Fatigue from chronic illness

Fatigue is a very intense feeling of tiredness that you cannot overcome. It is different to just feeling tired, and nothing can stop if from occurring except rest and sleep. There are many reasons you may experience fatigue as a symptom of your chronic illness – pain, inflammation, part of a different condition (for example iron deficiency), and medication.

So apart from managing the above reasons for chronic illness, what else can you do?

Here are some tips

• Take care of your mental health
• Use self-care techniques as a way to rejuvenate
• Negotiate your time dependent on how many “spoons” you have left
• Pacing – use pacing as a method that can reduce the swings between up and down.
• Know your limits and practice how to say “no”
• Consider supplements (under the recommendation of your health professional) such as caffeine, melatonin, probiotics
• Exercise – choose movement for you and try to participate every day
• Good sleep hygiene is important for sleep
• Rest throughout the day may make it easier to manage fatigue.
• Flexible work – try to negotiate your workplace to benefit your fatigue
• Take advantage of technologies such as shopping online.

Adapted from

https://creakyjoints.org/living-with-arthritis/chronic-illness-fatigue-tips/