A combination of various factors such as persistent sleep disturbance, living under chronic and sustained stress and having chicken pox as an adult, all meant that one day when I was at work for Hilton Hotels I was suddenly utterly incapacitated by severe pain. On another occasion, I recall standing at the bottom of the stairs, unable to go up them as my whole body felt like lead.

I found myself discussing Christmas with a client last week who is already planning for her inevitable setback in January – is this unavoidable? How can you enjoy Christmas but minimise the impact?

Does the very thought of planning a holiday leave you feeling exhausted? The thought of a long journey and sleeping in a different bed is enough to raise your anxiety levels before you even consider the expectations of yourself or others regarding what you will actually do whilst on holiday. Isn’t it supposed to be pleasurable or at the very least somewhat relaxing?

A combination of various factors such as persistent sleep disturbance, living under chronic and sustained stress and having chicken pox as an adult, all meant that one day when I was at work for Hilton Hotels I was suddenly utterly incapacitated by severe pain. On another occasion, I recall standing at the bottom of the stairs, unable to go up them as my whole body felt like lead.

Low back pain is very common, and most people have it at some point in their lives. It affects people of all ages and all socio-economic statuses. It is the leading cause of disability worldwide and the number of people affected is increasing.

When you are feeling unwell it is far more challenging to eat well.  Having the energy or inclination to spend time preparing food can seem daunting.  Many people find that they lose their normal appetite and enjoyment of food and eating can become a chore.  Some people also feel less like eating if they are low in mood or concerned about their health.

How many times do we hear the words ‘it’s all about balance’.  ‘Balance is key’. ‘All things in moderation’.  Etc etc.? In fact, if we look at the definition of ‘balance’ we see that it’s ‘a situation in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions’. Broadly speaking we may find that our lives are split into different areas: Self care, achievement, connecting with others and enjoyment. 

8 tips to help you cope with pain

One of our team shares what its like getting back to work after burning out with post viral fatigue/Chronic fatigue syndrome and the challenges of living with an invisible disability.

As part of our 10-year anniversary as a rehabilitation provider in the field of fatigue and pain, creating unexpected vitality and healthy futures for over 750 clients to date, we wanted to share our suggestions for improving vitality this winter.

Grounding techniques can help us to self-regulate when we are feeling overwhelmed with strong emotions, unwanted thoughts or memories or when we feel disconnected.

Several of our team members have ME/CFS and associated pain, and as part of our 10-year anniversary, we gathered together their top strategies for learning to live well with fatigue which they share here.

As part of our 10-year anniversary as a rehabilitation provider in the field of fatigue and pain, creating unexpected vitality and healthy futures for over 750 clients to date, we wanted to share our suggestions for improving vitality this winter.

In this blog, some of our team who are having to adapt as many are to having kids at home following the closure of the schools, share some of their tips on how to deal with this.

Here are some tips on small ways in which we can take care of our selves and all our needs during this time of lockdown, restrictions and attendant uncertainty.

As someone who has had a chronic illness with debilitating fatigue and pain for over 16 years, I can find this time of new year resolutions and the general optimism associated with these difficult to be around. I might want to improve my health but keeping it realistic to my limitations can be challenging.

I found myself discussing Christmas with a client last week who is already planning for her inevitable setback in January – is this unavoidable? How can you enjoy Christmas but minimise the impact?

I have heard so many clients with Pain and fatigue saying they no longer have friends over because it is exhausting. When I ask them more about this the answer is almost always the same. By the time I have cleaned the house, gone shopping and cooked dinner I have no energy left to enjoy talking to my friends.

It’s that time of year again.  The nights are drawing in, the days are shorter, the weather has changed.  Time to dive under the duvet and hibernate.