Fatigue

[EmzHops]

Can anyone suggest how you deal with fatigue.? I’m struggling with everyday tasks and the thought of going out, getting ready for work, cooking etc... is just so overwhelming at the moment Iv tried light exercises ie swimming, yoga etc... and it just kicks my bleeding off or makes me pain increase. Feeling really low at the moment.

[weekari]

Hi

I think fatigue is the most difficult symptom to live with. It's completely debilitating and strips you from your enjoyment of life. I also find that people just don't get it, which makes it even harder to feel supported and understood.

I have had awful fatigue for about 4 and a half years now. At first, I fought it, I thought exercise would help. I was really into exercise (a bit obsessed really) and would still be weight training and out running even though I felt like I had a cloud of treacle over me. It just got worse and worse though. I had a very stressful job, with a lot of responsibility and I was so scared that I was that tired, I'd make a mistake that would have devastating effects on someone's life.

I tried lots of things, all the supplements you could think of and I even reduced my hours but nothing really helped. Last Sept I went to a yoga retreat, thinking that would be my cure but I struggled even there and came back more exhausted. That's when I decided enough was enough. I went off sick and promised myself I would stop trying to push through it and would start listening to my body.

Since then, I've tried to rest more and by rest, I mean having moments in the day where I do absolutely nothing- no TV, book, phone, music. I make a nice little ritual of it by burning a nice candle and get a lovely furry blanket and I just lie down and stop. The idea for all this comes from a book I read called Daring to Rest by Karen Brody. It's been quite a game changer for me. If you go on her website, you can get a free download on rest and making yourself a 'rest cave' which is just a cosy little rest space for you to rest. She also talks about yoga nidra which is a type of meditation, there's no movement involved in it at all it's just about letting your body and mind completely stop and rest. There's a free meditation track on her website too and if you get the book you get access to 3, which is for a 40 day rest program. I had meditated for a couple of years before doing this and had also done yoga but this is completely different. Yoga nidra has given me the most profound feeling of rest that I find it quite difficult to describe. After doing a 15 to 20 minute yoga nidra, I feel more rested than I ever have done. I'm not saying this is a cure for me but it definitely gives me the only relief from the fatigue I have found.

I also have tried to stop doing things. This has been the hardest thing for me. I always assume that I'll feel better in a few days weeks or months and end up signing myself up for things that I have no energy for and then I've either got the guilt of cancelling or the horrible situation of pushing myself their something that's meant to be fun but all I'm thinking is when can I leave and when can I rest. I'm really trying to only do what I feel I have the energy for. At the moment, this is very little but I think I'm paying for doing too many things in the past few weeks. I kind of lost my way a bit. It was my 40th birthday and I thought I could just magically manage more but I learned the hard way. Now I'm back to trying to just focus on rest and looking after myself. It really doesn't come naturally to me.

I think with fatigue, it's really about stopping and listening to your body. It might that what your body wants is different to what your mind wants but in the end, if you ignore the body, it has its ways to get its point across!

X

[EmzHops in reply to weekari]

Thank you so much for your reply! I will definitely look into yoga nidra I’m at the point this week after being off work all week i just don’t know where to put myself. The guilt of not being able to do anything is just so overwhelming. I hope your ok and I really appreciate you replying to me xx

[weekari in reply to EmzHops]

Ugh, that guilt! I know it well! It just exhausts you more though. It takes up a lot of energy. But you've nothing to be guilty for. You didn't ask for this! You're ill and you're entitled to do what you need to do in order to feel well. X