Pacing is Important!

Pacing Illustrated

One of the biggest challenges of living with and managing fibromyalgia is feeling like things cannot be done, because it causes too much pain or there is not enough time. However, pacing, the practice of doing a little bit at a time and then coming back later to work further on the task, is of critical importance and usefulness!

Pacing is a challenge because we really want to do what we want to do for as long as we want to do it, usually until the activity is completed in our estimation. When not utilizing pacing techniques, individuals can cause flare ups of their symptoms and end up setting themselves backwards. To make matters worse, even without pacing, the task(s) still may remain unfinished.

Yet, when embracing pacing, those with chronic pain and fatigue can complete tasks while still effectively managing their symptoms. It all comes down to acceptance of the situation and learning to break things up - to step away from it after a short amount of time - and then to come back to it.

To illustrate, when Jay Steele, the host of South Jersey Connections Support Group meetings, first began experiencing severe fibromyalgia, he felt he could no longer enjoy drawing and creating artwork. This had been one of his passions since at least the age of 6 when he won first place in a school wide art contest in elementary school. 

When Jay's wife suggested that perhaps he could still persist in his creative endeavors, Jay scoffed and shot down the idea. He believed it to be impossible and kept focusing on the pain that would amass in his hands, arms, and wrists from the activity and how frustrating it would be to have to keep stopping.

Sometime later, Jay set out to attempt drawing in a new and different fashion. He decided he'd draw for 30 minutes and then stop - with a plan to try to do another 30 minutes the next day or a few days later. The first time he tried this, sure enough after 30 minutes, he didn't complete much of the drawing. He felt slightly frustrated, but then assessing it from a different perspective, he saw that he had made a fine and significant start and that he now had something to look forward to coming back to soon!

30 minute increment after 30 minute increment continued to accumulate as days passed. It took weeks, but this anecdote about pacing led to the beautiful bamboo drawing that can be found atop this section! This is a classic case of pacing illustrated! 

As a result of this persistent pacing, Jay now has a wonderful accomplishment that he and those who appreciate fine art can appreciate forever. This piece now adorns the walls of his home, and this website, while serving as an ever present example and reminder of the blessings that pacing can provide in helping to create rewarding and fulfilling lives in spite of chronic illness.