What does conserving your energy mean?

Conserving, or saving, your energy means finding ways of doing daily activities with as little effort as possible. It involves planning tasks, choosing which ones to do first, taking your time, and resting. Saving your energy may help when you've had an illness, a surgery, or an injury. It can also help if you have a long-term (chronic) condition that makes you tired, such as COPD or heart failure.

An occupational or physiotherapist can give you tips for how to position your body and move with less effort. You'll learn about using tools that make it easier to reach things or move around. Depending on your needs, your doctor may suggest other things that may help you. Pulmonary rehabilitation can teach you ways to breathe easier. And cardiac rehabilitation can help reduce your symptoms.

With some small changes in the way you do things, you might feel less tired and have more energy to do things you enjoy.

What can you do to conserve your energy?

Prioritizing tasks

• Make a list of daily and weekly tasks. Decide the order in which you'll do the tasks.
  • Start with the things that are most important to you.
  • Hold off on doing chores you don't need to do.

Planning

• Leave yourself plenty of time to do your tasks so you don't rush.
• Plan rest times and take breaks before you feel tired. It will help you recover faster than if you rest after you're already tired.
• Do all the chores in one part of your home around the same time.
• Figure out which tasks take a lot of energy. These might be things like bathing, house cleaning, and laundry. Alternate doing tasks that are very tiring with lighter ones.
• Do errands and chores that make you very tired when you have the most energy, if you can. This might be in the morning or after a rest.
• Give some of your tasks to other people, if you can. And try to accept help if it's offered.
• Accept that you may not be able to do things in the same way you did before.

Getting things done

• Sit down as often as you can when you do things. This includes bathing, dressing, doing chores, and eating and preparing meals.
• Use a cart with wheels to roll items from one place to another.
• Push or slide large items instead of lifting them.
• Get things delivered, if you can.

Reaching and bending

• Put the things you use the most often on shelves and counters that are easy to get to without bending down or reaching up.
• Use long-handled grabbers or other tools to reach items on a high shelf or to pick up things off the floor. Use long-handled dusters when you clean.
• Use a sponge or brush with a long handle to wash your feet and back.
• Use a raised toilet seat to avoid bending too far to sit or stand up.

Eating and preparing meals

• Try eating smaller meals more often throughout the day instead of a few larger meals.
• Plan time to eat. Give yourself plenty of time.
• Rest after you eat and before you clean up.
• Let dishes air dry.
• Ask your doctor about services that deliver meals.

Working

• If you have a job that requires lots of standing or is tiring, you may be able to get a note from your doctor requesting rest breaks or other adjustments to help you do your work.
• Work part time, if you can.

Caring for children

• Seek support. If possible, use daycare. Ask others for help with things like mealtimes and bathing.
• Choose family activities that you can do while sitting or lying down.
• Teach children how to help out with some simple chores. If you have small children, make a game out of things like putting toys away or setting the table.

Having sex

• Think about trying new ways of doing things. Switch positions, or try other ways of being close, such as touching, kissing, and hugging.
• Try to choose the time of day when you have more energy.
• Stop and rest if you need to.