You’ve probably tried to carry on as “usual” with your chronic fatigue, but your body just won’t allow it. Overexertion with CFS is often met with brain fog, frustration, and even dizziness. But that doesn’t mean all of life’s possibilities aren’t open to you! It simply means you have to make lifestyle modifications in order to achieve the things you want.
What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
Chronic fatigue syndrome develops in all types of people for different reasons. The condition affects the nervous system, leaving you to feel exhausted at all times of the day.
As if that’s not challenging enough, CFS comes with a host of other common struggles:
- Lethargy
- Light-headedness
- Brain fog
- Mood complications or disorders
- Body soreness
Needless to say, the ways a person with CFS tackles each component of their day may differ from those without CFS. And even people with a common diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome can display symptoms of the illness in very different ways.
That’s why it’s up to each individual with chronic fatigue to make personal lifestyle modifications that suit their strengths and limitations. A CFS diagnosis is not the end of the road—just a speed bump!
Why Are Lifestyle Modifications Important if You Have CFS?
You may not want to live your life differently from the crowd, but it’s important to realize everyone has their limits. Plus, people with CFS can often implement lifestyle modifications without anyone ever noticing!
Here are a few reasons why choosing to tweak your lifestyle is important.
They’ll Help You Take Care of Your Body
Lifestyle modifications are all about self-care. No matter how frustrated you are by your limitations, you have to acknowledge them in order to take care of yourself.
Of course, lifestyle changes aren’t the magic cure for chronic fatigue, but they can help you make the most of it!
For example, experimenting with exercise can help you choose the kind that’s optimal for you. You can make careful adjustments to your shopping list to ensure your home is always stocked with energy-friendly foods.
Lifestyle modifications will also steer you away from habits that are actively harmful, like drinking alcohol or smoking. Do good things for your body and your body will be able to do good things for you!
You’ll Be Happier and Have a Better Quality of Life
It may be hard to let go of past habits and embrace a new way of living. But new lifestyle modifications won’t just help you manage your symptoms, they’ll give you a new outlook on life!
Happiness comes from balancing your mindset with your abilities. You may need to adjust your “achievement bar” to see how well you’re really doing. But once you make that shift, your quality of life will improve.
Tweaking your lens is something all people have to do from time to time, including the former athlete who’s aged out of competitions and the accomplished professional who’s quit his job due to a family emergency.
CFS is simply part of your journey.
Certain Lifestyle Modifications Help Prevent the Development of Other Chronic Illnesses
Even if lifestyle modifications don’t bring you greater joy (which is highly unlikely), they’ll still help prevent things from getting worse! Imagine dealing with your basic CFS symptoms, then tacking on an extra mood disorder or pulling a muscle.
Lack of self-care with chronic fatigue syndrome will absolutely compound the way you experience it. And the worse you let your symptoms and subsequent ailments get, the more costly solutions become.
It’s far better to make lifestyle modifications while you’re still ahead of the game. There are a few things you can’t control, but many things you can!
4 Lifestyle Modifications to Help Manage CFS
If lifestyle modifications are starting to make sense to you, these four ideas are a great place to start. By tweaking just a few of your daily routines, your life with CFS will become more manageable and enjoyable.
Take Breaks Often and Pace Yourself
Stick to your usual routine, but in a different way! Too often, people with chronic fatigue will wait until their breaking point before stepping out to catch a break.
In reality, breaks should be proactive, not reactive. You’ll want to schedule breaks from your daily tasks at sensible increments so you can reach the finish line for each one.
Pace yourself… you’re likely to complete more with less struggle.
Switch to a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diet
Shifting your diet is not as arduous or disappointing as it may seem at first. By swapping out just a few of your regular go-to foods and introducing gut-healthy snacks, you can give yourself more lasting energy throughout the day.
For example, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and proteins are proven to increase the good bacteria in your gut. Processed, fried, and high-sugar foods are the enemy. They can slow you down and make it harder to focus throughout the day.
Leave Behind Intense Workouts
Lifestyle modifications around exercise are often difficult to come to terms with. However, bodies (and minds) of those with CFS often respond better to low-intensity workouts than high-intensity ones.
For instance, even if you’ve been a distance runner your whole life, swimming, walking, or cycling might be better choices for you with chronic fatigue. And you might be surprised by how much better you feel doing those!
Who knew taking a step back could also be a step forward? There are hundreds of styles of exercise for you to try. Allow yourself to be excited and choose something new!
Related: Why Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Exercise Is So Important (and How To Do It)
Ask About Flexibility at Work
Depending on what you do for work, it may be beneficial to ask for some flexibility. That’s not to say you won’t still do an amazing job or be held accountable for your share of labor. It simply means advocating for yourself in order to keep up the good work.
Lifestyle modifications at work might include additional (necessary) breaks, dividing your time between the office and home, or reworking your tasks. If your energy is higher in the mornings, you can reorganize your schedule to fit more difficult tasks into the earlier part of the day.
People with CFS are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act! Take advantage and get whatever you need to perform your best at your job.
There is no shame in making lifestyle modifications! Chronic fatigue syndrome presents many challenges, but you can overcome all of them with minor adjustments to your daily routine. In the end, life with and without CFS is all about compromise.