Management strategies

Fatigue can have a massive impact on a person's everyday life, turning routine activities into real challenges.

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Managing
fatigue

Physical
activity

Psychological
& emotional

1. Boom!

Person feels energetic and does too much.

2. Energy dip

Overactivity causes energy dip, increasing fatigue.

3. Bust!

Person has less energy and becomes inactive.

4. Recovery

It takes time to recover and get their energy back.

Boom & Bust

Everything we do uses energy, and demands can change over time. For people experiencing cancer-related fatigue, energy levels vary from day to day, hour to hour, or even minute to minute.

A common issue with fatigue is Boom & Bust, where people do too much when they are feeling good and find their fatigue is worse afterwards.

Hover on the tiles to see the Boom & Bust cycle.

In some cases, people may decide to save their energy to 'boom' on a special occasion, such as a family wedding, and plan for the 'bust' they know will follow.

Prioritising, Planning & Pacing

You can help to avoid the Boom & Bust cycle with the 3 Ps of fatigue management.

Hover on the images below to learn more.

Create a balance between things you need to do and activities you want to do.

Learn to say no. Delegate or drop tasks if possible. Is there someone who can help you?

Look for activities that bring you joy. Prioritise things that make you feel energised?

Plan ahead, including tools and time for the task. Plan breaks and changes to your activity.

Measure and track your energy use. Avoid demanding tasks when you’re likely to be fatigued.

Get help from others and find the type of rest you need, whether mental, physical or creative.

Break activities into smaller tasks and spread them out. Do tasks in chunks and rest in between.

Find ways to adapt activities to reduce the energy demands, such as sitting instead of standing.

Be aware of the different demands that activities put on you physically, mentally and emotionally.

3 Ps example

Let’s consider what the 3 Ps might look like when cooking.

Prioritising

Buy prepared vegetables and ready meals.
Ask someone to prepare meals for you.
Prepare and eat your main meal at lunchtime.

Planning

Get everything you need ready before you start.
Keep things you need most often together and near waist height.
Cook large amounts and freeze extra portions.

Pacing

Spread tasks throughout the day – prep in morning, cook in afternoon, reheat in evening.
Sit for short periods whilst preparing food.
Take rests during and after cooking.

Learn to say no. You may find it hard to say no because you don’t want to miss an opportunity. Remember, by saying no to one thing, you can say yes to something you value more.

Macmillan Restore Programme

This free online tool helps anyone who is experiencing cancer-related fatigue to regain energy and take back control.

Visit the website

Management strategies