Living with chronic fatigue

A common question I get is how to cope with fatigue – especially when it’s chronic

A few things to keep in mind:

• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a very real and legitimate condition. Its medical name is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).
• It’s not something that can be ‘cured’ simply by being more active.
• It is absolutely not the fault of those who experience it, and it says nothing about their strength or character.

Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s talk about what we do know about chronic fatigue – and how to approach living with it.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis doesn’t have a single known cause, but it’s been linked to things like infections, trauma, immune system issues, and even genetics.

Here are some strategies that can help support you in navigating and reducing its impact.

Sleep

One of the more peculiar (and deeply frustrating) issues facing those living with chronic fatigue is that sleep becomes harder to achieve – causing sleep anxiety. Sleep is the cornerstone of good health and should be the number one priority. Sleep is all about routine, some things to consider are. 

• Morning sun exposure – it sets the circadian rhythm for the day and has been linked to better moods and better sleep. 
• Sleep hygiene – you may or may not have heard of this one. Sleep hygiene is about setting the conditions for better sleep. No screens, bright lights or alcohol before bed is a great start. Dim lighting at night, non-digital activities like reading a book are also helpful. 
• Routine – your body is a prediction machine and LOVES routine. Eat breakfast every day at the same time and you’ll start getting hungry then. Same with sleep, being consistent with bedtime and waking up helps your body get in a rhythm. Even if it’s to get in bed to read a book. It’s about 7-9 hours of sleep ‘opportunity’ every night at the same time. 

Exercise

Exercise is important in managing chronic fatigue, the art is in how you approach it, and the name of the game here is ‘pacing’. A common mistake I see is people decide to go for a walk every day to ‘do something’ or tick the exercise box and it often leads them to be being done in for the rest of the day. It can make things worse and lead to post-exertional malaise (PEM). So, what do you do? The answer is less, more often. Counting steps is a great way to increase your activity level without relying on the big daily walk. Take a few extra steps going from room to another, checking the mail, whatever. It also provides a benchmark for the future. 

Daily journal

I know, a bit of a weird suggestion but hear me out. Chronic fatigue is different for everyone and can come in short waves of better/worse, so it’s helpful to record your days to see if there are any patterns. It also can link certain diets or routine to improved or worse symptoms. A daily journal can be as complicated as you like, some good inputs are:

• Sleep schedule times
• Food log
• Activity log
• Weather observation (known to affect moods)
• Agenda for the day 

Your health professionals will also love you for this as well! 

There are so many more tips and tricks, I can tell you – If you’d like some more support feel free to get in touch or ask for a follow up article and I’ll be more than happy to oblige. Until then, keep moving, get lots of rest and be kind to yourself and others.

Tommy

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Tommy Trout, Inclusive-AF inclusive-af.com