June Spotlight - Pacing
The trick to pacing is use as little energy as you can for the basic things of life and so save some energy for the fun things of life.
If you are severely ill with M.E. then the fun things of life may be limited to just watching TV or chatting with a friend for a few minutes. The more severely ill the person is the more they will have to rest and use as little energy as possible when doing everyday tasks.
Pacing tips:
Reduce energy used when eating, drinking and using the toilet
1. If possible have someone tear the toilet roll into 2 sheets at a time before you use the toilet.
2. Use plastic crockery and cutlery as they are lighter and so less energy will be used when eating and drinking.
Ways to reduce energy during the day:
1. The activity which uses the least amount of energy is lying down in a darkened room doing nothing. If you can't bear just lying down doing nothing then listen to music (but not the adrenaline stimulating stuff like garage or heavy metal). Remember that watching TV uses more energy than listening to music.
2. Research has shown that watching thrillers/horror films uses much more energy than a film which does not stimulate the adrenal glands - so watching a rom-com is much better for you.
3. Talking to people uses lots of energy (as you use muscles to speak and the brain uses a lot of energy to process thoughts and work out sentences) so when friends come round listen to music or watch TV rather than talk a lot.
4. Sitting up can be very tiring especially when it is in a dining room chair/classroom chair.
5. Standing for any length of time is usually a bad idea as it uses lots of energy and can cause the person with M.E. to feel faint and dizzy. (See International M.E. Primer.)
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