Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Help me get through 6 weeks of full time work with chronic fatigue/illness

37 replies

Thekormachameleon · 10/08/2021 21:56

I start a new job later this month, the role is P/T but the initial 6 weeks training is full time

I have several chronic health issues which leave me extremely fatigued - I'd be grateful for your best tips and tricks to help me drag my sorry self through the 6 weeks

Please and thank you

OP posts:
MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 10/08/2021 22:02

Do only the absolute minimum of stuff at home required to keep you and any DC alive. Batch cook ahead if you're up to it, buy ready-meals or serve beans on toast if you're not.

Consider a white lie to colleagues that you are getting over a recent virus - that way you have an excuse for being tired without having to share any of your actual medical history.

Good luck 😀

Thekormachameleon · 10/08/2021 22:03

Thank you @MissLucyEyelesbarrow , the ready meals one is a really good tip. A few weeks of ready meals won't kill us if we keep up the fruit and veg I'm sure

OP posts:
muffindays · 10/08/2021 22:05

could you get a family member or close friend to come help for a few hours at the weekend - with cleaning, cooking etc?

Potatoy · 10/08/2021 22:07

Try and batch cook in advance. And don't bother with the housework. Have a weeks worth of outfits ready to go. Little things like trousers you can just pull on without buttons, shoes you can slip on. Get enough pants and socks ready so you don't have to hunt for these. These little things all add up. If snacks help get these in. Do glucose tablets help? I found they helped me get through the 2 o'clock slump which was often when I'd need a nap. Bottle of water on the go at all times. If you usually follow a strict diet try and stick with it. Avoid fizzy drinks, diet and non diet as they have caffeine.

Potatoy · 10/08/2021 22:07

Good idea to tell a white lie about a virus if you're yawning a bit. Be prepared to be asked if it was covid tho.

8MinutesToSunrise · 10/08/2021 22:15

Lower expectations in all other areas. Can you throw money at the problem? Can you do service washes at the laundrette, get a temporary cleaner? Online shopping. Ready meals and one pot meals with minimal washing up. Make the commute as low energy as possible.

PlanDeRaccordement · 10/08/2021 22:18

Why are they not accommodating your disability? I’d be asking to do the training on a schedule I could manage if I were you. Pushing yourself could cause a flare up of severe fatigue/illness.

Assuming here you are diagnosed by a doctor and not just normal level exhaustion.

SparklingGin · 10/08/2021 22:21

Temporary cleaner, minimum work at home and as much sleep as possible

shinynewapple21 · 10/08/2021 22:25

I'm not sure glucose rates let's are a good idea. Do they not raise your blood sugar level which will cause a slump? I would think that is worse than the odd cup of coffee .

mrsbyers · 10/08/2021 22:27

If you have declared your health issues they have to make reasonable adjustments , an adapted schedule would be reasonable I would expect

RAOK · 10/08/2021 22:31

Batch cook/ready meals/takeaways - order online food shop. Take pre-prepared pasta salad/sandwiches for lunch.
Weekly cleaner for the six weeks
Have quiet weekends/evenings
Prioritise sleep

Galassia · 10/08/2021 22:34

I have a glass of Meritene (chocolate flavour) every day and find that helps with fatigue.

RainbowMum11 · 10/08/2021 22:35

If you get an hour lunch break during the day, could you go and rest your eyes in your car maybe?

54321nought · 10/08/2021 22:36

keep off of screens in your spare time, they are exhausting

Thekormachameleon · 10/08/2021 22:40

Thank you for all the tips, I'm really grateful

I don't have anyone that can help unfortunately so it's just me and my 18yo son who has already been told he's going to have to step up and help (currently doesn't have to lift a finger in the house)

So sleep, easy meals, online shopping, clothes etc prepared - all great ideas thank you

They cannot make any adjustments unfortunately for the training so I'm just going to have to get through it even if it half kills me

To the poster who asked whether I'd been diagnosed rather than just 'normal tired' - yes, generally 'several chronic illnesses' require a diagnosis. I have disabilities and autoimmune conditions which make life very difficult

OP posts:
NotMyCat · 10/08/2021 22:49

I work FT with similar - autoimmune conditions, fatigue from the conditions and medication (4 antihistamines a day for a start) Grin
I basically work and sleep. If I'm really tired then I sleep for an hour after work before doing anything else
Easy meals
Cleaning to a minimum (I try and do 30 mins a day and none at weekends)
Be organised so you have everything ready for the next day, outfit and bag etc
Prioritise sleep/rest

redpandaalert · 10/08/2021 22:52

Plan to snack and nap when you come in from work. Make sure you take all possible drugs to help you through it. Do you have a plan B if you can’t get through it?

Thekormachameleon · 10/08/2021 22:56

@redpandaalert snack and nap is my kinda plan Smile

Unfortunately there is no plan B, I will have to get through it. It's only 6 weeks, I'll just have to keep going Confused

OP posts:
gogohm · 10/08/2021 23:00

Caffeine is your friend, painkillers if needed, plenty of fruit and veg including a banana mid pm to keep energy up (obviously assuming you can have these) don't organise anything for weekends so you can relax, 18 year old gets to do the cleaning!

MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 10/08/2021 23:22

Can you book some annual leave for not long after you finish the training, so that you know that you'll have a chance to recuperate?

BackAwayFatty · 10/08/2021 23:41

following as I am going to be in the same situ very soon.

I'm taking the advice of doing nothing on the weekends. Having a good routine also so setting a bed time & sticking to it. I personally don't find naps help but I eat winegums & irn bru to get me through a slump. Not healthy but helps!

Like the idea of getting over a bug although I'm usually quite open about my situ. Helps to get some understanding because I will have bad days even after FT training stops.

CremeEggThief · 10/08/2021 23:46

If you can manage it try to get a few minutes fresh air every day. A 10 minute walk at lunchtime, for example.

Have a simple meal plan and stick to it. Think few ingredients and few items to wash up. And make sure you have a take away or a meal out once or twice a week.

IME, making dinner, eating it, making a packed lunch if you need to (maybe buy lunch a couple of times a week), washing up and emptying the rubbish are best done before you sit down. If I rested first, I often wouldn't do all the things I needed and even if I did, I tended to do them slower as I was more tired.

In general, don't make any social plans during the week. You might need to limit phone calls or messaging people too, as all of this saps energy.

It is very important to feel like you have an evening of a couple of hours to do just what you like before bed, but think about limiting phone, tablet and or laptop use. I find it much more relaxing when I read a book or watch tv. Otherwise it will feel like work and sleep only.

Order an online food shop to be delivered on Saturday or Sunday morning. That way if there's something essential missing that you definitely need, either you or your DS can quickly nip to the shops on Sunday instead of having to go after work.
Try to keep laundry and basic housework (eg vacuum downstairs and clean the bathroom) to weekends. If I were you, I'd start delegating some or all of these tasks to your DS ASAP though.

Tickledtrout · 10/08/2021 23:51

Be explicit in the instructions you give your son, and ideally write him a list of tasks in order for each day to ensure you're not tempted to do them yourself. He probably doesn't see what needs doing even though I'm sure he's willing to help. After six weeks he should have developed some food habits so no need for him to stop then ehWink
I believe you can get decent offers on gusto and hello fresh type meal kits that he can probably cope with too, if you tire of meal ideas and ready meals

ikeepseeingit · 11/08/2021 00:00

Can you hire a housekeeper instead of a cleaner for the six weeks? Or anyone that’s willing to do a load of washing and dry it for you, as well as the hoovering. For me when I’m tired, hoovering and changing bed covers is impossible. As well as cooking anything. Or, tell your son that it’s his job to do the bedcovers and washing on a specific day and hold him to it. Even if it’s just for the six weeks. M&S ready meals, make sure you’re eating and drinking enough throughout the day. Take a couple minutes extra in the toilet. I used to do this and take food in, to most it sounds insane but I would have been very sick eventually if I hadn’t. When I say food I mean breakfast bars not anything really crazy lol.

Sleep more. A lot more. Your body will need time to recover so allow yourself an extra hour even if that’s just in bed with eyes closed it will help you.

Good luck OP, it will be hard. Allow yourself to rest at any possible opportunity, steal the moments for yourself. I will be rooting for you!

KeyboardWorriers · 11/08/2021 00:13

I work full time with chronic health conditions that sound similar.

Cleaner /housekeeper is key. Plus ready meals. And crappy as it sounds, just accepting that I can't do much else on top of work.

Swipe left for the next trending thread