Managing Fibromyalgia Symptoms: Why It's Important to Pace Yourself
Fibromyalgia is renowned for its symptoms that make it hard to do things, like chronic pain and exhaustion. If you have Fibromyalgia, you know how bad these symptoms may be. But the severity of your symptoms may change a lot over time. You feel good some days and bad other days.
This is an excellent way to deal with your symptoms so that you have more good days than bad ones. You might also discover that your bad days are easier to handle. Good symptom management aims to find this "balance."
"Pacing" should always be a part of a symptom control plan. This is quite effective for dealing with both pain and tiredness, and it's probably the hardest thing you'll have to learn how to do!
Pacing doesn't mean stopping what you're doing when you're tired. This entails making a plan for when to work and when to rest. Sometimes just a few minutes each. Then you slowly start doing more and more until you strike the appropriate balance between resting and being active. This is the most crucial thing to remember: you do this for everything you do, even when you feel fine.
Now, tell the truth. What do you do when you have a wonderful day? You race about the home trying to get all the chores done. You work a little longer to finish the project. You and your family spend the full day in the park. Or a major trip to the store. You just go too far! What happens next? You CRASH BIG TIME, right? You spend the next few days in bed or on a very limited schedule.
STOP! This is not how to deal with your symptoms. Experts believe that the best method to pace your activities is to switch between intervals of rest and activity. This doesn't mean only when you're sick, though. The most important thing about this plan is to take it easy when you feel good. This manner, you won't make things worse by doing too much.
How do you do this, then? Here are some simple things you can do right now to help you manage your symptoms better by pacing.
a. Begin using a timer or stopwatch. Learn how to time your actions. To begin, set your timer for five minutes or more if you think you can execute the task for that long. When the timer goes off, it's time to switch places or take a break. As you understand how long you can stay active, you can slowly lengthen the times you work and relax.
b. Change your position: If you're sitting, stand up for a few minutes, and if you're standing, sit down.
b. Stretch: Do some light stretching at least twice an hour. People with fibromyalgia should be careful not to stretch too much. I mean "intensity" instead of "frequency." When we stretch our muscles too much, they get tighter. You can avoid this by stretching gently, only until you feel the muscle stretch. things's wise to take things easy. You could ask your doctor or physiotherapist for some effective stretching exercises. (You can stretch a lot while sitting.)
d. Make a schedule: Write down what you want to do next week. Don't fill up your schedule too much. If you're still working, make time for work, rest, personal time, and family time. Keep in mind that your timetable doesn't have to be set in stone. You can always switch things up. Try to keep to your schedule now that you have one. Some people think it's ideal to plan their day one day at a time. If this is the case, it might be preferable to make your schedule the night before or first thing in the morning.
a. Set priorities: You might have found it hard to stick to your schedule. Don't give up! This is a chance to learn. Write down what you want to do and give each assignment a number based on how important it is. After that, you can spread the chores out throughout time as you build your timetable. Don't try to do all of the vital things at once. Also, don't tackle too many hard jobs at once. Make time for breaks. Keep in mind that you're pacing yourself.
f. Break things down into smaller pieces: Do you really need to wash all the dishes at once? Do you have to put them all away as soon as you wash them? Same goes for vacuuming. Do one room a day instead of cleaning the whole house! A big element of pace is learning how to break these tasks down into smaller pieces.
g. Learn to let others do things for you. This can be hard for some of you. It's not always simple to ask for aid. But for a lot of people with fibro, it's a must-do element of managing their symptoms. Ask family members for aid if you can. This could pose some problems at first, so it's important to explain why you need their support first. Find out more about fibromyalgia and print off some copies to give away. Then go over it together. They might be more inclined to aid if they know more about what's going on.
b. Learn how to say no. I realize this is hard. When we have to say no to someone, we frequently feel guilty. "I'm sorry, but my schedule is really full right now" is a polite way to say "no." I don't like saying yes and then not being able to keep my promise and let you down. They'll get that you said no partly because you don't want to let them down and it's not personal.
Some of you might be wondering, "How can I work at my own pace?" Your boss might not like it if you take a break every five minutes while you work. Your symptoms can be so bad that you need to cut back on your work hours or possibly quit working altogether. This choice can be quite hard to make. You might want to think about working from home instead. This is now a possibility for certain employers. The Internet also gives you a lot of chances to work from home. Not everyone can do this. You need to know how to use a computer and be able to persist with it. Some of you might not even be well enough to work from home. But it could be something to strive for. Use the tips above to learn how to set your own pace. You might only be able to work on your computer for one or two hours a day.
If you have to work outside the home, though, it's even more crucial to plan your pacing schedule and use the tips above. You will absolutely need to give up more, learn to say "No" to a lot of things, and not fill up your schedule too much.
It's not always simple to control your fibromyalgia symptoms by pacing yourself, but if you do it right, you'll find that you have less "down" time and get more done. Keep in mind that it's not hard.