6 Suggestions for Fatigue

Photo by Mel Elías on Unsplash

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

It’s been wild for us along the coast of California with the rain. And it’s been a strange start to January for me personally. The week prior to the widespread community flooding that led to our school closures this week (a sentence I never imagined typing), we were in a whole-house quarantine for COVID and I experienced a high pain week myself, separate from illness.

My pain was the kind that built up slowly and inconsistently, making it hard to recognize. I assumed each pain day was the start of a COVID headache rather than the ongoing migraine it was. Yes, my eyeballs felt bruised and swollen, my head felt like it was smushed in a waffle iron. Is this typical for COVID? No idea. Yes, it’s typical for me in general, and I should have given the pain the attention it required.

It involves far more than the following, but the following is a List I use in times of fatigue. Fatigue and pain are different beasts, but for me they often onset together and I find the following helpful. Maybe you will, too.

1. Move/walk/bike daily. Ideally always for 30 minutes. Very hard to do with no childcare, with full-time work, strange weather conditions, and, well, a persistently high pain level, but I did what I could through it and this week my exercise is getting back to normal.

2. Ask for what you need. Ten minutes to lay down, a walk by myself, a massage appointment. Meloxicam? These were mine but ask for yours. Don’t delay.

3. Visit or call a friend. A few short minutes of connection or a short hour in-person can be a great boost. Even a future plan to hang out works. This makes sense for fatigue, but weirdly, it also helps with moderate pain. I don’t need to process the pain or even distract myself (there is no distraction), but to remember that I’m not alone in the pain. Without fail, it helps immensely.

4. Manage energy. Energy conservation, energy output, energy priorities, energy payoffs - all concepts that need consideration with my migraine condition. A big spend of energy can yield a big return (travel! super long hike! late bedtime! long drive!) or it may have a very high cost. I am experienced enough to know when to spend and save.

5. Go your own pace. My pace is slower than most (energy management, see above) and much faster than some, seemingly glacial on weeks with pain or fatigue. It ebbs and flows and I have time for everything I need to do.

6. Live fully in periods of relief. This is a life motto of mine. Some periods will be high pain and others WILL NOT. There are so many no’s in my life but honestly, equal or more yeses. I don’t dally when there is no pain or fatigue. Book the thing, play the game, reach out to that person, read the book, plant the garden, keep the habit, write the memo, have the conversation, make the appointment, enjoy the beauty, unload the dishwasher. Hit publish on a draft? Just do it. Live fully.