Fatigue is a common by-product of a wide range of chronic conditions. No matter the diagnosis, you’re left feeling weak and de-energized for extended periods of time. While the illness itself may be the primary cause of fatigue, there are several secondary factors which add to the exhaustion. Your medication–or more likely medications may treat your symptoms but can decrease energy levels, couple that with the emotional wear and tear of feeling unwell and it’s no surprise that you’re feeling exhausted.

Intense fatigue from chronic illness reduces the quality of life for those experiencing it. In other words, life is all that much less sweet when you’ve not got the energy to savour it. For you this may mean that you’ve struggled to sustain a meaningful career, been able to keep participating in favourite activity or had much of a social life. For many of us this fatigue and exhaustion can be overwhelming.

We’re here for you. It doesn’t have to be this way. We’ve discovered that with the right mindset and planning, there are ways for you to navigate fatigue and feel more positive, thus boosting optimism and energy levels in the process. Based upon our research–people we have worked with and personal experience–here are our top 18 strategies for managing fatigue from chronic illness:

7 ideas for Managing Fatigue

1) Rest

As obvious as it may seem, it is better to listen to your body and go to bed when it is telling you to, rather than trying to fight fatigue and soldiering through the remainder of the day. By doing this, you are more likely to have the energy needed during those hours when you feel you can be more functional.

2) Measure and Assess

Write down the hours when you are awake and find yourself to be more functional. How many hours this is for? Is the same each day? Are you seeing any regular patterns? In addition, try assessing your energy level using a 1 to 5 scale. This will enable you set realistic expectations of yourself for within that window of time. Doing so can help you achieve a succession of confidence boosting “small wins” and avoid the disappointment.

3) Timetable

Once you become more aware of the patterns and fluctuations of your energy levels, you are now able to determine which activities to include and when. For example, you may conclude you are usually at 3 energy level between 10am and 2pm. Knowing this may allow you to factor in appropriate activities, which can enhance your sense of agency without feeling overwhelmed.

4) Prioritise

In today’s culture, we glorify busy. It is standard practice to flood our schedules with more tasks than we can handle. Some tasks may be unavoidable, but not all of them. By determining which of these tasks are most vital, you can create a priority list for some and postpone the others. Doing so can help you use your time more strategically, thus conserving your energy for recuperation.

5) Minimise

Minimising is a proactive approach, which reduces the odds of tasks coming up later. A classic example would be owning less possessions, so that you have less to look after in the long run. Another example is telling friends that you are putting social arrangements on hold, so that you are not pressured to give up vital rest hours.

6) Modify

This involves taking the tasks which cannot avoid and finding a more manageable variation of it. An example of this is walking the dog for 15 minutes instead of half an hour or using video chat to catch up with a friend instead of going out to meet them at a coffee shop.

7) Delegate

If you have the option, identify a core group of people who are closest to you and determine if any of them can take on chores which are currently too much for you to handle. Doing so could allow you to rest further and schedule your more function hours for other priorities.

Illness and Fatigue: 7 Invigorating exercises

1) Mindfulness

Mindfulness can relieve negative emotions such as depression and anxiety. By placing your focus on what you are experiencing in the present, you can redirect your mind away from negative thoughts about the past or future, which can drain you of energy. In addition, the aspects of mindfulness which involve relaxation and deep breathing techniques have been shown to have a powerful effect on energy levels.

2) Find your retreat

This involves identifying that one place where you feel secure and comfortable. This may be a park bench, childhood home or favourite bookstore. Being somewhere familiar and non-threatening can both calming and invigorating at the same time.

3) Establish a routine

Consistent daily activity can provide a feeling of predictability which can be comforting. A routine boosts confidence in that you are still in control of something which you were able to formulate yourself. This in turn can increase your sense of self efficacy, enthusiasm and optimism. Try establishing a simple routine, which you can manage and feel good about.

4) Gratitude Exercises

This can include daily writing in a journal, about the aspects of life you still feel grateful for. Alternatively, you could try listing 3 good things which happen to you each day. The idea behind these activities is to draw your attention away from anxiety or depression inducing thoughts, which sap energy and refocus on the more positive aspects of life, which have been shown to enhance energy levels.

5) Savouring

This activity combines the living in the moment elements of mindfulness and attention to positive aspects of gratitude. Savouring simply involves immersing yourself in your positive experiences at their fullest. Examples of this may include paying close attention to each bite of a tasty meal or fully absorbing beautiful scenery.

6) Nature Walk

Going for a walk may not always been for those who are suffering from illness fatigue, however in most cases, those recovering from illness will be still be able to enjoy at least a brief, slow walk at some point in the day. Whether in a field, the woods or local park, try walking for at least 10 minutes when you, as exposure to green scenery and the sounds of living creatures can be invigoration and linked to improvements in wellbeing.

7) Best Possible Self

Take 5- 10 minutes each day to sit with yourself and picture your life in two years-time. Imagine everything goes the way you would like it to. What is the best you can expect given your current circumstances? Maybe your condition has improved, and you have regained your energy back? What will you be doing? Who will you be surrounded by? This exercise can give your current condition purpose and increase optimism, which can improve energy levels.

Illness and Fatigue: 4 step approach

1) Set a SMART goal

If goal is too lofty, it can set one up for failure and disappointment, which may cause further energy loss and deflation.
Achieving a sense of momentum and empowerment is the primary aim. Using SMART Goal principles, identify an achievable initial win which is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Sensitive.

• Specific: Wanting to increase energy level for a slightly longer
• Measurable: Moving from 2/5 energy level for 5 hours a day to 3/5 energy level to 6 hours a day
• Achievable: A slight improvement as opposed to a full recovery.
• Realistic: Being able to walk for 30 minutes as opposed to running a 10k
• Time sensitive: Aiming to achieve this improvement within the next month.

2) Assess the reality of your situation

This may include assessing where your energy levels are currently at, establishing the root causes, examining what impact is it having on your life currently and identifying the potential obstacles which may get in the way of any improvement. For example, if you are experiencing a 2/5 energy level for 5 hours a day, the causes may be your illness, the medication and feelings of depression. This is making you feel slow and exhausted in the hours when you are not asleep. Altering medication may be one option you wish to consider, however an obstacle to this may be your illness getting worse without it.

3) Examine Options

This will include looking further at what ideas you can implement, and which resources are you have at your disposal. Some of your options may be more conventional, for example, talking to your doctor about alternative treatment options. Other options could represent more out of the box thinking, for example, networking with illness support groups you find on social media, in order to see how other fellow patients are managing their fatigue levels. First step at this stage, is to brainstorm on a sheet of paper, all the options that come time mind and then rank the top 3 you feel are most viable.

4) Your next move

Now that you have formulated a plan, it is time to set a timeline for taking that next step. This may look something like deciding to arrange a meeting with your doctor, to discuss alternative medications, within 7 days, or alternatively to formulate a list of articles you plan on reading over the next two weeks, which will further educate you on the each of the medication options available to you.

We invite you to share your feedback with us. Have you tried any of these before? Have you tried anything different? What has worked for you? What has not worked?

Is there anything else you would like for us to cover?

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Our website is www.illnesscoaching.com

Find our page on Facebook under MPower Illness Coaching, where you can join our community. You will see have a recorded video version of this blog on our YouTube Channel. MPower Illness Coaching

As always, if you are experiencing any severe medical or psychological symptoms, we always recommend you speaking to a directly to a qualified professional.

Thank you for checking in with us and we’ll see you again soon.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Amy Mayers, MA is a mother, designer, business consultant, editor, content creator and one of the co-owners of MPOWER Illness Coaching. She is also living with several chronic conditions.

Amy has been living with PCOS and Narcolepsy since her teens. For three decades she has fought the medical system to gain proper diagnosis and treatment options for her conditions. It’s not been easy as so many of the symptoms often been discounted as depression, laziness, and low self-esteem. She was diagnosed with PCOS at the age of 35 and Narcolepsy at the age of 39.  

With proper diagnosis comes proper treatment options which, when coupled with much of the information MPOWER shares, has allowed Amy to flourish. She has gone on to study Design Management, receive a Master’s degree and start a freelance business on her own.

Keith Mayers, MSc, MSc, MBPsS, is a coach, psychologist, mentor, writer and content creator and one of the co-owners of MPOWER Illness Coaching. He is also a chronic illness survivor.

After being on the verge of kidney and lung failure, Keith was diagnosed with Granulomatosis with Polyangitis (GPA). After 11 days in intensive care, he has spent years recovering with the aid of steroids, chemotherapy drugs and an oxygen tank.

Keith went on to study two Master’s degrees in Organizational Psychology and Applied Positive Psychology with Coaching Psychology. He has spent the past several years focusing on the psychological impact of long-term illness.

Pairing with together, Amy and Keith have pooled their knowledge and experience to create MPOWER to share with others what they have learned to help their communities flourish.