Patient Information Leaflet
This leaflet summarises fatigue management tips. Living with fatigue can be challenging, but there are practical steps you can take to manage your energy levels more effectively.
Understanding Fatigue
There can be different causes of fatigue including disease, treatments, poor nutrition, poor rest.
It is important to acknowledge that fatigue can affect all aspects of our wellbeing. For example:
- Physical: reduced energy levels, need to rest.
- Sensory: increased pain levels.
- Cognitive: difficulty concentrating or focusing.
- Behavioural: changing lifestyle, avoiding certain activities.
- Affective: lack of motivation, frustration, low mood, not feeling understood.
- Severity: fluctuations in fatigue
Tips for Managing your Fatigue
- The first step is to understand what affects your energy levels.
- Keep an activity diary
- For a week or two, note down what you do each day and how tired you feel. Remember to include not just physical activities, but also emotional and psychological factors.
- Look for patterns
- Review your diary to see if you can identify specific triggers or a pattern to your fatigue.
Adopt 5 Ps
- Permission: Fatigue is a very real and common symptom. Give yourself permission to treat it like any other symptom. Feel able to complete activities that you enjoy.
- Prioritising: decide which tasks are must do’s, should do’s and want to’s. Have a balance of ‘must’ and ‘want’. Reduce unnecessary tasks/habits. Decide what is most important to get done and what can wait. It’s okay to let some things go.
- Planning: identify which activities you find most tiring, limit these and spread them out throughout the week. Organise your routines to limit unnecessary exertion.
- Pacing: Know your own limits, don’t overexert yourself. For tiring tasks, where possible split into parts, don’t do all at once. Balance different activities – those which require physical energy, a lot of concentration with less demanding activities. Balance rest with exercise.
- Positioning: Think about how you sit, lie and stand. Poor positioning can be tiring and lead to other difficulties. Have support if needed to keep good posture. Adjust your position or stretch regularly.
Energy conservation
Accept help. Sit down to perform a task if possible. Use aids/equipment where available, e.g. a trolley rather than carry. Adopt good posture. Don’t rush. Breathe efficiently. Organise work area/ household to limit reaching/climbing. Plan, make lists, diary.
Making Rest Effective
Rest is more than just sitting down. To make your rest truly restorative:
- Use a “reset” technique: Before you settle down, take 30 seconds to stretch, roll your shoulders, and take a few deep breaths.
Ensure good positioning:
- Make sure your whole body is supported, especially your head and neck. Use a high-backed chair or pillows.
- Keep your arms supported, perhaps on cushions, to open up your chest and make breathing easier.
- If you put your feet up, ensure your entire leg is supported to relieve pressure.
- Choose a quiet environment where you wont be disturbed.
Think of rest as a tool: Use it as a deliberate activity to recharge, not just being inactive.
Gentle Exercise and Movement
- Keeping your body moving is important, even when you feel tired.
- Any movement is good movement: You don’t need to do high-intensity workouts.
- Try gentle activities: Things like Tai Chi, Pilates, resistance band exercises, and general stretching are excellent for maintaining flexibility and balance.
- Stretch regularly: Even simple seated stretches, like shoulder rolls and arm circles, can make a difference.
- Vary your posture: Try to change your position regularly throughout the day. Set an alarm on your phone as a reminder to stand up, stretch, and move.
Relaxation
Even when resting your mind can feel very busy. There are many forms of relaxation that can help rest the mind, enabling you to cope better, help with attention and focus. There are many different types e.g. mindfulness, stretch and release physical relaxation, visual imagery, breathing techniques that can be useful. People respond better to some methods than others and remember it is an exercise and requires practice.
Other Important Tips
Good sleep habits:
- Continue with your great routine of having a set bedtime, reading before you sleep, and avoiding caffeine.
Get fresh air and daylight:
- Make a point of going outside every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes in your garden.
- Exposure to natural daylight can significantly help with energy levels.
Good nutrition/ hydration:
- Avoid heavy meals, ensure a balanced diet and plenty of water based drinks.
Online resources:
MS Society.
Remember, this is a process of trial and error. Be kind to yourself as you figure out what works best for you. If you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
If you have any questions, or if there is anything you do not understand, please contact the Russells Hall Hospital switchboard number on (01384) 456111 and ask for the relevant department who issued this leaflet.
This leaflet can be made available in large print, audio version and in other languages, please call 0800 073 0510.
Author: Alison Jinks
Document No: DGH/PIL/02241 – Version No: 01
Expiry date: Sep 2029 – Review date: June 2029
