Daily and Weekly Planning for Energy Management

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

How are you all doing? I hope you are well and enjoying the season wherever you are in the world. Here in my city, we are transitioning from summer to fall or autumn season. It happens like clock work every year that I can feel the distinct shift to chilly weather on September 1st.  

This year I felt it a bit earlier but then hot weather returned after that. By the time I post this blog we will be in the midst of 2 days of much cooler weather. When I went out to buy a few grocery items on Monday night, it was spitting a bit of rain.

Anyway, many of you already know that I suffer from a few chronic medical conditions though they are mostly manageable as long as I can keep on top of things and do what I need to do. But you may not know that I also suffer from something called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).  It's the one thing that is much harder to manage and there are all kinds of symptoms that can arise as a result of it. 

I have periods where I am feeling reasonable and able to look after what I need to but there are also periods when my energy is very low or virtually non-existent. I've just actually come through a prolonged period where I was feeling reasonable and could do what I planned to do almost every day.  But for the past several weeks I could feel myself veering into a low that I haven't felt in a while. 

I've been trying to pace myself and manage things so that I don't go into a zero energy phase. In that phase it is hard to get out of bed, let alone get up and shower to greet the day.  

Do you or anyone you know also suffer from this?

Here is a simple chart that illustrates some of the myriad symptoms that people with ME/CFS exhibit.

Recently, I started going to a new church that meets at night, not in the morning.  One Sunday I discovered that one of the pastors also has ME/CFS and that's one of the reasons the church gathering is at night and not in the morning.  

I was relieved that she would be able to relate to my symptoms and possible understand why it is difficult for me to fully engage in all that churches do.  Sometimes it's even difficult just to get to church.  Having said that, it is easier to attend night service because it means I have more time to get ready for the day and get going.

I've had ME/CFS now for many years.  It's the primary reason I had to retire from work in 2006, much earlier than I wanted.  

Having this problem changed my life in so many ways and led me to a much more restricted way of life than I had been living before.  My concentrations level was so bad in those days that I couldn't even read a page of a novel. That is what actually led me to start this blog and also to challenge myself to set reading goals.

Happily my concentration is much improved.  But I still go through phases where I can't concentrate enough to read or to write.  Lack of concentration affects my ability to write blog posts or do anything that requires sustained effort.  For example, whenever I write I post, I end up going back to correct it several times after posting because I wasn't able to catch all the mistakes the first time around.  This is rather frustrating and annoying but it isn't the end of the world so I try not to dwell on it. I try to keep my perfectionist tendencies reined in otherwise I'd stop doing a lot of things.  In relation to my reading habit, I've always enjoyed it and now that I set annual reading goals, I read far more than I ever have though there are still periods when I cannot read much at all.  Like right now.

Making appointments in my calendar for everything I do is also helpful. I go to the extent of blocking out all the 'to dos' in the calendar and I try to do this for several weeks in advance. I write things on a wall calendar because then I can see things at a glance and make adjustments if needed.  I've come to know what I can actually accomplish in a given period of time so sometimes I have to make a lot of adjustments when other things crop up that are priorities like lab work and appointments. 

It also takes me far longer to accomplish things than it ever did. It isn't just from growing older. It has more to do with energy levels as a result of illness though I know some of it has to do with aging. I am a young senior, however so I keep on going and don't feel that age is a reason for my limitations at this point.

I would love to get into better routines and meal planning but I'm simply not there yet. I'm not sure if I will ever be because routines and meal planning were never really my thing. The reason I'd like them now is it brings more structure to daily life and getting things done.  It also means I always have something on hand to eat rather than have to worry about having nothing ready when I am not up to cooking. My dear husband is not a cook so I can't really rely on him and I'd rather not have to order take out for all the times I don't feel like cooking.

So lately I've been making a few meals ahead. No more than 2 or 3 items to have in the refrigerator for meal times. While I do have a small freezer, I've found that preparing a few weeks or meals ahead doesn't really work at this point. I may revisit the idea in future.

Here are the foods I cooked this week. They aren't as healthy as I would otherwise make when I have more energy. These foods were largely cooked in the Instant Pot (IP), a lifesaver when one doesn't have much time or energy to make meals.  Food also tastes much more flavourful when cooked in the Instant Pot. Other meals were quickly made on the stove top. 

This week I was proud of myself for making 2 meals without meat though they were not veganized (Taco Soup with Lentils and Garbanzo Bean Soup).  I am going to try to make meatless meals more often because we've been eating far too much beef these past few months.  I was also told by one of my doctors that chicken is not good for my cholesterol levels. We have eaten a lot of chicken in the past.  I've cut way back on chicken but we are having some this week.  I'm also reinstituting more avocados, nuts and olive oil in to our diet and reducing butter and dairy in general though this is harder for me to do. 

Pork roast with root veggies and cabbage

Taco Soup made with lentils instead of beef

Leftover pork and potatoes with scrambled eggs/beans

New pototoes and ground beef with veggies in mushroom sauce

Seasoned roast chicken, cooked in IP & browned in oven

IP Garbanzo and veggie soup in chicken broth

Thank you for reading this far. If you have ME/CFS, I'd love to hear how long you've had it and how you manage it.

September Musings ~ Tuesday 4

September is back to school month and even if you are an adult now, you can usually still recall the back to school days.  It was a new beginning.. sometimes scary, sometimes joyous.  New experiences were awaiting you.

How about now? September is still a new beginning to  the year.  What will it hold for you?

1. As summer's heat fades do you get out and about in nature often ?  Where do you go, what do you do?  What would you like to do?

I get out more in the Fall and Spring than I do in other seasons. Mostly I love to go to places where I can take a walk by the waterfront. I enjoy the photo opportunities at the waterfront.

2. What has changed in your life that you miss/regret the most?

I miss my university days mostly because I had a very active social life and people were more ready to get together for any reason to have a potluck or a dance/fundraiser or to invite one another to their homes for a dinner. These days it's like pulling teeth to get together with anyone and that includes family members. Everyone is so busy and I fall into that category myself. It's sometimes even hard to make phone calls or to receive them but it's important to try and make an effort. At least, I believe it's important. Sadly, not everyone I know agrees with me except for people who are older than me. Perhaps I wouldn't be missing these 'olden' days but a lot of people I know have moved away and haven't kept in touch or they have passed from this life.

3.  Money is no object, nothing stands in your way... are you going to move or stay where you are?

I would be moving within the city but I already know that it would be difficult to find a place that fits my requirements. I'd love a larger space with roof top amenities for gardening and entertaining. I'd also like a building that isn't too high in case of fire and I'd love a view with an apartment that isn't too close to everyone else and has a lot of space, preferably green between buildings. If money was no object, I would also like a cottage getaway at the lake.

4.  How can you improve your life?

That's a good question and I'm not sure I can do more than I'm doing because I work on improving my life each and every year. Right now, it would be nice to finish up the decluttering. Honestly it just seems to go on and on but I can see the endpoint of the main things I'm trying to accomplish. Once I have that done, I will continue making small DIY improvements. All of this is to ensure I have a comfortable space, easier to maintain and more efficient for doing crafts and study.

Joining in with Tuesday 4 this week. Thank you for stopping by! Happy September to you. 🍁🍂🍁