Activity Diary​

Use the diary for a week without changing
your normal way of doing things!

You may discover that you:
  • Do all your jobs in the morning and crash in the afternoon.
  • You may work 2 or 3 days and crash on your days off.
  • You may work all day and crash as soon as you walk in the front door. This is called the ‘Work/Sleep’ cycle, and is a challenging issue which requires a multi-faceted solution.
  • You may have no recognised pattern, but habitually make big efforts to catch up with jobs, or behave as if everything is OK on days when you feel better or get fed-up. Your frustration takes over.
  • Notice if you are spending long periods being inactive. Most people are shocked when they notice how long they sit while watching TV or on the computer. It is not uncommon for people to spend 3-4 hours each evening on the sofa. Long spells of inactivity are not good for us !
  • You might be trying to build up stamina through exercise and go to the gym or have a big burst of effort for one session a week, then crashing for the next couple of days. The Moving well section may be of help to you, as well as the case studies!

Some of the case studies in the PACING section may help you find helpful strategies for your individual circumstances and challenges.

As well as noticing your pattern, you may also notice which activities tend to increase your fatigue, pain or make you feel stressed or unwell. This will be useful when we discuss ways to pace yourself more helpfully and find a steady rhythm throughout the day.
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The Downward Spiral of Boom and Bust
Next: The 4 Ps

Using an activity diary

Many people find it helpful to create an activity diary. here's a sample activity diary,
Microsoft Word Document
File Size: 77 kb
File Type: doc
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