Fibromyalgia (FM) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME) can really deplete your energy. You've probably learned the hard way that when you overdo it, you pay a steep price. Like many of you, on good days I would push myself, trying to catch up on everything that needed to be done. I'd try to do multiple loads of laundry, clean the kitchen, pick up the house and cook dinner. When I felt a flare starting I'd push myself even harder, wanting to get everything done before I crashed.

It wasn't long before I realized I was causing myself more pain and agony this way. One productive day would lead to three or four days on the couch or flat in bed. How could I get everything done without making myself crash? Pacing! It takes some practice, but after awhile pacing yourself becomes second nature.

How To Pace Yourself

Pacing strategies can help you live better with your condition. They include:

• Knowing your body
• Short activity periods
• Scheduled rest
• Routines
• Prioritizing
• Switching tasks

Experiment and see what works best for you.

Knowing Your Body

To be successful at pacing, you have to pay attention to your body and know your limits. For people just starting out, it helps to keep a journal or symptom log. Your goal is to answer these questions:

• How much physical activity can I handle in a day or at a time?
• How much mental exertion can I handle in a day or at a time?
• What activities impact me most?
• At what time of day do I have the most energy?
• What symptoms are "early warning signs" that I've neared my limit?

Once you learn the answer to these questions, you're ready to apply pacing techniques.

Short Activity Periods

If you have a big job, don't try to plow through it for hours. Work for a short time, rest for a while, then work for another short period. The amount of time you work and rest depends on your capacity for activity. Start with shorter periods than you think you can handle, and rest for at least 15 minutes it between. See how you feel after a couple of days, then adjust times until you've found the right balance.

Scheduled Rest

Scheduled rest periods are times you set aside for napping and getting some rest. The length of time you schedule is something you have to define for yourself. Laying down for half an hour may give you a nice boost, or you may need a two-hour nap. Just remember that scheduled rest periods should be used for resting, not checking email or watching TV. Your mind needs rest just like your body.

Routines

Routines can really save you, especially if you suffer from a lot of brain fog. The biggest barrier to routines is that our medical conditions are unpredictable. We rarely know when we'll have bad days or when a good day will take a turn for the worse without warning.

To deal with this unpredictability, build in flexibility. Look at your average energy and under-schedule each day based on that. If you finish up and still have energy, work ahead. If you have a few days when you can't get anything done, catch up over the course of several days, reprioritizing to take care of the most important things first.

Prioritizing

Priorities are crucial to pacing. Try to have a clear picture of what absolutely must get done that day, then focus your energy there. If less important things need to wait as a result, then that's just how it is.

Make a list of the things that have to get done, then break your list into three parts: needs, wants and shoulds.

• "Needs" are top priority things that have to get done right now or else.


• "Wants" are things that you'd really like to do IF you have the energy.


• "Shoulds" are things you feel like you ought to do to please someone else or because other people would do them (such as, "I should cook a big, elaborate meal on Sundays, because my mom always did.")

Take care of your "needs" first, then move on to the "wants" (IF you have the energy). If you can't get to the "shoulds," so be it.

Many of us with FM and CFS/ME have "A" type personalities. We tend to be perfectionists, neat-freaks and over-achievers. This sometimes leads us to be our own worst enemies. We allow the "shoulds" to be a big source of guilt. We feel that by not doing certain things we may upset or disappoint the people in our lives.

This is where communication about the limits of your illness comes into play. The following two links may help to educate the people in your life about your illness:

• Explanation of CFS/ME
• Explanation of Fibromyalgia (FM)

Switching Tasks

Instead of doing one thing for a long time, try to change the type of activity frequently. If you do one physical activity for too long, it can tire out the muscles you're using, which may lead to pain and fatigue. This goes for both physical and mental activities.

For example, say you need to wash dishes, fold laundry, pay bills and return some e-mails. Don't do them in that order! Instead, wash dishes, pay bills, fold the laundry, then work on e-mail. By alternating physical and mental activities, you give your brain and muscles the rest they need. Include rest periods in between each activity, or you may need to save one or more of these activities for another day.

Pacing Is An On-Going Process

Pacing takes some effort and lots of self-discipline on your part. Once you see the difference it can make, however, you'll find that it's easier to pace yourself than to deal with the consequences of NOT doing it.