How's your self-efficacy? If you have fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome, self-efficacy is one of the more important aspects of managing your illness.
What is self-efficacy? It's defined as "a belief that one can perform specific behaviors to achieve specific health-related goals." Sounds simple, but research shows that people with self-efficacy do a lot better with these illnesses than people without it.
Some examples of behaviors good self-efficacy promotes include:
- Eating a healthy diet
- Taking nutritional supplements
- Pacing yourself
- Getting moderate, gentle exercise
You might have different levels of self-efficacy for different things. For instance, you might really believe that you'll feel better with appropriate pacing but doubt that exercise would help. If you can identify your areas of low self-efficacy, you may be able to find the next thing to try on your path toward feeling better.
- Learn what research shows about self-efficacy and other skills that can help us live with these illnesses: Develop Coping Skills
What areas are hard for you when it comes to self-efficacy? Have you found ways to improve your self-efficacy? Leave a comment below!
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I have a pretty high level of coping, most of the time… however, even when I’m eating right, doing water aerobics, taking my meds and practicing good sleep hygiene, I get frustrated with flares and often overextend myself when I’m feeling “well”. Since flares are unpredictable and something as simple as sitting in a cold movie theater or an abrupt weather change can throw us for a loop, self maintenance has that paradoxical effect of working quite well when it does, and not at all when it doesn’t
Very true – nothing is fool proof with these conditions! We just have to be grateful for any improvements we make and an increasing number of good days (and, maybe someday, the wisdom to not overextend ourselves when we have them – easier said than done though!)
I find it impossible to “do nothing” on a rare day when I feel well. There are so many things that “need” to get done and so many things I “want” to get done that just sitting and watching TV is not an option.
I do escape into a book now and then but it has to be a novel – nothing technical whatsoever, nothing I need to concentrate on or have to recall. It’s tough as I, like most of us striken, were highly productive people before the illness took control.
It’s kind of ironic that this is the topic this week because I had one of those rare “better” days on Wednesday and I spent the day catching up on MUCH needed housework. By 4pm I was soaking in a warm bath thinking, “why do I always overdo it when I feel okay?” We all know the answer is because that is the only time we CAN do it. That being said, I do believe that learning to “manage” my illness to the best of my ability has been my only saving grace. We really do have to learn to live within our limitations and sometimes, that is the hardest thing of all to do!
Kathleen, isn’t is just so typical of a catch 22 scenario that a majority of sufferers of CFS and Fibromyalgia are Type “A” personalities and think we run the world–I know I felt that way. I still have those relapses in judgment on those days when I am having an energy streak and forget to just stop!!! I use simple little sayings such as “no one is going to die today if I don’t get ________ done. (I suppose that would apply if you were a surgeon though) Nevertheless, after 7 years of learning to live with CFIDS and with the help of medications I have learned about respecting boundaries but if I ignore the warning signs I pay the price. I also suffer great guilt at times about feling lazy and then find myself questioning whether in fact I do have CFIDs. That is when I turn on a chic flick or read a novel.
dear adrienne, I’ve fibro, etc. for about 10-12 years. 99 % of the time I cope, exercise, yoga, hot tub, pool. sauna. But when winter sets in, clock is reset I go into tail-spin. My hypothyroid, becomes hyper and I crash! It happens once a year about x-mass. Rest of the time I ignore it, ignore the pain, anxiety, etc. I function, I cope!
But one thing I cannot ignore is when I cannot sleep! So all doctors need to understand that when I need meds-don’t question my judgement or the amount of pills that I need! Just prescribe them.
When I’m better I will slowly decrease the amount of pills. But when I need them, I need them.
And as the sun comes out, clock goes back to normal, I will do everything to do the same.
Ewa, it’s funny that you mention thyroid. I had 80% of my thyroid removed 13 years ago and shortly after is when I started with the CF and Fibro symptoms. It took almost a year to be diagnosed with Fibro, but I do feel that my thyroid medication has some effect on how I feel, too.
I’m also a ‘Type A’ and tend to overdue on my good days, but when else would I get things done? I’m also the primary caregiver for my mom who is 91 and has Alzheimers. So, I don’t get rest when I need it, I get it when she does.
Seems like a losing battle to me, at this point.
I have fibro and am extremely excausted all the time! Seems like I can’t get one foot in front of the other without paying a price in pain for it!On good days I try my best to do more, but no my limitation’s and try to quit! But my husband who dosen’t understand this disease believe’s I should just keeping going like the energizer bunny since I take meds…which I can’t do. So now he has got divorce paper’s in the back seat of his car and hasen’t told me yet,nor have I let on the I know. I’m so sick over it, that my fibro is now worse and can’t seem to help myself. Any suggestions? I’m 100% disabled, so it’s hard to think about supporting myself w/ a paycheck of only $511.00 a month. Any advice would be grateful! I wish everyone knew about this disease or there was more exposure so people wouldn’t just think we were lazy! That they would just know, if there was more education on TV especially where more people are staying home due to the econimy crisis!
Betty,
I’m so sorry to hear about your situation! Have you tried couples counseling? Also, it might help to take him to a doctor’s appointment so he can ask questions of his own and get a better understanding of what’s going on. This article may help as well:
A Simple Explanation of Fibromyalgia
I hope things will turn around for you soon!