Why does it take me so long to do anything?

[Brief_Encounter]

I don’t know where time goes! Every day I resolve to get up and get going at a reasonable hour but I can never manage it. This morning for example, I woke up at 7am as usual. It took me a good 45minutes to pull round enough to go downstairs. I made some breakfast and a sandwich for my eldest daughter’s lunch, packed a parcel, went online to buy a postage label, spoke to middlest daughter via FaceTime for a bit and now it’s nearly lunchtime and I’m not even dressed. I can’t seem to ever be dressed before noon. I’m so slow, before I know it the day is over and I’ve done nothing. My house is a tip. I can’t keep on top of the housework. Does anybody else feel like they exist in slow motion?

[Welshcatlady]

I am the same, I'm retired but still get up reasonably early, this morning it was 5.30 because we like to grocery shopping early on a Thursday to avoid crowds and long waits at the check-outs. We leave home at 7.30, all I can do in those 2 hours is have breakfast - a bowl of cereals with added dried fruit - and have a quick wash and dress. Usually if I have a shower as well then 3 hours have gone by. I can't keep on top of chores around the flat either, but then I know if I do too much I will suffer for days, so I just plod along, I do have help from my husband, but he's 76 and can only do so much too. I don't worry about it, its a case of 'Que sera sera - whatever will be, will be'! 👍

[Brief_Encounter in reply to Welshcatlady]

I like your attitude. I get so frustrated though because there is so much I want and need to do but I can’t! I guess I gotta just accept that achievement is not for me 😂 x

[jane59 in reply to Welshcatlady]

I am the same get up with the best intentions to get something done and be even a little productive, it is nearly always lunch time before I am dressed , unless I have a doctor or hospital appointment then that's a killer I often spend the afternoon asleep in the chair

[Martsmum in reply to jane59]

I am the same but I sleep so badly in the nights. I am experimenting with taking a melatonin tablet at 8:30pm to see if I can get to sleep earlier and get up earlier. The dr gave me zolpadem but even with a quarter of a tablet I am zombie-like next day.

[CheetieCat]

I still work but my house is a complete riot ALL the time! If faffing was an olympic sport I'm sure I'd have gold. Great intentions, much like yourself but just can't seem to will up any energy to do them!

Time seems to always be against me (or I'm too slow) then I'm running late for everything. I'm now so unbelievably disorganised I amaze myself!

You've met these people who say oh my house is such a mess and you just know there's not a thing out of place nor a speck of dust to be had anywhere.

I'm definitely NOT one of them!!!🤣🤣

[Brief_Encounter in reply to CheetieCat]

Haha! I know exactly who you mean. My MIL spends whole days cleaning an already spotless house. I don’t apologise to visitors though, if they don’t like it they don’t have to call round. I like watching YouTube videos of people cleaning to give me inspiration, but then I usually run out of time to do anything 😂

[CheetieCat in reply to Brief_Encounter]

🤣🤣 If they don't like it, hand them the hoover! Your busy YouTubing!😁

[Debsdelight72]

Brief-Encounter,

I get really angry for what I've lost or given up because of Fibro, Lucky I have my pillow (scream into pillow instead of out load) Every week (Tues) I would start upstairs and work all day, even washing wood work down,Doors and windows absolutely everything, I'd often forget to have lunch I'd be so busy, I'd go to the gym 06.30 and get home to another workout, I'd enjoy cleaning, Some would say borderline OCD, I'd say more like Army child,

Which ever, I sort of camp out in my bedroom now, So after christmas I got all my crafting stuff and every other bedroom item onto my desks and bed and was planning to hoover and use the rug doctor, So the carpets would be nice and clean and hopefully take away the smell of dog pee too,

I can't blame my dog if she has to go,she has to go (she is a senior) trouble is the 3 yr old thinks she can too, Grrrrr,

I feel disgusted, How much I can't do and trying to pretend I'm still wonder blooming woman,

There is far too much stuff and so little house, The only way forwards that I can see is either, Get everything into the back yard from upstairs, And never bring it in again! OR move house! Hmm Hubby says take it all to the local tip, Only If I don't bring anything back,

Only I haven't got the energy to do that either, We certainly can't afford to move,Our landlord put our rent up to 550 a month from 450, A bit miffed about that, So I like to look through Zoopla For other property for inspiration really

The 2 bed we live in,where we live is between 750 to 850 so I can't grumble too much,

So back to house work, Did i tell you, The stuff all piled high in my room? The christmas I put it all up there, Christmas 2021!!!!!! I have no desk space at the moment so I just knit or colour in bed, We are not alone there are people out there just not caring how they live,

Then there are people like us who wish they had a cleaning fairy and If they done a good job we'd let them ride a unicorn as a reward, I jest, because if I don't??

I would cry (always)

Take care

Debs

[Brief_Encounter in reply to Debsdelight72]

Oh Debsdelight72! I feel for you. It’s heart breaking when you think about what used to be possible and now is just a dream. What gets me though is that the other 2 adults in the house don’t care about the mess. They don’t even see it I think. It’s obviously me who used to do all the work because since I stopped it’s all gone to cr4p I live in hope that one day I will invent a system to live in organised cleanliness x

[Debsdelight72 in reply to Brief_Encounter]

Please share when you invent your system please,

Exactly the same, When I stopped it all went down the pan, But I can't moan Hubby does all the cooking,shopping and looking after me,which can be a pretty full on job,

I've got a gooden, I really wouldn't be able to cope at all,

[Nelly1]

My friend and I are the same we both have Fibromyalgia along with other conditions.

We call it the time Monster…

Time just flies by, before you know it it’s bed time again and you’ve achieved nothing you wanted to get done !!

[AgedCrone]

Nobody is sitting up there on their cloud wishing they had washed & cleaned more!

They are regretting the times they didn’t enjoy their family because they prioritised the wrong things.

A bit of dust & dirt is not worth worrying about..,I don’t know your age..but are you tried HRT…..that helps a lot of Mums?

[Brief_Encounter in reply to AgedCrone]

Ah that is true! I have the HRT patches thank goodness. I’d be in a permanent coma without them 😂 x

[AgedCrone in reply to Brief_Encounter]

If there is no health reason not to….Add a small glass of wine some evenings…..can really let you see the other side of the coin🥂

[Chunky6]

Thought you might like to see my adult to-do pad although I think it’s for a week rather than daily for us fibro peeps.

To do list

[Brief_Encounter in reply to Chunky6]

Oh that is fab! Some days I could tick off nearly all that check list 😂 x

[Chunky6 in reply to Brief_Encounter]

It’s great isn’t it 🤣 I couldn’t resist buying it, I just need to find the time to fill it in and use it 🤭

[butlertammy in reply to Chunky6]

Omg where did you buy that list I am loving it!

[FibronewbieJab]

Yes, It takes me ages to firstly get out of bed, due to stiffness and aching all over. I live in a flat so thankfully do not have stairs. I work part-time afternoon only, due to the time it takes. My routine is go to kitchen, where my husband has got my tablets ready for me, and my cup all ready for my morning coffee. My housework gets done by a cleaner. But still, it takes me all morning to get out of the door by 12.30. So looking at other comments it is like living your life in slow motion.Main thing is do what you can, even if that's just getting up out of bed.

Our pace is like 🐢

[Krawlins]

Oh dear yes, I sympathise because I am too. I’m slow at everything I do. My daughter has noticed it as well. I’m well aware I was slow (compared to younger colleagues) but methodical at work too.

What I have to do now is get dressed first. I can’t even get up early. I’d never be up at 7, that’s a good time to get up. I set an alarm for 9am (though I sometimes wake an hour or so before it goes off) I do this as insurance really because I can still be soundo and don’t want to get up any later than 9.

I’m slow preparing food I notice and following a recipe because of repeated reading of each step. Having a shower and washing my hair I feel takes a whole morning.

Online food shopping I do over days and then I forget loads of items every time.

Maybe you could try getting dressed first, for me that works and at least I’m presentable if someone comes to the door or pops round unannounced. The leisure suits are very popular now, sweat top and trousers, putting a smart one on would be nice and comfortable for you and you’d at least be dressed and could stay in it all day if you wished. My daughter changes into one when she comes home from work.

All the best, Kay

[Brief_Encounter in reply to Krawlins]

It’s a good idea 👍 My online shopping is always a surprise when it arrives. I’m so disorganised I end up with 3 kilos of onions when I only wanted 3 onions and 1 sausage when I wanted 1 kilo. You’ve got to laugh x

[Janeshelley]

Omg that is me! Every day! Don’t beat yourself up over it though. Just accept that the things you did manage to get done, however slowly, was done with love and care. Get plenty of rest in between chores and try and get 8-9 hours sleep at night. Ps I am still in my pj’s! x

[Trappedmoth]

I say the same thing every day - apart from getting up early. I am a night-owl which means that during the short amount of time I have when I can do jobs - everyone else is asleep!

[Bacaloca]

I am so glad it is just not me. I wake up at 5 am to wake my daughter up for work. I go back to sleep, then wake up at 7:30 am when my alarm goes off to get out of bed to start doing something in the bungalow. At 9 am, I get out of bed and go to the toilet, and my partner makes me a drink. I sit and watch TV while I drink it, then at 10:30 am, I hoover the living room. After hoovering, I put my computer on at about 11:30 am and stared at the screen until I remembered why I had put it on. I go and make a drink while I try to remember. I lie on the bed to stop aching and wake up at about 2 pm. I find my partner, who makes me something to eat, and he tells me my computer is on and if I am ready to do the online shopping now. This is how my days go, mainly in a dream or fog. Now, what was I saying...

[Brief_Encounter in reply to Bacaloca]

It’s like you’re describing my day! It is good to know that we are not alone. I don’t know if there is a solution. Maybe it’s just be the fibro fog descending and all there is to do is get used to it, like all the other annoying symptoms. C’est la vie ❤️

[KimiJay]

Can relate to this post entirely. And to all the other replies.

Our newly adopted ancient moggy gives me some sort of new drive deriving from complete adoration, but getting out of bed before 8am to tend for her is still not that easy as I seem to be wearing someone else's legs that don't actually listen to my brain.

Am managing so far but the d'ribose, when I manage to find it and stick a teaspoonful in a drink, 'can',, sometimes kick in and help me get through some of the attempts to create order in my confusingly cluttered universe where everything, including when house cat gets lost in the many dark spaces of wardrobe, cupboard and back of settee.

- Often seems I do more when sleep has not been that great and the cortisol kicks in too.

Cat scraping in litter tray as I finish this... Now on lap, mouth scenting computer. Haven't checked her two trays all day. Why didn't I do both trays earlier? No. She's decided to settle on my lap... Can't do anything now, can I? ... Therapy cat says 'No!'