Pacing: splitting tasks up.

Pacing often involves stopping part way through a task in order to manage symptoms/energy levels. I was thinking yesterday about how, sometimes, I can find taking a break from a task part way through very demotivating and frustrating. Like it stops the flow. It feels like it takes ages to make progress, and can be hard to restart the task. 

One thing I've found helps me is (where I can) taking the main task and officially splitting it in to smaller tasks. So I'm not pausing mid task, I'm pausing between tasks. For example: clean and tidy the kitchen has become:

1. empty the dishwasher

2. fill the dishwasher

3. stack handwash stuff by the sink (soak if needed)

4. Tidy up all the other bits and bobs

5. do the washing up

6. wipe all the sides

7. do the drying up

This way I can complete a full task - with a clear end point, then do something else, and come back for the next task later.

Cleaning the floor is a completely separate task - the chance of being able to do that on the same day as sorting the rest is practically zero. This made me feel like I never ever succeeded in cleaning the kitchen. But now, instead of getting frustrated that I can't manage it, I recategorized it into it's own task that isn't even in the same mental category as cleaning the kitchen. So I can have a satisfyingly clean kitchen...and the floor will be satisfyingly clean another time.

And on lower capacity days, I might even just select one part to do - I might just do 'tidy up all the other bits and bobs' -and nothing else. But as it's a full task, I can still get that mental 'task completed' pat on the back. - and I can try and do a different task on the kitchen list tomorrow.

(The leaflet in the image is "Pacing handy hints" - from  https://stickmancommunications.co.uk/product/pacing-handy-hints-poster/ )