I struggle with my energy levels on a daily basis. Even if I wake up and feel OK ( doesn’t happen that often!) my energy can be zapped by just getting in the shower and dressed. That can be enough to stop me doing anything else for the rest of the day ( I’m so not kidding).

I live in a terraced house and we had a loft conversion done a few years ago now before I had the illness. So my bedroom is 2 floors up!!! This can be horrendous on some days, as you can imagine. Walking up a set of stairs will be like doing the London marathon for me. This is generally Ok when there is someone else in the house as they can go upstairs for anything I need. However, I spend most of my time on my own, my boys are at school during the day and my hubby works shifts!! So along the way I have altered my way of doing things to make my life a little easier.

Top 5 tips on saving your OWN energy:

1. I suffer with the cold so I have hot water bottles downstairs and upstairs. So if I need instant heat and I’m upstairs I just fill it from the tap (as hot as it will get). This saves me going downstairs to boil the kettle and then having to go back up a flight of stairs!

2. When I get dressed for the day and I’m ready to go downstairs I always take the boots or shoes I’m going to need to go anywhere down with me. So although I always wear my lovely thick and fluffy slipper boots inside, once downstairs I then have my boots/ shoes I need for the day ie: for the school run etc.This may seem very trivial to some but all my shoes are kept in my wardrobe (2 flights up!!) therefore I need to make it a routine to always lift them out and bring them down. If at last minute I have to go up 2 flights of stairs in one go…….I might as well kiss goodbye to the rest of my day!!

3. Most days without fail I go back to bed after taking my son to school. By then I would have been up for 3 hours or so and my body is generally screaming out to rest!! (sad I know- I sound like a really old lady). However, when I do wake up like most people I need my coffee to get me kick started. If I’m up in bed that would mean coming down 2 flights of stairs and then back up to get ready………I NEVER DO THAT!! Instead I make myself a coffee that I take up in a flask!!  GENIUS I know lol, but it truly is a life saver when I wake up!!

4. One device I have recently purchased which has been fab has been my Electric Can Opener!! So how does this save energy? Well you obviously haven’t seen me try to open a can……………..IMPOSSIBLE. I have no muscular strength in my wrists and hands due to my M.E, and I have complete numbness in my left hand and arm most days ( gripping anything is a joke!!). So this little device does all the hard exhausting work for me, and it saves my hands from ceasing up the next day.  I LOVE IT!!

5. Ok this one is a true confession!! I have one of those very attractive * cough* old lady trolleys! There I’ve said it and it feels like a huge weight off my shoulder. If I’m on my own and need to get anything this is a life saver. On a good day I can pop to the high street pick up what I need, shove it all in the trolley and Bob’s your uncle. This was a necessity as I was always having to have someone with me when I went anywhere in order to carry my bags ( I sound like the Queen now). However, I’m not out and proud!! I still lower my head when  I go out with my trolley- inevitably I always meet someone I know too! But this gives me an independence on a good day to be productive. Hail the old lady trolley…….YAY.

So there you have it………….my very own energy saving tips to get me through the day.

Can you think of any others that may help or that you have used and want to share?