scheduled rest times?

[Dainty]

I've always been awful with schedules, but the few times I have managed to adhere to one regarding regular rest periods throughout the day it seems to help. Perhaps it's because of a tendency to want to always get the next thing done so that I forget what my body needs, whereas if "rest" is next on the list of things to do it seems somehow more acceptable to my brain.

Has anyone else found that having a daily schedule helps them to pace appropriately?

 

[Sasha]

Hi Dainty - yes, definitely - I have a clock that chimes ever hour and when I hear it I lie down for a quarter of an hour.

 

[maddietod]

I've recently scheduled 4 short meditation periods throughout the day. The point is to relax my body and my mind. I meditate lying down, because if I fall asleep? Bonus!

This is keeping my energy - mental and physical - much steadier.

 

[Sparrow]

I have a chime that goes off every half hour. Reminds me to change position, and to stop what I'm doing before I get too wrapped up in things I'm not actually well enough to do. Am trying to work on more frequent scheduled rest time rather than just resting when I feel like I can't manage other things. Some days I have more success than others still. It's harder than healthy people would think to do nothing, I find.

 

[Carola]

I used to think that "didn't need a nap" was a kind of minor triumph, but this summer I instituted a "required" daily rest (lie down in dark room, eyes closed) for at least a half hour. I know I could power through some days without it, but I believe it's been of benefit. I'm surprised at how often I fall asleep.

 

[L'engle]

I'm trying to rest as much as I can. Some days it's only 10-11 hours lying down, other a total of 14-15. I don't really schedule, but try to only start doing things once I've had enough rest, rather than starting off doing things and going till I need to rest. So the resting becomes the priority.

 

[Ocean]

I don't schedule a set time for a rest. But I force myself to take a rest, laying down in a dark, quiet room with my eyes shut, every single day. I started with 20 minutes, increased it to 30 for a while, and just started increasing it even more. Sometimes I do one additional shorter rest after dinner.

I find that it takes so long for my body and mind to relax that any rest lest than 20 minutes doesn't feel too restful to me it's "preventative/routine" rest. If it's rest after exertion, sometimes just 10 minutes can help too. But I haven't really done any exertion lately since I've been feeling so bad so mainly I just do the routine rest one to two times a day and am very serious about forcing myself to do it.

I can't say if it's helped but I'm going to keep doing it and hope it does. If nothing else it helps show me how tired I am and how much rest I need, something I don't always realize till I lay down. So it helps me to be more in touch with the signals from my body which is so important I think in managing CFS.

 

[Dainty]

Lots of good thoughts here.

Am trying to work on more frequent scheduled rest time rather than just resting when I feel like I can't manage other things. Some days I have more success than others still. It's harder than healthy people would think to do nothing, I find.

Yes!

I'm trying to rest as much as I can. Some days it's only 10-11 hours lying down, other a total of 14-15. I don't really schedule, but try to only start doing things once I've had enough rest, rather than starting off doing things and going till I need to rest. So the resting becomes the priority.

That's a good note, L'engle.

I force myself to take a rest... If nothing else it helps show me how tired I am and how much rest I need, something I don't always realize till I lay down. So it helps me to be more in touch with the signals from my body which is so important I think in managing CFS.

That's exactly what I'm finding, too. Was trying out my schedule just this morning and almost skipped a rest period, thinking I didn't need it. The moment I lay down I knew that would have been the wrong call. Also, sometimes when I get caught up in something I don't get the "hungry" message very well, whereas if I'm resting and relaxing and I need to eat my body will be loud and clear on the subject.

 

[K2 for Hope]

Probably hardest thing to do now that I'm not working. But the more I adhere to a type of schedule, resting, eating, meditating, brief excersize, sleep hygiene, etc, the better I feel.

I actually get more accomplished as I'm not thinking about what I "need" or "want" to do. I am able to use the energy consumed by wishing I was better in a more productive way.

Good topic!