Fatigue is one of the few symptoms which is experienced by most people living with multiple sclerosis. Fatigue is one of those “invisible” symptoms, so it can be harder to explain to others and its frequent or unexpected arrival can also make it challenging to manage.

As a member of the Client Services team, I often speak with people who are trying to “do it all” including running a family or maintaining a job (frequently both) in addition to managing MS symptoms. I am constantly amazed at the number of people who are successfully juggling fatigue into all the tasks of their day-to-day life.

Here are some tips which might be helpful for managing Fatigue:

• Energy Conservation: schedule appointments or other big tasks for times of the day when you are typically more energetic.
• If you work in an office, take short breaks throughout the day to: eat a snack, drink some water, and move around. If possible, you can try to schedule naps or rest periods into your day.
• Talk to your doctor to see if the use of medication or caffeine may be helpful.
• Possibly use Cooling products for fatigue related to heat sensitivity.

And my favorite tip:

• Celebrate small victories by focusing on the things you did accomplish as opposed to those you did not.

For more information on Fatigue, please see the following link:  https://mymsaa.org/publications/motivator/winter-spring09/cover-story/1/

Do you have tips to share on managing fatigue?