Home Page: Inspirations of Love and Hope

Tag: pacing

  • Ten Suggestions for Managing ME/CFS and How You Can Apply Them to Your Daily Life

    This is what I have learned after 30 years of living with chronic fatigue. These ten focus points have helped me. Maybe they will help you, too.

    NOTE: This article contains a lot of information to process, particularly for those of us dealing with chronic fatigue. Take your time reading and absorbing this information, and don’t hesitate to take breaks as needed. To manage a chronic illness like ME/CFS or Long Covid effectively, it’s crucial to respect our reality and prioritize our self-care. Remember, success is measured in many different ways, and taking care of yourself is always a valuable investment in your overall health and well-being.

    Take care and be gentle with yourself.

    1. Pacing: The first suggestion is pacing. It’s essential to balance rest and activity to avoid overexertion and prevent symptom flare-ups. Remember that pacing is not about doing less, but about finding a sustainable balance. Listen to your body, and don’t push yourself into a flare-up. This will take some practice and is likely to change from day to day. So remember… Be careful…. Be mindful…. Discover what works best for you from day to day….
    2. Sleep Hygiene: The second suggestion is sleep hygiene. It’s crucial to establish a regular sleep schedule, create a relaxing bedtime routine, and maintain a sleep-conducive environment. Quality sleep can help reduce your symptoms and improve your overall well-being. Again, this is a practice that you can adapt and modify over time. So remember… Be careful…. Be mindful…. Discover what works best for you from day to day….
    3. Stress Management: The third suggestion is stress management. Stress can exacerbate symptoms of ME/CFS, so it’s crucial to find ways to manage it. Consider meditation, deep breathing exercises, or mindfulness practices to help manage symptoms. There is a free meditation class offered online by MBSR. The MBSR online training course is 100% free, created by a fully certified MBSR instructor, and is based on the program founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Palouse Mindfulness offers this course. Another suggestion is Toni Bernhard’s book, How to Be Sick. This is a powerful and insightful book that offers a unique perspective on the challenges faced by those of us suffering from chronic illnesses such as ME/CFS, Long Covid, and other similar conditions. You can take a look at this book below.
    4. Gentle Exercise: The fourth suggestion is gentle exercise. Very, very low-impact exercises like gentle stretching or breathing exercises can help improve physical function and well-being. However, always listen to your body and adjust the level of intensity as necessary so that you are always below your post-exertional malaise threshold. Most graded exercise recommendations do not take this into account, and people often overdo it and exacerbate symptoms. Also, low-impact exercise for us may simply be getting out of bed. Or, if bedbound, turning your head from side to side while lying down. Or, flexing and extending your feet while in bed. If you start by doing less and evaluate your response as you go, you will be less likely to exacerbate your symptoms. I can’t tell you how many times I was enjoying a stretching routine only to have PEM the next day. So remember… Be careful…. Be mindful…. Discover what works best for you from day to day….
    5. Nutrition: The fifth suggestion for optimal health and well-being is to pay close attention to your nutrition. A balanced diet that incorporates a variety of nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, is crucial to maintaining good health. Avoid consuming processed foods that contain high levels of artificial ingredients, unhealthy fats, and added sugars. Opt for fresh, whole foods that provide the essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber your body needs. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and promote optimal bodily function. Remember, a healthy diet is an investment in your long-term health and well-being.
    6. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): The sixth suggestion for managing ME/CFS, Long Covid, or any chronic illness is to consider cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). This evidence-based therapy can help you develop effective coping strategies to manage the emotional and psychological impacts of living with a chronic illness. By working with a therapist who specializes in CBT, you can learn to identify and challenge negative thought patterns, develop healthy coping mechanisms, and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. CBT has been shown to be effective for individuals with chronic illnesses, and it can be a valuable tool in helping you manage your symptoms and improve your overall quality of life. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a qualified therapist to explore this option further.
    7. Support Network: The seventh suggestion is to seek out and maintain a strong support system. Your support system may include family, friends, and support groups. These individuals can provide you with emotional support and help you manage your condition.
    8. Medication Management: The eighth suggestion is medication management. When managing chronic fatigue, medication management is an important component. Work with your healthcare provider to find the most effective medications for your symptoms while discussing possible side effects and interactions. Starting with lower doses than normally suggested may also be recommended. So remember… Be careful…. Be mindful…. Discover what works best for you from day to day….
    9. Symptom Tracking: The ninth suggestion for managing a chronic illness like ME/CFS or Long Covid is to engage in regular symptom tracking. Keeping track of your symptoms can help you better manage your condition. By keeping a symptom diary, you can also better understandy patterns and triggers that may be exacerbating your symptoms. The key here is to do less of what makes you feel worse, and do more of what helps you to feel better.
    10. Education: The tenth and final suggestion is education. Educate yourself about ME/CFS & Long Covid, including symptoms, diagnosis, and management strategies. Becoming informed can help you advocate for yourself and make informed decisions about your health. Remember that education is an ongoing process, and it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest research and information about your chronic conditions.

    In conclusion, managing chronic fatigue requires a multifaceted approach. By incorporating these ten suggestions into your daily life, you can better manage your condition, improve your quality of life, and find hope for the future. Remember to listen to your body, seek support, and stay informed. Thank you for reading.

    Please, for the benefit of others, leave your questions and comments below so we can all learn from one another about these ten steps.

  • PEM and Pacing: The Traffic Light System for ME/CFS

    Does your PEM have different levels to it based on how much you over-do it?

    When I was still able to hold a part time job back around 2003, my boss needed me to come up with a way to communicate where I was in my cycle of PEM.

    The system I came up with was based upon the traffic lights – red, yellow and green. When I was green, I was feeling my best and had the greatest capacity for activity but still within the limits of needing to be mindful and to be much less active than normal people- like a green traffic light it meant I was good to go as long as I obeyed the green level limitations of MECFS. Yellow meant warning, be prepared to stop if needed. This was a mild PEM. And I knew if I didn’t slow down and rest that I could end up at red. Red meant if I didn’t stop everything, including all sensory input and go to bed, that I would crash and end up in bed for, days, weeks or months.

    So then, I could tell my boss, who had fibromyalgia and so was very accommodating, that I was orange heading for red, and she knew what that meant, and I could lighten my activity level correspondingly, thus avoiding a full on crash.

    At other times I would be orange heading for green. This meant I was still needing to be careful, but that my carefulness was paying off and that I was heading in a good direction. I rarely got to green, but when I did, that was a good day. Green was essentially my best, but still very limited place.

    I also began to identify and recognize the symptoms associated with each level. To make this long story shorter I’ll just mention the three main signals my body would give. First is an increase in the volume of the tinnitus. Second is an increase in quantity and intensity of headaches. Third is the arrival of insomnia.

    With increased tinnitus I was heading for red, if I didn’t cut back on my activity level appropriately. With an increase in headaches, I was firmly in orange and still heading for a serious crash if I didn’t slow down and rest. By the time the insomnia started I was definitely red heading for a crash of epic proportions – completely bed ridden with earplugs and an eye mask with my only option for activity being calm abiding meditation in order to be as calm as I could be while waiting for my body to settle.

    This system has helped me to navigate my activity and rest levels enabling me to have my best life possible with this horrible debilitating illness. Currently, I am mostly homebound and can only work for myself. But this traffic light system has remained relevant in helping me to navigate my day to day existence. Such as whether I can take a shower or not. Whether I can wash my dishes or not. And, when I need to stay in bed and do nothing, etc.

    That’s enough about that for now. It has been, for me, a very helpful metaphoric practice enabling a more successful navigation of activities relative to symptoms.

    🙏🕊️🙏