Hi! So this week we are talking about managing fatigue with RA. Fatigue is one of the most insidious parts of living with chronic illness and it can be a beast to manage. It is unpredictable and you never know when that exhaustion is going to hit and make you want to stay in bed all day!
It's so bad because it has three parts - exhaustion, increased energy drain, and lack of motivation. All three add up together exponentially to make things that much harder when you are dealing with the normal physical pain, fevers, and general malaise of RA.
Some of the ways I manage it are getting enough sleep, making sure I don't take on too much, and, frankly, always having at least a preliminary back-up plan in case I get hit with the fatigue hard and can't perform! I also have to remind myself that whatever I can do is enough. After all, if you can only give 40% on one day and you give 40%, then, technically, you gave it your all!
What do you think of RA fatigue? What are some ways you manage and cope with it?