1. Suzanne Simpson Occupational Therapist The Walton Centre, Liverpool
Fatigue
Suzanne Simpson
Occupational Therapist
The Walton Centre, Liverpool

2. What is Fatigue?
‘Fatigue’ can have an effect on a person’s mind and senses as well as their bodies.
You can experience mental as well as physical fatigue.
It’s been described as “like wading through treacle”, or as if someone is “running out of petrol.”

3. How does fatigue affect you?
Physical
feeling weak
feeling drained
feeling ‘clumsy’
difficulty finishing tasks
wanting to go to bed or lie down
Mental
difficulty motivating yourself to start a task
difficulty concentrating, easily distracted by the things around you
making mistakes or forgetting something
feeling irritable and frustrated

4. How Does Fatigue Impact on Your Daily Activities?
Keeping up with household tasks
Looking after the family
Managing at work
Engaging in hobbies/past times
Social situations, talking to friends and family

5. Fatigue Management
First rule of fatigue Management is to have faith in the process and stick with it!

6. Plan Ahead
Pace yourself. This means spreading activities throughout your day or week.
Don’t try to tackle too many activities in one go.
You might find it easier to complete the most demanding tasks in a morning when you have the most mental energy.

7. Rest periods
Build in rest periods and do not feel bad about having a sleep in the afternoon.
Get into a regular routine that suits you.
As you feel more able gradually increase your activities and reduce your rest periods.

8. Weekly Planner

9. Recognise the Warning Signs Early
Take a rest don’t be tempted to keep pushing yourself.
If you do keep pushing serious fatigue can set in and you risk being wiped out for the whole day.
Avoid the boom and bust cycle whereby you alternate between feeling fine and exhausted.

10. Listen to Others
It can sometimes be difficult for a person with a brain injury to recognise the signs of fatigue when they are in their early stages.
Tell-tale signs of fatigue can be a drawn, tense look, a pale or greyish pallor, glazed eyes and irritability.
Ironically observing too much activity can be an indication, in that the person may become restless, more distracted or more talkative and make an increased number of mistakes.

11. Learn to Say ‘No’
Be open about your problem and tell people that you suffer from fatigue.
Don’t be afraid to ask others for help.

12. Using a Self-Rating Scale
Use the scale to rate your fatigue levels when you get up and check your levels throughout the day.
When completing activities check your fatigue levels before and after an activity to help improve your understanding of what tires you out.

13. Keeping a Diary
Sometimes writing self-ratings down in a diary is a helpful way to monitor improvements.
It can help to identify particular activities which are leading to high levels of fatigue and you can then adapt them accordingly.
This is particularly useful when first implementing fatigue management.

14. Healthy Eating
Aim to have three regular meals a day to ensure you have the energy to tackle the day.
A snack can help to boost energy, but go for slow release energy foods such as nuts and fruit.
For more information about healthy eating visit

15. Sleep Adults need about eight hours sleep per night.
Go to bed at the same time and get up from bed at the same time every day.
Regular waking times leads to regular sleep onset and helps “set” the body clock.
Limit caffeine intake, too much particularly in the evening, can cause insomnia. Limit caffeinated drinks to five or fewer per day, and avoid these types of drinks after dinner.
Keep the bedroom quiet, dark and a comfortable temperature. This will reduce the likelihood of you waking up during the night.

16. Relaxation
There are a variety of relaxation techniques that can be used during rest periods or when going to sleep.
Examples include:
Mindfulness
Progressive Muscle Relaxation – tense/relax muscular relaxation
Meditation
Guided Imagery or Visualisation
Experiment with a few to find the one that suits you. Try for ideas.
Other forms of relaxation might include massage, aromatherapy, listening to music, yoga or having a hot bath.

17. Any Questions??