Managing my time is a daily struggle. My energy level changes if I sleep badly and have no energy, or my pain flares up, or my neurodivergence decides that I really don’t need to focus today, never mind the ages-long to-do list (thanks, brain).
It’s taken me years to find a method that works for me. I know I need a plan with flexibility - an easy way to change it up every day based on how I’m feeling, without using up precious energy on figuring out a solution. It needs to be functional and appealing for my structure-loving brain, without providing too much room for me to go crazy and shove a million things on my to-do list.
As a recovering perfectionist, I always put too much on my plate. Finding the line between a goal that gives me the carrot-on-a-stick motivation without setting myself up for failure has taken a lot of practice, and I still frequently plan for more activities in a day than I have spoons for, but the beauty of this guide is that it allows me to change my mind halfway through the day.
If I suddenly run out of spoons and unexpectedly crash - fine, no worries, just plug in more rest time. If I need a break before coming back to the to-do list, excellent, I can tweak the pacing plan. If I somehow complete everything on my list and still have spoons, brilliant, I can add in more. It’s this flexibility that makes this plan the only one I have been able to use on a regular basis.
I’ve based it on pacing, which is a technique I was taught in a chronic fatigue clinic after I was diagnosed with ME. Pacing involves taking regular breaks to sit in the quiet and do nothing in between sprints of activity, which makes it less likely that ME symptoms flare and cause a crash (known as post-exertional malaise).
If you have ME, the breaks are supposed to be a low-stimulation as possible. I close my eyes and listen to music, or a podcast I’ve heard before, or sometimes I just sit in silence and let myself drift. It might sound boring, but the time out really does help.
Whether or not you have ME, pacing resembles the pomodoro method, which helps with focus and structure regardless of your health status. If you are struggling to manage your time or regularly don’t get through everything you want to in a day, then this guide might be able to help. Give it a go - and if you do find it useful, consider subscribing to my newsletter for regular updates. I’m sure I will elaborate on managing time and symptoms in future posts.
Links
I use this guide every day in my notion, and I can make it available as a notion template. If that would be useful to you, please email me at jasepuddicombewrites@gmail.com or hit reply to one of my newsletters
A note on spoon theory: if you are entirely new to the idea of spoons to measure energy, read this blog post where it started
And here is the guide! You can open it as a PDF on google drive here: Spoons and Pacing Guide - feel free to share this post with friends if you think it might help them too
Happy planning!
Jase xxx