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

[Thekormachameleon]

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

• Rest on the weekends
• No going out in the evenings & go to bed early
• Have building blocks for meals in the freezer - I tend to freeze portions of diced onion, shredded/chopped veg so I can grab a handful of this or that and make a quick meal. I also have batch cooked pasta sauce etc available.
• Oats into a thermos to take with you for breakfast to save time
• Longer term - invest in labour saving devices such as for eg. Soup maker, instant pot, robot vacuum - it means that things can be happening while you are resting.

You have a diagnosis?
Tell your employer
They should adapt accordingly

Time for your 18 year old to learn to cook and clean (assuming they are in good health etc)
If you can consider powering through 6 weeks of f/t work then they can step up and get used to practicing these important life skills!
They might surprise you!

You will need nutritious food to support your body.

There's tonnes of prep ahead "dump dinner" ideas online - perfect if you have a slow cooker or instant pot. They literally bulk chop ingredients and put them into zip lock bags and freeze til needed. My 7 and 4 year old make these with me.
Or YouTubers who meal prep a week of meals in an hour or so (I've used downshiftology. that just stay in your fridge.

Alternatively, there are "homemade" meal delivery services - my DD has ME and it's one of the tools we use in a busy week. It's all fresh and just needs microwaved for 3 minutes.

Housework, hopefully if it's just the two of you then housework can be minimal for these weeks as long as they pick up after themselves.

For laundry my DD puts her wash on and I take it out and hang it up. Could be reversed for your family.

Make sure you prioritise connections with friends to help keep you sane! Maybe a phonecall to them while you commute, if that's feasible? Then you can eat and be ready to sleep when you get home? Plan a nice get together after the training is done.

Finally, congratulations on your new job x

I can’t believe you are asking for tips on how to struggle along with household chores on top of full time work while ill - when you have a fit 18 year old son sitting on his backside being waited on!
OP, stop being a doormat/martyr/daft. Make the lad solely responsible for everything at home while you just focus on dragging yourself through the working week. Think of him as a stay at home partner for a sole breadwinner.
It’s high time he learned basic life skills like cooking and cleaning. How the hell will he cope when he goes to uni?
Delegate, OP. Everything. Now!

Some of you seem to think organisations will adjust at the drop of a hat for chronic conditions, I assure you they often don't, I have a chronic condition, I work for Citizen's Advice and they've been beyond crap! Chronic conditions = lazy or 'tired' sadly. Sorry, airing frustrations, lots of good advice here.

@ElsaMars sorry to hear that. Ironic that the Citizens Advice of all places would be so useless at supporting with this kind of thing!!

@shinynewapple21

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 .

They helped me for the odd day here and there but you might have a point

How are you getting there? If you usually drive maybe a taxi instead might help?

Yes why I asked for a Plan B is that I have autoimmune conditions and was told that I had to come back in the office full time this week. I lasted two days and I’m off sick again. I was previously WFH 4 days a week with a Wednesday off and it just about worked for me. Seems they would prefer me off long term sick than WFH. Sigh.

@redpandaalert that's awful. Did they not even let you gradually return eg. One day a week to see how you get on? I managed to get a flexible working request approved to work at home for half my time which is what works for me. Have you tried requesting formally?

Thanks @muffindays I know it's ironic isn't it!

When I'm working, I do the following:

1. Clothes ready for the week in the weekend because I struggle in the mornings and this is one less thing.

2. ready meals with microwaved veg, and for breakfast fruit so I don't prepare anything

3. I sometimes adjust meds, times and doses if you have any that could make a difference.

4. When desperate, I schedule a sleep in on the way home (tesco car park usually) so I'm not driving tired, and I feel a little bit more human when I arrive home so manage to do a little more.

5. I switched to decaff coffee so the caffeine has more of a hit when I need it.

6. Ignore housework. I just don't care. Needs must. Bleach in loo, wipe surfaces, that's my sum total.

7. sleep. Loads of it. An absolute priority. Everything else comes second.

Your son can put washing on and dry it, and run a hoover around.

It's blinking tough. Hope it goes well. Remember that when you are rearing you are not just being lazy or doing nothing, you are giving your body what it needs to continue to function. That's sensible and necessary if you are going to be able to continue to earn.