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Are you underactive, overactive or have you found a balance?

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Fibromyalgia
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Posted 1/9/2012 5:23 AM (GMT 0)
Pacing ourselves is really tricky. I'm all over the place when it comes to pacing...there are days my energy level seems higher. Those days I tend to overdo but don't realize it until after the fact. I think that is common with us...we tend to take advantage of the days we are feeling especially "good." Sometimes it is possible to get away without a flare.

Inactivity really makes me sluggish so I tend to be more on the active side. Keeping busy makes me feel better physically and emotionally.

Finding that perfect balance is challenging. What we might be able to do one day and not flare, could cause a flare doing less work on another day.

The way I look at it...inactivity can cause me pain, so I'd rather get some things done or have fun and throw a party, live life and all that jazz...doing nothing and hurting sucks so hurting and having fun is more enjoyable. turn

Hope we all have fun this week. yeah I declare myself unbalanced tongue

Hugs, Robin

Posted 1/9/2012 6:08 PM (GMT 0)
I have a really hard time finding the balance between being active and not over doing it. I am afraid to be active because I don't want the pain afterward. I am newly diagnosed and have been trying to find that happy medium between too much and too little.

Thank you for your post. It has actually inspired me for the day! smilewinkgrin I am thinking of all the creative activities I used to enjoy! idea Maybe I'll pick up one of them and start something new. Thanks again.

Michelle
Posted 1/10/2012 4:32 AM (GMT 0)
I think I have found my balance. I kind of keep it in the back of my head that if I do too much I will be in misery and pain. It has taken many years to figure this out. Lol
Posted 1/10/2012 4:38 AM (GMT 0)
Robin,

I have a really hard time with this, too. I know what you mean about inactivity making you feel sluggish - ugh, I hate that feeling! So I usually go from one thing to another pretty constantly until nighttime, figuring different muscles are being used.

And being able to get away with doing something one day but not the next? Oh yeah, all the time! With me, it generally has to do with weight - a can of peas, say. I've learned (in theory, anyway) that just because I lifted it into the cupboard yesterday, and felt fine, doesn't mean I can do it today. I think this is one of the hardest things to explain to people who don't have fibro.

If it FEELS heavy, there should be an alert that runs to my brain - "STOP!! Put it down!" The trouble is, when I'm feeling good and getting a lot done, those alerts don't travel fast enough. I barely notice what I'm doing, until it's too late.

Yes, let's all have FUN this week! I'm ready!

Debbie
Posted 1/10/2012 1:53 PM (GMT 0)
22+ years (I've stopped counting, LOL) and I still don't know when to stop. When I feel good, I overdo, period. Sometimes I pay the price, sometimes I get away with it. If the energy is there, I take full advantage of it. Might not be the smartest thing to do, but "in the moment" I feel normal again and it feels divine!!
Miriam
Posted 1/10/2012 2:36 PM (GMT 0)
That's a good question. I usually do pretty well until one of my other illnesses knocks me down, and then everything goes to pot and I become way less active. It's always a struggle for me to stay active enough, but I do feel better fibro-wise and emotionally when I am more active.

I do have days when I do too much, and I always pay for that later with pain and exhaustion. It is difficult for me to find that perfect balance because my illnesses fluctuate so much, but I do really try to stay engaged and occupied in my life. My biggest problem is the whole exercise thing. I have had a difficult time finding something I can do all of the time.
Posted 1/10/2012 2:36 PM (GMT 0)
Same here...when I feel good, I overdo it and depending on what I do, sometimes I pay for it for a few days afterward. I'm always on the go anyway - I have a hard time sitting still. Mainly because if I sit still, I just HURT! It's probably a vicious cycle but I've been doing it for years.
Posted 1/10/2012 6:10 PM (GMT 0)
Robin, you always make me smile! Unbalanced, ****!!

If I feel fatigued, it becomes a vicious circle. Like you, the less I do, the more sluggish I am, etc. This winter the fatigue has been really bad. I think my blue light is helping a bit with energy, but not as much as I had hoped. I have started making time to exercise again, and hopefully that helps.

I do overdo, but that doesn't bother me so much. I don't have a choice with work, and I'll have days when I am laid up as I recuperate. If I hurt more b/c of something I did at home or leisure, then it was usually worth it and I don't stress. Take my good with the bad.
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