Distraction

[Cactusflower]

Some interesting information about distraction.
47% of people (result of some studies) are distracted at any given time. No data was taken of distraction before computers and smart phones.
Distraction keeps us from being happy, and satisfied by taking our mind away from the moment. We may go to dinner with loved ones but our mind races to think of something else. We try to relax and can’t stop thinking about what is next.
This statistic of 47% is not even for people with TMS, and we know that symptoms are meant to be a distraction! The anxiety, depression, stress, suffering is of course greater.
This is exactly why meditation is often recommended or included in ways in which we can overcome symptoms.

Breathwork
Meditation
Somatic Tracking
QiGong
Tai Chi
Sound Baths
Singing Bowls
Running or strenuous exercise
Painting or adult coloring
Writing poetry
Playing music
Cooking ( does this for me!)

any of these things can get you out of your head and help you focus on the moment, an living life, refocus on enjoyment - take you out of your distraction.

 

[Manjuno]

I do realize there's no best solution for everybody but I'm wondering what would be the best thing to introduce into my life from the list above.

Breathwork - I'm practicing the Guillarme method at the moment;
Meditation - I'm not sure how to approach this; I mean, I can listen to some tapes with meditating instructions or just sit trying to relax and clear my mind but there's probably more to it;
Somatic Tracking - working on it;
QiGong - tried that but it seemed too slow and I was feeling I needed something more dynamic;
Tai Chi - tried it once and my back and arms hurt like hell for some reason; afterwards I talked to other people who just got introduced to it too and they didn't feel like they were hit by a car; I barely dragged myself home after this; it was more exhausting than an intense training at the gym - I cannot explain this;
Sound Baths - no experience with it;
Singing Bowls - no experience with it;
Running or strenuous exercise - running is my main physical activity (I'm doing about 120 km monthly at the moment);
Painting or adult coloring - too boring for me, I get completely bored after 5 minutes;
Writing poetry - I actually do write poetry as a a part of my job so I don't really feel like doing it in my spare time
Playing music - I've never learned to play any instrument and struggled very hard learning to play the guitar - I think I can't do it on my own;
Cooking - my kitchen needs a total makeover; cooking there right now is not fun at all but I'm planning to remedy that soon.

Also, as I currently jog as my main (sole) physical activity, what do you reckon would be the best thing to add antiTMS-wise from the below activities that I had considered (and researched the availability in my area):

- yoga - I know that we have a fantastic instructor and some friends really recommend attending his classes but I practiced yoga many years ago and I remeber it didn't really help with my symptoms then;
- personal trainer / gym - in the past it worked marvels to my body but now I'm feeling so weak and have so many symptoms that I worry my body will just break when I put it to such an intense work;
- swimming - all the doctors recommend it for me but the thing is I can't swim at all and have a fear of drowning as I nearly drowned as a kid;
- hiking - I live in a mountainous area with a great potential for long hikes and I really like it but one of my most persistent symptoms started after some extreme hiking (80 km of steeply ascending and descending terrain traversed in a 20-hours time).

What do you have the best experience with? I don't want to revert to my default mode of trying to be the best and pushing myself to the limit (I do that with every activity!) instead of just enjoying it and reaping the health benefits. I just feel I need a second physical activity and have just enough time and energy to introduce just one into my regime.

 

[Cactusflower]

@Manjuno

The idea is to try ONE thing and see if it works over time, to help you relax.
Doing multiple of these things or feeling you must do it all is feeding into the TMS mechanism and reflective of a tms personality of rushing, forcing, being “perfect” at healing, doing instead of being. Take note of your description of meditation. Meditation is just being there with yourself. It’s about not thinking about doing anything or ruminating or reflecting. It sounds like you understand that!
You run, you do breathing techniques. That’s great!
You want to add something: try things! Experiment with adding something. Swimming is not for you, but what about tennis, roller skating, kite flying, relaxing in a hot tub, sailing, hiking, baseball, getting a manicure? The sky is the limit! You site fear of “being broken”. To work up to another activity why not experiment where you feel safe, with jogging. How can you challenge your safety there? Maybe by adding light weights? Or (not and), tiny increments of interval training -running faster 10 or 20 seconds every mile? The trick is to do these things while not thinking about you - enjoy your environment: the birds, people, cloud formations, sun.. be present and gently return your mind to this if it wanders. Congratulate yourself for simply getting out there every time!