This is something that I was taught at chronic fatigue clinic and I feel is the most valuable piece of information that I learnt there. It's something that I can use every day, no matter the type of day I'm having. It's all about how you organise yourself and of course those ever useful spoons. I thought that it would be good to post this now, in the run up to Christmas and also to help back up my posts on travelling, which I hope to continue in the new year. And just to make it clear the p's have nothing to do with waterworks. That is another story- naughty amitriptyline.
So the first P stands for Planning. As many spoonies know it takes a lot of planning and preperation in order to do a lot of things. It often feels like a military operation. Not just in getting out of the house but planning how best to use your spoons on a daily basis. So with that in mind it is always best to plan on the day, when you know roughly how many spoons you have, what your symptims are and what you're capable of. The day before might have been a good day and may fill your head with plans for the next day but chances are you may not be feeling the same as the previous day. Therefore you may not be able to manage what you had planned, which can lead to frustration and disappointment. Of course some things do need to be planned in advance, special ocassions or holidays, even doctors or dentist appointments, where you can in some respects try and reserve some energy. And you need to be as prepared as possible for those events. But think how often we have to change plans on the day or last minute because of our health. Hopefully people will understand in those situations and there's always hope that you'll make it next time. Of course the plan should also be flexible enough for any fluctuation in your symptoms throughout the day. I sometimes like to make a tick list as it's something that I used to do at work. It feels rewarding to tick things off and feel a sense of achievement.
Once you have a rough plan, it's time to utilise the next P, which stands for prioritise. Putting the tasks on your list into order of importance. And this is where the D's come in. First ask your self; Does it need doing? Okay it might be on your to do list but how realistic were you being with that list? Again, here think about the best way to use the energy that you have and also consider the reasoning behind doing something. Is this connected to your own or other people expectations? Take a look at my post on expectations. If people are coming to the house do you absolutely need to hoover the whole house? Or is that something that has been impressed upon you? Chances are unless the house is an actual wreck then they wouldn't notice, unless you pointed it out. They've come to see you not your carpet. So if something doesn't need doing or doesn't need doing specifically on that day then ditch it!
The next thing to ask yourself is does it need doing by me? To use a Christmas example; you may have presents to wrap but is there someone that could help you with this? Provided the present isn't theres of course. Wrapping presents is consuming. You can always go the gift bag route though as I have this year. My arms are too weak for scissors. Again expectations can come into play here, often in the form of standards. Believing no one can do as good a job as you could, or they wouldn't do it how you would. And if they did then they'd only do it wrong and you'd have to do it the right way after they've botched it up. Decide what you can delegate, to help save your spoons. This might be useful for bigger tasks such as going food shopping. Can you ask someone to do this for you? It's difficult if you live on your own of course, but perhaps a neighbour or friend could help with some tasks. Putting the bins out on recycling day, walking your dog or mowing the lawn for you. I think my Dad will say that I have become a master in delegating. Or that "Daaaaaaad?!" is one of the D's. But I'm very lucky to have help and the majority of the time I genuinely couldn't do what I've asked for myself. Such as cook, or make a hot drink.
Now that you know the tasks that you can do, ask yourself Does it need doing now? For example taking a shower, do you have to have it at that point of the day or can you wait? And then the last D is for Do it! Not that it is ever that easy sometimes. Depending of course, on the activity. Watching television or reading might be easier than say emptying the dishwasher, depending on whether you are having more mental or physical symptoms.
Some tasks will also require the use of another P, which is a secondary form of planning. It's about making sure that you have the necessary 'tools' at your disposal to undertake the task. Imagine a window cleaner, after putting up the ladder they do not go up the ladder and then come back down to get a sponge, they take the sponge with them to avoid any more unneccesary excertion. So if you plan on cooking make things a little easier for yourself by having all your ingredients and utensils together. You can always take a break between getting things together and starting, obviously where food hygiene allows. Or even for something smaller like watching the tv, make sure you have the remote handy and any drinks or snacks you may want.
Finally the last P stands for pace,using pacing mindfully whilst doing some tasks can help. Do them at a leisurely pace and take breaks if needed. Try not to multitask as well, do one thing at a time. I am terrible for watching television and being on the internet, which means I'm using up more spoons and concentration.This is where you need to listen to your body carefully and learn to stop before you become overwhelmed with fatigue. Remember that tiredness is a warning signal. So it is important to learn how much you can do before you begin to feel tired. By doing this you are also gaining some control over probably the most important P of all ( yes I know I said finally for pace but that was for the planning process) post exertional malaise.
Perhaps I have explained it before, but post exertional malaise is the state that M.E sufferers experience after doing an activity. Sometimes it occurs straight away, other times it can strike a day or a couple of days afterwards. It's true what they say about how you suffer more the second day after a more active task. How long you will experience post exertional malaise can also vary. It may be just a day or it could be months. I am certainly still suffering from going on holiday in October. But it doesn't just occur after big events it can happen after simple activities too, like taking a shower. Post exertional malaise really sets M.E apart from other illnesses as we lack the ability to recover quickly. We often call it payback. So any ways in which we can reduce the stress of an activity i.e by pacing it can help us not suffer as much payback. It's good to find a baseline of how much activity that you can withstand without going into post exertional malaise. I have a post called things I learnt at clinic; diaries which explains one way of helping you establish a baseline. Remember though that your baseline can change if you experience a flare up or perhaps another illness. I haven't done a diary since relapsing in May because most of my time I need to rest and I'm getting better at reading the signals to stop before I become overwhelmed. But hopefully in the new year I will start establishing my baseline again.
I hope this post has been useful and that you can put it into practise. Perhaps to help you through the holidays and also on a daily basis.
This will probably be my last post now before Christmas ( as I need to rest) so I wish you all the best and I hope you can enjoy it as much as you possibly can. Take it easy.
P.S my blog now has a Facebook page. I've set it up to share smaller things that I can't post on here. There will be lots of inspirational quotes, things to make you smile and laugh and also some crafty things to help keep yourself or any little ones entertained. I already have a Christmas craft album. So come join in at www.facebook.com/memyselfandmeblogpage
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