“Your energy is unique. Embrace it. Use it wisely.”
– Robin Sharma, monk
We’ve learned from childhood to set lofty goals, to achieve, and to fit as much as possible into a day. To go, go, go. But for those of us with a vestibular disorder, and perhaps for all people, this becomes a no-win lifestyle. Instead let’s create a beneficial pattern of alternately using and restoring energy, rather than depleting all energy and then struggling to recover. It’s a bit of a mindset shift, but also requires a different way of planning.
Types of Activity
Each life activity fits into a category. Being aware of activity types can help us organize our days, and support our efforts to heal and stay healthy. The list below includes five categories of activity. As we begin to prioritize how we will use our available energy, it’s crucial to recognize that each of these activities requires a different intensity and type of energy. And at times they may overlap, requiring more than one level of energy.
- Physical (walking, exercise, chores, some self-care, etc.)
- Social (relationships, visitors, phone conversations, out for lunch, workplace, etc.)
- Cognitive (work, financial tasks, reading, computer, etc.)
- Self Care (showering, grooming, dressing, eating, etc.)
- Computer/TV/phones (online groups, watching TV, phone scrolling, etc.)
The goal is to prioritize and pace ourselves to be able to engage in a variety of activities each day or each week, depending on your level of health and known triggers at any given time. There may be days when you barely manage one activity, and then there are days when you can fit in a few more. Each individual will prioritize and manage activities differently.
Prioritizing
When other people can simply do things, I have to attack it and make a plan, like I am strategizing a war. (Christine Miserandino – Spoon Theory)
Once we identify our usual activities, prioritizing them does two things. It helps us decide which are the most important, and also when each will be done. Here is a good way to approach prioritizing.
- Identify what you want/need to do on any given day or week. Keep it simple and basic.
- Decide what activities are most important to you and put a star next to those. Ignore the rest for now.
- Include rest as a priority. Knowing yourself, you can decide how much and where this will occur. It’s a very important piece of the pie. (See pacing ideas below)
- Realize that as you go through this process, you will cross some things off the list for another day. That’s perfectly fine. Delaying is not failure. Completely deleting is also not a failure.
TIP: Start with five to seven items on your daily list. One of those is feeding yourself, one is rest, one is moving your body, and the others will be your other choices. Check them off when they are done. Eventually, you will be able to add more.
Pacing
Pacing involves separating your activities throughout the day to avoid exceeding your body’s limits. (Chronius Health)
As you plan when you will do an activity, alternating high-energy and low-energy items, remember to also alternate types of energy. For example, getting dressed and eating breakfast might require a rest before running an errand. After running an errand, you may choose to read a book or make a phone call. Avoid lumping together too many physical activities and social efforts. This can lead to exhaustion and trigger symptoms.
- Rather than cramming in a bunch of chores, errands, or exercise in a single day, decide on a weekly “menu” of when, how long, and how much, based on your set priorities.
- Allow yourself time to rest between activities. Even if the rest is simply sitting for 15 minutes in a quiet room with your eyes closed.
- Look at the big picture of the day and space things out. Try to get a visual image of the day with the ups and downs of energy used. Be confident that you will bounce back throughout the day to enjoy another activity.
TIP: Take your shower in the evening. The warm water is relaxing, and the next morning, you don’t have to spend energy and time on that. And a bonus is that for 12 hours you are hair product, lotion, deodorant, toxin free when you climb into bed.
Stress Management, Support and Rest
“It’s not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.”
– Hans Selye
While you are prioritizing, pacing yourself, and managing energy, it’s important to monitor stress, accept that rest is necessary, and establish a support system. In fact, finding and maintaining a good support system is one of the best stress reducers. Take some time to identify what helps calm your nervous system. There are many ways to do this and resources to aid in the effort. Here are just a few thoughts.
- Establish support systems that foster your sense of connectedness. Time with friends, family, support groups, counseling, and online social groups are all options. This could even be a few minutes on a Facebook group you enjoy.
- Try breathing techniques and/or basic meditation techniques that calm your nervous system and dampen anxiety. These can be one of your options for rest.
- Explore vagus and trigeminal nerve modulators to address stress and vestibular symptoms.
- Learn how to rest. Rest is not laziness. It is energy restoring. Find the type of rest that renews you during the day, and become an expert!
- Find ways to get outside of your own head and problems. Read, check on a friend, or watch a movie. A distraction is an amazing calmer.
TIP: Sit outside every day for at least a few minutes. Greet a neighbor, notice nature around you, or close your eyes and listen to the world.
Final Note
One important point as you embark on this process – Do not compare your abilities, energy, and activities to the old you or to other people. Start with where you are and move forward. You want to feel empowered to manage life, not to let life spin you in circles (literally).
Finding the balance between how much activity you can do and how much rest you need helps you achieve these activities without crashing. (Long Covid Physio)
By Karen R. Mizrach
