Without a shadow of a doubt one of the worst symptoms of chronic illness is fatigue. Fatigue is an almost indescribable feeling that only people who experience it can truly understand. A lot of people will describe fatigue as being tired, but it is way more than that. It is a feeling of exhaustion that affects you both physically and mentally, a feeling that almost zaps the life out of you and alters your ability to complete simple everyday tasks.

Fatigue is heavily linked with tiredness, so a lot of people who don’t have illness will often describe their tiredness as fatigue. Whilst you can’t dispute they are experiencing fatigue it is more than likely what they are really experiencing is tiredness.

With that said because people link fatigue with tiredness, in the same way they think they are experiencing fatigue when they are not, healthy people will assume that the fatigue felt by chronic illness sufferers is like their own – tiredness. Therefore their ability to sympathise becomes difficult because they are able to carry on when they are tired – so why cant you?

Maybe you are putting it on, maybe you are weaker, or maybe you are just downright lazy they think. Better still maybe (and this is the chronic illness favourite) it is just all in your head.

The truth is I am, you are, we are all battling every day. Fatigue is more than being tired; it drains you, consumes you and steals your life. Obviously I want to live like people around me and be able to go out, do housework and even cook my own food, why would I want to watch my life pass me if I didn’t need to, who would choose a life of constant battle when they could be loving life.

A life of fatigue is like having a strict schoolmaster ruling over you, dictating everything you do. You cant control it, if today is the day it wants to strike then you don’t get much of a say. It even punishes you on the times you do manage to do something ‘normal’ by rearing its ferocious head for days on end after. It causes so much aggro, yet this is still only one of the symptoms of chronic illness, this is only part of the whole picture.

There is no apparent cure for fatigue, but like with most symptoms of chronic illness there are ways to try and manage it, and of course there is no one solution that fits all. Nevertheless my top tips for fatigue are as follows:

• Establish a bedtime routine and practise good sleep hygiene – You have probably heard of sleep hygiene before, but probably the oddest thing about fatigue is the fact that whilst you are exhausted, sleep can be quite difficult. Therefore try using ear plugs or eye masks if you find noise and light a disturbance, try getting up at the same time everyday regardless of your lack of sleep to get your body into a rhythm, avoid big meals too near to your bedtime so it doesn’t lay heavy on your stomach, make your bedroom a relaxing sleep area by decorating it in relaxing tones, using dark curtains, moving your clock so you don’t clock watch and assess the temperature of the room to suit your needs.

• Introduce relaxation periods – Make sure everyday includes a segment that is just yours to truly relax. This doesn’t mean having to go to a spa and have a pamper session (we should be so lucky), but by taking time to step out from the stressors of the day. The best way of doing this is through mindfulness and meditation focusing on your breathing and shutting out external thoughts. Check out my article on how to manage stress levels at home to get some ideas here.

• Learn to pace – The most important thing EVER! For those who don’t know pacing is a technique that teaches you how to manage your energy levels without burnout. It consists of rest periods throughout the day and is a technique used to balance activity periods (which can be emotional, mental or physical) alongside relaxation ones. There is no doubt pacing is hard and takes a lot of practise. For specific help with pacing check out my pacing article here.

• Stop listening to others – It is extremely hard not to let other people’s opinions get to you but you need to try. The reality is people cant truly understand what it is like to be you because they aren’t you, in the same way you cant understand what it is like to be them. Replace listening to other people’s negative opinions and start listening to your own body and what it needs.

In conclusion, fatigue is a tricky beast to tame and is one of the most difficult symptoms of chronic illness. It is not just a case of feeling tired; it is much more than that. Whilst there are techniques you can use to manage your exhaustion, there is currently no cure. So remember you are not weak, putting it on or lazy – you are fatigued (the real kind).