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Successful Pacing

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Category: Newsletters

Published on Friday, 30 June 2023 00:00

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Effective pacing will help you help yourself to create a balance between your energy envelope/battery and activity level. It will increase your self-esteem, self-confidence and self-worth when self-managing your Fibromyalgia ME/CFS.

Learning to understand what you need to do for you in pacing your activities will help you, step-by-step to reach your goals. Yes, it will take longer. Yes, you might have to give up high intensity activities. Yes, you may have to delegate moderate/high intensity activities to others. Nevertheless, you will be able to be in control of your primary and secondary FME symptoms instead of them being in control of you.

Practicing pacing takes commitment into understanding your mind and how your thoughts can be in conflict between time and responsibilities. Our reality is; if we do not self-manage our FME by immersed pacing of ourselves, we are unable to achieve and take care of our responsibilities to self and others and our FME symptoms will flare and stop us in our tracks.

When pacing be present in the moment

Try to make pacing an immersive experience

Engage in your activity; do not to be distracted from pacing yourself

Develop a pacing routine

Train yourself to recognise your bodies need to focus on being immersed within pacing.

Ignore your inner voice telling you to ‘rush.’ Respect your commitment to pacing out your life.

Value your accomplishment of being immersed in your focused pacing life changing behaviours.

Immersed pacing is for you learning to understand and be tolerant of your internal FME difficulties.

The more we become immersed in our pacing of activities the more successfully we navigate our life and FME challenges.

Where we focus our mind upon the pacing of our attention and energy, this is how we productively self-manage our primary and secondary FME symptoms.

Pacing My Activity

In terms of my physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing,

How will this activity affect my FME symptoms?

Chosen Activity ______________________________________________________________

Is this activity Low intensity Medium intensity High intensity

Physical

Mental

Emotional

Spiritual

How best can I ‘PACE’ my activity to minimise my FME flare-up during and after my activity?

List of possible ‘Pacing Activities:'

Driving

Cooking i.e. family / friends / self

Reading

Writing

Walking

Personal hygiene i.e. dressing/undressing / bath / shower / deodorant

Laundry sorting / putting in machine / hanging on line / tumble dryer / ironing, putting in drawers/wardrobe

A particular Hobby i.e. Diamond art / card making / cross-stitch / gardening

Reading and respond to emails

Surfing the net i.e. social media / research / news articles

Time with friends

Going to groups

Going to theatre

Going to the cinema