When I recently googled how to manage fatigue, I noticed two things:
- The list of things to do - pace yourself, rest more, keep a fatigue diary, eat well.
- The language of struggle- beat fatigue, fight fatigue
While this advice is sensible and well-meaning, it can sometimes feel too simplistic given the complex realities of living with persistent fatigue. Also, language like fighting or beating fatigue can unintentionally set up an exhausting inner battle that adds a sense of threat to a body system already hypersensitive to stressors.
At Flourish with Fatigue, we recognise that managing fatigue is complex, and often benefits from a multifaceted, personalised approach to help explore how to live well — even when fatigue is still part of the picture. That’s why having support from a specialist service like Flourish with Fatigue can play a meaningful role in navigating fatigue.
We Support the Why and How
When you’re living with fatigue, advice like pace yourself or rest more can sometimes feel unclear, overwhelming, or even difficult to put into practice. These lists of dos and don’ts often miss two key things: how to use these strategies in everyday life, and why they may help.
How do you pace when you’re also juggling work, family, or financial pressures?
How do you rest in a culture that glorifies productivity?
How do you slow down when feelings of guilt show up the moment you stop?
Why should you make that small routine change when the benefits may not seem obvious.
Rather than meeting these questions with a list of energy conservation strategies, our work begins by creating a compassionate, validating space where your unique experience is understood. We recognise that fatigue is not just a physical experience. It is often influenced by a complex mix of biological, psychological, and social factors: your body’s systems, your emotional responses, your personal history, and the expectations of the world around you.
That’s why it can be helpful to gently explore why fatigue happens - why your body might naturally respond to certain demands the way it does, and why things like illness, stress, or past experiences can influence the way your systems regulate. Understanding why your thoughts and emotions can influence your physical symptoms can also foster greater self-awareness and self-kindness. These insights can open up new ways of relating to fatigue with more clarity and compassion.
From here, the how — the practical strategies that support daily life — can begin to feel more purposeful, more personal, and more sustainable. This might mean learning to notice and respond to your body’s signals with gentleness, exploring possible symptom patterns and possible triggers, or trying out small adjustments to your routine. It might also involve nurturing self-compassion, or finding meaningful ways to stay connected to what matters most.
At Flourish with Fatigue, we support you in discovering both your why and how through a blend of approaches, including fatigue and pain science, neurorehabilitation, behaviour change, mindfulness, and therapeutic frameworks such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT). Our aim is to help you feel supported and empowered as you find what works best for you.
We Help You Live Well in the Present Moment
The language of fighting or beating fatigue implies struggle. And struggle uses valuable energy. It can create stress and signals danger to a system that is already sensitive to stressors. It can sound as if life has to wait until fatigue is gone. For some people, their symptoms do improve or even resolve. But for others, the symptoms persist.
No matter how symptoms unfold over time, our goal is to help you to live well in the present moment. We support you with this by gently exploring questions like:
What does a meaningful life look like for you at this moment?
What matters most to you, and how might you stay connected to those things, even while fatigue is present?
What obstacles are making it harder to pursue what’s important, and how might you respond in a way that feels possible and kind
Part of this process may involve acknowledging the sadness, frustration, or anger that can come when life looks different than it once did. These feelings are completely natural and deserve to be honoured with compassion.
At the same time, we can also explore how people can still engage in activities that reflect their values. By focusing on what matters - whether that’s fun, connection, or a sense of freedom, people can use their energy in ways that feel meaningful to them, even alongside symptoms. This gentle shift can bring a renewed sense of direction, helping people feel less overwhelmed and stuck.
When the focus moves from struggling or fighting against symptoms to living in alignment with what matters, many people notice not only improvements in how they feel, but also a greater sense of fulfilment and confidence in managing fatigue. At Flourish with Fatigue, our goal is to support people in gradually letting go of the struggle and building a life that feels rich and values-driven in the here and now.
Final Thoughts
Managing fatigue is not simple. It's not just about doing less or getting more sleep, and it's not about fighting against your body or mind. Instead, we suggest it's about gently building both practical and psychological skills to navigate a complex interplay of physical, emotional, and social factors that shape how you feel. The goal is to help you live as fully as possible right now - not just in a future without fatigue.
That’s why a specialist service like Flourish with Fatigue can be so valuable because it offers a space to explore how to live well in the present, grounded in both the why of fatigue and the how of navigating it in ways that feel personal and sustainable.