how to treat narcolepsy naturally. I trust that there is a mind-body connection that I can tap into to improve how I feel. Today I’m going to tell you about this silly thing I like to do in my mirror as a natural narcolepsy treatment. It’s simple enough I can do it anytime and anywhere, even on my vacation.
Positive Affirmations for Narcolepsy
Maybe you think positive affirmations are wacky or stupid or maybe you just haven’t heard of them. Perhaps you just haven’t thought about using positive affirmations for narcolepsy. But what would it hurt you to try them out?
I am not sick or broken and I don’t need to be fixed.
You can say anything that helps you feel better. It isn’t going to change that you have narcolepsy, but it can help to improve how you feel. Often I find I am angry with myself. It’s impossible to keep up with what I believe I should be doing. I have to accept how I am. It is not necessary to always feel sick just because I have a diagnosis or believe I am sick. I am not sick or broken, and I don’t need to be fixed. Those are beliefs that took me a long time to come around to
What can I use affirmations on?
I try to use affirmations to overcome aspects that may be related to narcolepsy, but that I can change. I like to say things like, “I believe in myself. I am confident and worthy. I am strong. I can do anything. I am enough. I am getting healthier every day.”
The critical thing about affirmations is that they have to be believable. If you don’t believe yourself when you are saying the affirmations, negative emotions will bubble to the surface and your subconscious will call you out as a liar. But don’t worry if none of these ring true for you yet, you use affirmations to get there!
How to tweak affirmations to work for you
When you see an affirmation that you WANT to believe in, all you have to do is change the statement to something that you can believe. If, “I am healthy” feels false for you, try some of these from Louise Hay:
- I am constantly discovering new ways to improve my health.
- My body is always doing its best to create perfect health.
- I lovingly do everything I can to assist my body in maintaining perfect health.
- I make healthy choices. I have respect for myself.
Do you see what she did there? Instead of using basic “I am” statements, she starts with some softer words that are easier for your mind to accept. Once you are using them for a while, you can tweak them again to become more true for you. Eventually, you may whittle them down to “I am” statements when you are ready, and you may not. Whatever works for you is what you should do. When you are ready, Louise Hay has lots of great advice about Affirmations for Health.
How do affirmations work?
There is a lot of debate on this topic, so I am just going to answer from my own experience. Saying the words doesn’t have a lot of power by itself. You have to believe in them and imagine what the outcome would be if you believed the things you want to believe.
For example, take the time to imagine what you would do with your life if you believed the statement, “I am healthy.” Would you be easier on yourself? Do you think you go out with your friends more? Maybe you would spend more time on your hobbies? Imagine yourself doing those things when you say your affirmations. The more you repeat these visualizations in your head, the easier it is for your subconscious to accept that you can do them.
When you are ready, start going out and doing them! For me, that is the most powerful way that they evoke actual change in my life. It’s not about saying the words and just expecting magical results. After enough repetition and visualization, it becomes easier to take the actions that felt paralyzing before.
One of the most challenging statements for me to learn to believe is that “I am worthy.” Sometimes our beliefs are ingrained in us so deeply; it feels impossible to change them. That is where other tools might become useful. I have used the Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, to help me shift limiting beliefs and learn to love myself.
If you are interested in doing some of this change work yourself, check out some more of my posts, or book a consultation call below. There are so many options available to help us to live more fulfilling lives, what is stopping you right now?
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More reading:
5 Things You Can Do Now to Manage Narcolepsy
Tell me how you take time to love yourself!