Living with chronic fatigue is exhausting. It’s different to feeling tired. It’s more than just feeling tired.
There’s a sense of exhaustion; everything, even the smallest of movements, takes effort and is combined with aches and pains. I always find it quite hard to explain exactly what it’s like on those days. It’s like no matter how much I rest, I still feel tired.
Out of all the symptoms of my different chronic illnesses, chronic fatigue is the one I still struggle with most. It’s frustrating when you can’t do the things you want and I always feel like I’m wasting time when I’m just sat doing nothing. Some days, the fatigue means I can’t concentrate so even Netflix binge-watching is out of the window!
Fatigue means brain fog and you just have a heavy feeling about you. It’s a lot.
However, there are some things I do to help manage my chronic fatigue and make it feel a little bit less all consuming.
For me, a massive thing is not letting the fatigue rule my life, which is a lot easier said than done!
6 ways to help manage chronic fatigue
Check for deficiencies
If you feel like your chronic fatigue is getting worse, or has come out of nowhere, it’s important to check that you don’t have any deficiencies.
A lot of the time, when my fatigue is worse it’s because my iron levels are low. You could also have a B12 or Vitamin D deficiency so it’s important to go to your doctor and have a quick blood test.
Once your levels are more normal, you will feel so much better!
Plan ahead and plan rest days
This is my biggest thing. I try and plan my time as well as I can to help keep rested.
If I have a big thing coming up, I’ll make sure I have rest days both before and after the event to help just rest, relax and recuperate.
Even on a weekly basis, I make sure I have rest days, slower days and factor in making sure I get enough sleep!
Stay hydrated
Keeping hydrated is a massive thing. If you’re not drinking enough water, you can feel even more lethargic and can also cause joint pain.
So keeping a water bottle with you and drinking from it can really help conserve your energy levels.
Eating the right food
Okay, so this is a HUGE one and could be a few blog posts on its own. This is also something I need to listen to massively.
It’s so easy to grab a chocolate bar, packet of crisps and other convenience foods. When you’re feeling like shit and have no energy, it’s the easiest thing to do. Trust me, I’ve been there.
But foods which are filled with sugar and salt are the worst things for making us feel more tired. You get an initial hit of energy which then leaves you feeling worse when it wears off (v quickly).
Instead, we should be reaching for complex carb style foods which release energy slowly over a longer period of time. Foods like oats, bananas, good quality grains, vegetables and pulses.
As well as making sure we’re eating the right kind of foods, we need to look at when we’re eating them. For some of us, eating small meals regularly can help improve your energy levels
Celebrate the small wins
This is something I use to help my mental health when I’m really struggling with chronic fatigue.
It can be easy to get down on yourself and feel lazy. You’re not lazy – you’re living with an invisible illness and chronic fatigue is a massive part of that.
So write down three (or more) things which you’re grateful for or feel like you’ve achieved that day. It can be something as simple as having a shower, making the bed or making a meal.
Give yourself a break and celebrate the small wins of the day rather than focus on the overwhelming feeling of fatigue.
Gentle exercise
I know that this seems like quite a backwards one but trust me. Sometimes, getting yourself out and doing some gentle exercise (yoga is my go-to) you can actually feel a lot better.
Sometimes, you may need to rest for the rest of the day, and that’s okay. But in the long run, you can start to build it up.
This is something I’m wanting to work on more – it can be hard and scary pushing yourself, especially when you feel so tired. Weigh it up, I can sometimes tell if pushing myself will benefit me or not and then I work with that!
Do you struggle with chronic fatigue? How do you manage?\
Pin for later:
Leave a Reply