This discussion of pacing is facinating to me.
I have tried dilligent pacing, and tried to get the sleep right, etc etc but really ... well the people who write about this sort of stuff (Myhill) usually seem to assume something like a steady state in which you have enough energy to cook and shop and do the laundry etc. (or perhaps have someone to do it for you. I don't live like that. I cannot live like that. My energy envelope is such a small thing that it cannot contain all I need to do to get by everyday.
You know that thing, back when you were healthy, where you would trip but manage to take a couple of odd unbalanced steps before righting yourself and going on your way. Well I feel like I'm usually tripping, and taking odd steps, occasionally falling heavily before struggling to my feet but never really getting into a balanced stride.
For the last few days I have been trying to work up the energy to do some cooking. Yesterday I had enough energy to sit at the computer for a couple of hours (less than an hour at a time. I was reasonably alert but could not manage much time on my feet (minutes only). I'm not sure why, my POTS is about as bad as it usually is, the muscles in my feel and legs and hips hurt and twitch about as much as usual, I have not made any changes in supplements or anything I can control, but so it goes.
And Its 5pm and I am drinking coffee and hoping that I will get that boost of energy to cook the meat I defrosted 3 days ago, and that I don't have to throw it out, again. I am doing this even though I know coffee does not really have this effect on me, and its just the best tasting variety of hope on hand.
For me diet has been a major thing, and when I cannot eat the foods that seem to be right things seem to fall out of control in a bad way. (Though N=1, its just my interpretation of what is going on, the story that seems to explain whats going on and it may be wrong). So if I can push myself to cook three days worth of good food today I might be able able to rest till I have to cook in three days time etc.
If I try to pace mysef, I don't see how I can get by. In december I inexplicably had more energy and the concept may have made morse sense. But january has been exhausting with feverish sensations and lots of days in bed. And I've had a couple of sleepless nights and my almost pattern of push rest rest push rest rest, has become cannot push, cannot push, cannot push, cannot push and I really need to.
But if pacing is merely management and not something that makes us better, I can at least feel better about this failling.