Managing activity and relaxation

• Last week we looked at stress: How have you managed your stress in the last week?
• Anybody willing to share some examples or experience of this?

• Important to have a balance of activities, physical, cognitive, social, emotional
• Encourage different levels of engagement, high, low, rest
• Adapting, what needs to change

Under-activity                            Over-activity

• The physical effect of the neurological condition on your brain and body
• Having to learn new ways of doing things
• Having to work harder
• Feeling emotionally drained
• Trouble sleeping due to joint pain
• Less energy due to a change in diet
• Change in medication

• What is necessary and what could wait?
• What do I WANT to do today and what do I NEED to do today
• Could the task be carried out by somebody else or could they help?

• How can you spread activities out throughout the week
• Can higher energy tasks be carried out at a different time
• Thinking through activities before you do them
• Could the activity be done differently so it is easier? For example, with the use of adapted equipment (bath board to shower etc.)

• Looking at your diary and identifying how activities can be broken up rather than being done all in one go
• Finding your baseline level and ensuring that you have a middle ground of not doing too much or too little
• Ensuring you incorporate rest periods in between activities to help ‘recharge.’

• Do meal prep at a time when you have the most energy. It does not need to be immediately before cooking
• Sit down to prep
• Gather all the equipment you need before starting
• Organise storage and work areas so that you use less energy
• Use prepared foods/veg and sauces
• Use electrical equipment such as tin openers or mixers
• Line baking trays with foil to minimise cleaning
• Don’t try to lift heavy pans. Get a wire inset (chip pan basket) or use a slotted spoon to serve food from the hob

• Plan tasks and spread them out over the week
• Alternate heavy and lighter jobs or delegate heavy jobs to someone else
• Break down big jobs into smaller chunks
• Buy duplicate cleaning products to store upstairs, so that you do not have to carry them upstairs
• Sit down to do tasks where possible
• Use long handled equipment to avoid over-reaching

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To be used when tired, for sleep, anxiety:

• Deep breathing
• Breath focus
• Progressive muscle relaxation

Get comfortable. You can lie on your back in bed or on the floor with a pillow under your head and knees. Or you can sit in a chair with your shoulders, head, and neck supported against the back of the chair.

Breathe in through your nose. Let your belly fill with air.

Breathe out through your nose.

Place one hand on your belly. Place the other hand on your chest.

As you breathe in, feel your belly rise. As you breathe out, feel your belly lower. The hand on your belly should move more than the one that’s on your chest.

Take three more full, deep breaths. Breathe fully into your belly as it rises and falls with your breath.

While you do deep breathing, use a picture in your mind and a word or phrase to help you feel more relaxed.

Close your eyes if they’re open.

Take a few big, deep breaths.

Breathe in. As you do that, imagine that the air is filled with a sense of peace and calm. Try to feel it throughout your body.

Breathe out. While you’re doing it, imagine that the air leaves with your stress and tension.

Now use a word or phrase with your breath. As you breathe in, say in your mind, “I breathe in peace and calm.”

As you breathe out, say in your mind, “I breathe out stress and tension.”

Continue for 10 to 20 minutes.

In this technique, you breathe in as you tense a muscle group and breathe out as you release it. Progressive muscle relaxation helps you relax physically and mentally.

• Lie comfortably on the floor.
• Take a few deep breaths to relax. Breathe in. Tense the muscles of your feet.
• Breathe out. Release the tension in your feet. Breathe in. Tense your calf muscles. Breathe out. Release the tension in your calves.
• Work your way up your body. Tense each muscle group. This includes your legs, belly, chest, fingers, arms, shoulders, neck, and face.

• Try and find a balance of high level, low level and rest/relaxation activities
• Remember the 3 P’s, prioritising, planning and pacing
• Avoid the boom and bust cycle
• Set SMART goals

Having attended these  sessions on fatigue management, identify 1 or 2 areas that you wish to focus on to begin to better manage your fatigue.

Set some S.M.A.R.T. goals, see sheets provided

• SMART Goal sheet

(Make sure they are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely)