ME/CFS made showering hard work; some improvement after active resting and pacing
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- Not stated
- Last post
- Aug 2025
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
the times I've convinced myself that it's all in my head and done things as if I'm not disabled, I've ended up even more disabled!!
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
showering is such hard work even though I've cut off most of my hair and given up on aesthetics entirely
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
I'm doing far better now mentally and physically (because I've been able to adjust to actually resting and pacing, not because it is psychosomatic!)
In context ↗
Read from 7 of their posts and comments; links to the 6 this page draws on
Summary
A Reddit user in an ME/CFS forum described showering as such hard work even though they had cut off most of their hair and given up on aesthetics. After two months of 'active resting' they reported improvements, including a resting heart rate drop of about 20bpm, and said the Visible app was invaluable for recognizing when they were overdoing it. By their latest post in August 2025, they said they were doing far better mentally and physically after being able to adjust to resting and pacing.
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What they tried
What they credit
Their words about each treatment
- active resting · Helped
I'm two months into 'active resting', aka doing as little as physically possible, and I'm already seeing improvements
In context ↗ - pacing · Helped
because I've been able to adjust to actually resting and pacing
In context ↗ - Visible · Helped
I've found Visible to be invaluable - it shoves the relevant data under my nose and helps me to recognise when I'm overdoing it.
In context ↗ - ice packs · Helped
I've acquired several ice packs in varying sizes and they're great for putting on the back of my neck ... definitely helps take the edge off especially when it's muggy
In context ↗ - someone to work with · Helped
Found someone to work with and I'm doing far better now mentally and physically
In context ↗
Approaches: Pacing · Radical rest
Their path
What they say at each step doesn’t fit the worst point or outcome above on the severity scale, so the steps are listed as they describe them. Dates are when they posted.
| When | What happened | After |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-08 | showering exhausting; gave up hairstyle and aestheticsshowering is such hard work even though I've cut off most of my hair and given up on aesthetics entirelyIn context ↗ | |
| June 2025 | a couple of weeks of resting with no improvement and no hopeI was in a similar place a few weeks ago, had been Resting for a couple of weeks and felt I wasn't improving and there was no hopeIn context ↗ | |
| 2025-07-01 | two months into active resting, already seeing improvementsI'm two months into 'active resting', aka doing as little as physically possible, and I'm already seeing improvementsIn context ↗ | Radical rest |
| 2025-08-07 | far better mentally and physically after resting and pacingI'm doing far better now mentally and physically (because I've been able to adjust to actually resting and pacing, not because it is psychosomatic!)In context ↗ | Radical rest |
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
the times I've convinced myself that it's all in my head and done things as if I'm not disabled, I've ended up even more disabled!!
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
my resting heartrate has dropped by approx 20bpm
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I'm doing far better now mentally and physically
In context ↗
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