10 Tips for Living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

By Kristi Patrice Carter

Discovering you have any chronic disease is a shock to the system. Chances are you suspected, or maybe even knew in your gut that something was seriously wrong. The combination of symptoms, from weakness and tiredness to joint and muscle pain was a pretty good indicator, but never in your life did you suspect you were suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome. 

If it was cancer, you could point to a cure or to a period of time you had left and begin to adjust. With chronic fatigue, it is a bit trickier as no one knows why it happens, and there are no medical treatments you can pursue that will make the symptoms abate. You have to learn how to live your life with it and adjust; it will not be easy, but here are some tips to help you.

Accept you have it:  This seems obvious, but it is difficult as the disease is so hard to pin down. The quicker you decide that you have it and begin the adaptation process, the quicker you will get the symptoms under control and begin to enjoy life again.

Take time to grieve:  As with any life-trauma, grieving is an important part of healing, and it helps ward off bitterness. Bitterness just adds to stress, and that will just exacerbate the disease.

Alter your diet:  At the very least, you need to make sure that your diet is balanced so that your body is in peak form all the time. This helps ward off symptoms and will give you greater strength for the hard stretches. There are several all natural diets that are well respected and can be found through an Internet search.

Exercise:  Take up yoga and light workouts as well as breathing exercises. These will not only get you in better shape, they also will give you tools for dealing with stress.

Establish a routine:  Schedule yourself so that you have set times for work, eating, and resting. Adhering to a schedule is a very important way to maximize food absorption, rest, and limiting activities that will increase symptoms. 

Prioritize your life: Figure out what activities are important to do, what you need to do, and what you could live without. Pursue important items you have to do first, and then focus on what you like to do. The stuff you do not like to do you will have to at some point, but by prioritizing, you can make sure what you need and life takes priority.

Spend energy wisely – There is an old soldier’s saying: “Never run when you can walk, walk when you can sit, sit when you can lay, lay when you can sleep.” This has nothing do to with lazy soldiers, but everything to do with making sure you expend what energy you do have on stuff you need to do or want to do.

Rest is a weapon – This is another soldier’s mantra that applies to those with chronic fatigue syndrome. The more you rest, the better your chances of arresting the symptoms. Use rest against the disease.

Modify your activities – Instead of taxing yourself by going out for happy hour and a movie, plan on spending the evening in with friends. Tell them why. This does not have to be an “all the time” process, but when you can do not waste energy running around.

Do not push yourself – This is difficult. Most of us do what we have to regardless of how we feel. With chronic fatigue syndrome, a flare up can spell weeks of agony. If you feel yourself taxed, take a break. Three weeks of sick time in exchange for forty-five minutes of going over your limit is not a good use of your, your family’s, or your co-worker’s time.