Pacing For Fatigue
This structured worksheet introduces a pacing technique designed to help clients manage chronic fatigue through consistency and reduced overexertion.
Pacing For Fatigue
Fatigue is a very common symptom. It can be affected by many things, including biological factors (such as injuries and illness), psychological factors (such as your habitual ways of thinking and responding) and social factors (such as how much support you have).
Activity also plays an important role in fatigue. Some people do too much and experience ‘highs’ and ‘lows’. Others do too little and become ‘deconditioned’, meaning they lose fitness or muscular strength.
Pacing is a tool that can help you to do what matters to you, without causing additional tiredness. It involves completing activities for a previously specified amount of time (rather than being guided by fatigue) so you can be as in control and consistent with tasks as possible.
Press start tool to learn more about pacing and how to use it.
Overview
Many individuals with chronic fatigue fall into 'boom and bust' cycles — doing too much on good days and requiring excessive rest on bad days. This pattern can contribute to reduced activity tolerance and, in some cases, physical deconditioning. The Pacing For Fatigue resource introduces a middle-ground strategy to help clients regulate activity levels consistently, while taking symptom fluctuations into account.
This resource includes guidance for establishing a baseline of activity, practical pacing instructions, and common pitfalls to avoid. It is ideal for psychoeducation, therapist learning, or as a training tool in fatigue-related interventions.
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