What It Really Means to “Pace Yourself”

What It Really Means to “Pace Yourself”

We hear it all the time but what does it mean…….

Embracing flexibility instead of rigidity for those of us living with chronic joint pain.

In the study, patients reported that key components of pacing themselves included:

• Breaking down tasks into mini tasks
• Saying ‘no’ or learning to
• Being kind to themselves self care is a must
• Using rest breaks
• Doing something each day
• Developing a structure or plan
• Gradually building up activities – people who run marathons don’t just run marathons: they train and pace themselves- we need to pace our self –
• Stop feeling guilty if you need to rest
• Respect your limits
• Love the body you have
• Don’t be so proud as to not get that handicap placard or license plate. Not all disabilities are visible

People chronic conditions like osteonecrosis, osteoarthritis, ra, fibromyalgia etc, We tend to feel the Zip and then the Blah: if we do too much in one day, even if they feel okay at the moment. For example, I woke up with a little or a lot more energy and without as much pain, and I try to get all tasks done in one day….. only to pay for it in pain days later. So we must learn to pace ourselves

Tip

Pacing isn’t always about avoiding doing too much. It’s also about staying out of a cycle of doing too little or nothing at all. We must keep moving. And figuring out how to stay physically active is one of ways we can promote self-care, and reduce stress as well.