How do you not overdo it when you feel better?

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This past week I finally got one good night of sleep in I can't remember when, then the next day...you can guess. I felt half way decent and went flying around my house picking up, cleaning, organizing. Now I am back where I started and tired as ever. But things were in such a mess I needed catch up. You think I'd learn my lesson. I am having a hard time finding that balance.

So how do you achieve balance and not overdo it when you are feeling good? Or do you just go for it knowing you will be in bed for a few days
 
Hi allovertheplace! I think all of us "go for it" on the days we feel human (it's like seeing that first bit of blue sky after days of rain)...as for not overdoing it...you need to gauge how much you can do without hurting yourself simply by trial and error on your "good" days... one thing I try to do is bolster my body on a good day by drinking lots of water, eating healthy, taking meds, hot shower or bath or ice pack or heating pad...if you can afford it, a massage...to minimize the suffering the next day...hey, at least while you're down you can to lay around and look at a clean, organized house....you're in pain but smiling a little!
 
Hi allovertheplace! I think all of us "go for it" on the days we feel human (it's like seeing that first bit of blue sky after days of rain)...as for not overdoing it...you need to gauge how much you can do without hurting yourself simply by trial and error on your "good" days... one thing I try to do is bolster my body on a good day by drinking lots of water, eating healthy, taking meds, hot shower or bath or ice pack or heating pad...if you can afford it, a massage...to minimize the suffering the next day...hey, at least while you're down you can to lay around and look at a clean, organized house....you're in pain but smiling a little!

Lol it does feel better when it is clean. I have to figure out how I got that illusive night of sleep. I keep trying to replicate with no luck. I would love clean a lot more before it gets completely out of control again :lol:
 
This is actually an issue with me. If I get a burst of feeling a bit better, I feel the need to get a lot done. But then I am back to not feeling well very quickly as a result.
 
kmpisces, that's me exactly. I feel like I'm a survivalist laying down supplies on the good days so that I'll have what I need when the storms come. If I have a good day, I tend to go all out. I clean everything. I cook as many meals as I can and then freeze them in portions. When I collapse into bed at the end of the day, I am totally exhausted, but I have a clean house and food for a week, and a feeling of accomplishment that I rarely get since getting sick. For me, it's worth it to pay for it later just for the sense of finally being able to have done something besides lie in bed all day.
 
What I have learned for myself is to pace myself. When I am going to be active with something I set a time limit for how long I will work at that activity before taking a rest period. Something like: today I will clean the house for two hours, take a break for at least an hour and clean for one more hour.

I find that if I do this, I don't overwork myself and I can manage to have more good days. Also don't work to fast and take short breaks even during the work time.
 
kmpisces, that's me exactly. I feel like I'm a survivalist laying down supplies on the good days so that I'll have what I need when the storms come. If I have a good day, I tend to go all out. I clean everything. I cook as many meals as I can and then freeze them in portions. When I collapse into bed at the end of the day, I am totally exhausted, but I have a clean house and food for a week, and a feeling of accomplishment that I rarely get since getting sick. For me, it's worth it to pay for it later just for the sense of finally being able to have done something besides lie in bed all day.

I am glad to hear you say it is worth the pay. It felt so good to get everything done that I did!
 
It helps being a messy person by nature, lol. My house is a bit messy, but not dirty. I'm not obsessed with organizing at all, but once every 3 or 4 years I feel the urgency to organize and clean places in the house I normally don't. I do regret it later, lol. Good thing I don't do this too often, just every once in a while.
 
This is actually an issue with me. If I get a burst of feeling a bit better, I feel the need to get a lot done. But then I am back to not feeling well very quickly as a result.

Hehehehe, that's me as well! But fortunately I don't feel the urgency to do things that require physical effort so often. I do feel the urgency lately to get other things done (doc apts, tests, etc). Once I get that urgency I'm unstoppable. But I end up regretting it later.
 
Today, I am paying for feeling goo over the past week. I over worked in my garden. I did not lift those heavy leaf bags. Yet, I bent over squatted, and stood for a few hours every morning. I loved doing the work. I did not feel out of sorts last Thursday, or Sunday. But today, I can hardly get out of bed. This is fatigue.
I suffer from the autoimmune disease of the thyroid, Graves disease. I have become a pre-diabetic. Members of my family suffer from Lupus and Scleroderma. My doctor has warned me for years to take my medications every day on time which I do daily. It is something that I must live with.
 
It's very hard for me to pace myself since anything less than full steam feels like standing still. I am, however, learning to work for a half hour then rest for 15 minutes. I manage to get a fair amount done, but since I am slower it never seems like enough. Had to suck it up this morning and help move bucked up firewood so the well drilling rig could get on our lot today. I felt "okay" after and thought I didn't overdo. Two hours later and I am shuffling around like a 200 year old woman. Chilling in the shade now. Thanking the goddess I made pasta salad in the early morning and cut up veggies for the grill. Planning my day helps...as long as I don't lose my list!
 
I think you just need to make sure that you are not stretching yourself too much in any given task. I know it's really very motivating whenever you start to feel that you can finally do something. However, it's not worth it when you'll be in bed anyway in the next coming days.

What I would usually do is take regular breaks in between the task I'm doing. This way, I don't get too engrossed in it and it won't tire me that much. I also make sure i do something for myself, such as a massage or a quick trip to the mall which I enjoy doing.
 
That is a really good question that I have been asking myself many times. When I get a little extra energy, and who knows where it is coming from, I just want to burst into action, clean up the house, go for a run, swim, bike ride, meet friends and so much more. It's terrible when I overdo it and then have to suffer from the consequences because I couldn't control myself. Over time, I have learnt that you can maintain your energy levels much better if you do things slowly. Don't exert yourself too much with activity. Stop when you feel that it's enough, put your legs up and have a rest. You will be surprised how after a while you will actually feel how your body is gradually building up strength again.
 
It is very difficult not to go all out when I am feeling energetic. I have so many things I delay because I just sleep.
 
For example, today I felt good. I did 4 loads of laundry, cleaned out my fridge of old food, cleaned my bathroom, put new sheets on the bed. I haven't even eaten anything. I don't even have the strength to make anything. Luckily I have some frozen food I can microwave. Its tough. But when this rare instance comes where I feel normal and full of energy its hard not to take care of everything all at once that normal people do daily.
 
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