How to Manage Your Energy When You Have Chronic Fatigue Symptoms

Not enough people understand the “chronic” part of chronic fatigue symptoms, let alone know how to help you manage them. By the end of this video you’ll have a concrete framework for understanding how much capacity you have, so you can finally start accommodating and caring for yourself properly.
Thanks to the spoon theory, those of us with chronic illness, chronic pain, chronic fatigue, disability, and/or invisible disability have a wonderful tool for communicating our energy levels to others. But understanding that we’re “low on spoons” isn’t necessarily actionable. How do we get more spoons? How do we spend our spoons wisely? That’s what I’m talking about in this video.
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[@CassieWinter]

Share your aha moments here! 💡💡💡

[@brendalg4]

Aha... a gas tank can add or take away from another gas tank

[@SpectrumOfChange]

Realizing the emotional gas tank is actually the central aspect of ADHD, which is - at it's core - an issue of emotional and limbic system (dis)regulation. So, tending specifically to the emotional gas tank being filled up, becomes a central and 100% valid and respectable need. Very very helpful construct and terminology.

[@toph7]

Aha! I like the 3 gas tank frame work for thinking about energy.

[@kaz555]

Aha 💡 emotional spoons. I know the physical and mental but didn't think about emotional. My emotions impact my physical and mental hidden disabilities. Thank you!

[@tinarobinson9735]

Aha! Being self aware is a skill I am working on and I believe it's invaluable! I really did have an aha about how the gas tanks effect each other.

[@crazyfox6832]

I found this video full of useful info I plan on incorporating into my daily life. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia some years back and am always relying on caffeine to fight off the fatigue and brain fog. I've been looking to make more habit changes to help me manage my chronic health conditions more effectively. You got yourself a new subscriber. I look forward to learning more from your channel.

[@CassieWinter]

Welcome to the community! Excited to have you. ❤️

[@thrivingselfcarerenee]

3 gas tanks is so helpful! Because I can be depleted physically but have energy to do cognitive tasks. Or vice versa. Great video!

[@CassieWinter]

Thanks for watching! 💖

[@tinarobinson9735]

K.C. Davis is a great accommodator!

[@ellakaplan478]

Thank you so much for spreading helpful info on this stuff!❤ It’s very difficult when you’re chronically ill and the people around you keep telling you that if you just move more or get out more than you’ll get better, when it’s quite the opposite. I know rest and moving as little as possible is what my body needs a lot of the time, but I have so many people that would tell me I’m “giving up” or making myself worse, when I’m really just trying to get the rest and accommodations that I’ve desperately needed for such a long time.

[@mikeprince1769]

The concept of three gas tanks (petrol tanks) is really insightful, and particularly how they are inter-related. It explains why I can participate in some activities that I really enjoy for much longer than activities I enjoy less.

[@theresas9556]

Aha!!! And also - ASMR... because your voice is so soothing and tingly 🤍 watching your videos simultaneously educates AND relaxes me. Thank you for being you 💜💜

[@CassieWinter]

Oh goodness, thank you Theresa! 😍

[@jelliemish]

The gas tank is such a good model!! I'm neurodivergent and as soon as you said it I realized I have a boundless physical gas tank but tiny little cognitive and emotions gas tanks. That helps so much!

[@clairey6407]

Thanks Cassie. I live with M.E. which has been very severe in the last 10+ years. It's interesting to discover that I share a lot of my struggles with other M.E. sufferers (not surprising really) but even more interesting to learn that there are many other conditions that cause very similar issues. It's a challenging process, learning to accept what you need to accept and find ways of working with it rather than against it, which is difficult when your instincts are to do far more than you actually can! It is a lesson I am gradually learning and it helps to hear from others in similar situations. Thank you 🥰

[@smooth4553]

Amazing video! I definitely aha-ed a few times

[@ClandestineGirl16X]

The beginning is me every day with my cat 😂😂 can't wait to watch.

[@GC-yz8tg]

That's a great idea! I was trying to explain this to myself but couldn't get out of my abstract realm with it.

[@Joypontious]

I really appreciate your channel. You're the only person I know who gives this kind of information.

[@CassieWinter]

❤️❤️❤️

[@ritika15996]

Super helpful!

[@ClandestineGirl16X]

Fantastic video! I found this so helpful. Thank you

[@Billyboicos]

Omf I love your channel sm

[@catsareawesome791]

Thank you so much for this wonderful advice❤ I never thought about things this way and I think that this is going to help me pace myself and hopefully reduce the chances of future flares

[@TinaThevarge]

Have you tried the dictation feature in the Apple apps. There’s a little microphone icon beside the spacebar where you can use speech to text, it might help to make your script writing faster and easier on less mobile days. Most people can speak 120 words per minute as opposed to typing 60 words per minute when sitting up at a desk, I’m not sure what your iPad typing speed is but it’s almost guaranteed that speech to text (dictation) is faster. The only trick is you have to learn the different commands for punctuation. My problem recently is learning to stop activities before I run dry and hit the wall. I’ve been chronically overdoing things to exhaustion. Last month I ended up in the er with a back spasm so bad they had to knock me out to get it to ease up. And just this morning I almost had another one because I overdid it yesterday. My brain still thinks I can keep going, but over the years of RA limited mobility life, my body doesn’t have the muscles it used to.

[@CassieWinter]

Learning how to strengthen your stopping muscles is such an important part of sustainable, holistic productivity. I highly recommend checking out my free Butt in Chair Time Masterclass where I talk about how to incorporate stopping into your routine. You can learn more about it on my website: www.accountabilitymuse.com/ P.S. Thanks for the tip! But unfortunately I tend to be an edit-as-I-go kind of writer, which isn't conducive to dictation. I know dictation works wonders for lots of people though, and often encourage my clients to try it out if they haven't already.

[@sidpastore4239]

I will perhaps track my gas tanks with emoji for a while to become more aware of them. :) I do a lot of things from bed bc I’m tired and it’s comfortable but I worry it’s the reason I can’t sleep at night bc that’s one of the first things they tell you not to do re: sleep hygiene. A problem I consistently run into is that once I take my night meds I’m pretty toast cognitively and with the not sleeping that’s a significant part of the day I’m not terribly useful. The time blocking video was a real game changer for me but I still end up with the over scheduled calender of doom because I’m trying to get it all done in the limited time I have. I don’t really go out anymore unless I really have to because I can’t drive so doing anything is an hour or so of the thing 2+ hours riding my bike. I even LIKE riding the bike but that just seems like such a poor trade-off of time. I guess on some level I don’t really understand accommodating myself because all I want is to be more efficient. I do really like your channel though. It’s the only one I turned on the bell.

[@CassieWinter]

Thank you for sharing. And thank you for turning on the bell! 💖 I'd be happy to help you better understand how to accommodate yourself if you'd like to hop on Zoom with me sometime. You can grab a spot on my calendar here: app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=16161520&appointmentType=7959991

[@lalelu1168]

Gas Tanks(emotional,physical, mental) acoomondate and how they relate to each other

[@sofikat22]

"thanks dysautonomia" 😁👍

[@judyspiegel441]

Thank you so much for your helpful responses to cfs but I don’t understand the reference to spoons ?

[@CassieWinter]

When I talk about Spoons, I'm referring to the Spoon Theory, which you can learn more about here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_theory

[@lizzieh5284]

My problem is I feel like i have enough energy in my physial gas tank and i do chores or go out to socialise. It is afterwards that i feel wiped out with PEM. That's why i find Pacing so difficult.

[@CassieWinter]

That makes a lot of sense. What might help is keeping track of your tanks before and after any physical activity, and over time you'll understand how much gas activities take, so you'll better understand your capacity when reflecting before doing things.

[@ArtistAllanWest]

Are these techniques also effective for people with fibromyalgia? My sense is that they might. I’m going to start using this approach and see what happens. Thanks for sharing your tips with us!

[@CassieWinter]

Yes! This is simply a framework for helping to better understand your own capacity so you can make more informed decisions about how you spend your precious time and energy. 💖

[@eyezerocool]

Aha .. lol... This may help me in the end.

[@judithlashbrook4684]

Aha!

[@nickorange4881]

can you explain the emotional gas tank ? i dont get it. whats the difference between that and cognitive gas tank ?

[@CassieWinter]

A simple way to think about it is if someone hands you a math problem, you'll need to pull energy from your cognitive gas tank. If someone says something mean to you, it will pull energy from your emotional gas tank. I often think of my emotional gas tank as my capacity for handling icky things: Is it the kind of day where spilling some water won't bother me at all? Or is it a day where spilling some water is the last straw and I have a meltdown? On the latter day I have barely any energy in my emotional gas tank. Hope that helps!

[@Lauren_R_Arts]

Aha!!

[@CassieWinter]

🥳🥳🥳

[@anniemoulinsteffen3465]

Aha🎉

[@liliththorn4340]

How do I refill those tanks even partially when all 3 are permanently empty and in debt and I can’t even move or think and I don’t have access to any support now and going forward and my home is also draining and I can’t change it and it’s at the point I can’t even do the bare essentials for my health like take meds I have physical mental intellectual and sensory Disabilities chronic pain and a lot of other crap I can’t change my environment and idk what to do and I don’t have access to doctors (that’s a long story atm)

[@CassieWinter]

Oof I'm so sorry. Sounds like you're dealing with both burnout and the systems in our culture to put people in burnout and keep them there. It's unfair and you deserve better. It can be helpful to focus on the things that we do have control over (while I know that's easier said than done). And if you haven't watched my 6 Muse Muscles class (you can find it on my website), the way I talk about radical acceptance might really help you. Hugs 💖

[@andybreedlove]

Same here, sending love - how are you doing now?

[@liliththorn4340]

@@CassieWinter thankyou a couple months later im surviving im still in a bad spot but the radical acceptence is kinda helping even though my therapists arent liking it but u do what u have to do right

[@liliththorn4340]

@@andybreedlove just commented :) my reply is the same

[@sharoncooper7381]

How can I contact you? Just finding you 1:30

[@CassieWinter]

Hi! You can learn more about my work and how to work with me at this link: www.accountabilitymuse.com/action-navigator-course 💖

[@krugerfuchs]

How do you know

[@CassieWinter]

I'm not sure I understand the question. How does one know what?

[@annaberg1200]

Do you also have anxiety?

[@CassieWinter]

I do, but it's a symptom and not a primary disorder for me.