10 Tips on Pacing Yourself if You Have Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia or MS

Pacing yourself when you have chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or fibromyalgia can be challenging, but it’s essential to your long-term health and well-being. The following ten tips on pacing yourself will help you get everything done without overdoing it and suffering a significant setback in your day or week.

1) Know your limits

When you have chronic fatigue, pacing yourself is essential. Too much activity can exacerbate your symptoms and make you feel worse. Please create a list of your daily activities and rank them in order of importance. Just because something’s low-priority doesn’t mean it isn’t essential—make sure you account for every item on your list when pacing yourself. If an activity takes longer than 15 minutes, break it up into chunks and spread it throughout your day.

2) Beware of overstimulation

It’s easy to overstimulate ourselves and crash. If you have chronic fatigue, it’s a good idea to schedule some days off from physical activity to allow your body to relax, even if it means calling in sick at work or just sitting around. Even watching TV can make you feel tired later. If you have chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia, try unplugging from electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime.

3) Don’t push your body when it’s tired

It may be tempting to push yourself when you feel energised but don’t. Be mindful of your body and what it needs during each stage of recovery. Make sure to rest as much as possible—even small rests can make a huge difference in how quickly you heal and bounce back. Get enough sleep: If you have chronic fatigue, getting enough sleep is crucial to your health.

4) Know what causes fatigue and avoid it

Stress and lack of sleep are common causes of fatigue. To minimise these issues, it’s essential to recognise what causes you to feel stressed or not get enough sleep. Once you know what’s causing your exhaustion, start working on decreasing those factors in your life.

5) Take breaks even if they make you uncomfortable

Sometimes, when working hard, we get anxious to accomplish everything as quickly as possible. While getting your work done efficiently is good, it can be detrimental if you don’t allow yourself to take breaks. Make sure that you are taking scheduled and unscheduled breaks from time to time to stay focused throughout your day. Schedule at least one complete hour break for every four hours of work. This will help keep you energised and give you a chance to reset your mind.

6) make a list of what makes you tired?

Start by writing down all of your activities for a typical day. Try to list everything, no matter how big or small. If you find it helpful, make two columns: one listing what tired you out physically and another listing what tired you out mentally and emotionally. Then tally up your totals at each end; those are probably where you need to focus most. Think about what makes up more than 50 per cent of your category—that’s where you’ll probably want to start cutting back first.

7) Rely on others

If you’re struggling with chronic fatigue, it’s okay to rely on others for help. There is a ton of pressure placed upon us when we are expected to be strong and independent, but it’s important to remember that we need others. Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance when you need it—whether you ask for help from your friends, family members or even a therapist.

8) Think positive thoughts

It’s easy to think of all your negative symptoms when dealing with chronic fatigue. However, it’s also essential to focus on what you can do instead of what you can’t. Think positive thoughts and tell yourself that while you might feel run down, there are still things you can do. This will boost your energy levels and make coping with your condition more manageable.

9) Don’t compare yourself to others

Suppose you know people with chronic fatigue. Please don’t compare yourself to them. While they may seem healthy to an outsider, there is no universal definition of health. Everyone’s body is different. Your energy levels and capabilities are your own—don’t judge yourself against someone else’s preconceived notion of what it means to be healthy or sick.

10) Exercise but do it at the right time

The most important thing is that you do exercise regularly. This can help boost your mood and improve your energy, giving you more of a reason to look forward to getting out of bed in the morning.

Find what works for you; for example, if you walk for 1/2 an hour and feel tired, then next time, try 20 minutes. It’s essential that you don’t fall into the trap of boom and bust.  Find your baseline and build up slowly.

I am starting a free online support group meeting once a week for Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia or MS.  If you are interested, drop me an email at info@trevorbeech.com for further details.

These techniques are supportive practices and not a substitute for professional mental health treatment. If you are experiencing severe distress, please get in touch with a qualified mental health professional or emergency services.