i'm the same way. i don't know much about physics, in fact this is really all i know: that bodies in motion stay in motion. this is kinda how i feel. if i am able to get up and do something, i have to keep moving or i'll crash. i feel like i'm exhausted and hyperactive at the same time - confusing.

i hope you're not beating yourself up too much, hopefully not at all. we are constantly trying to adjust to an ever changing baseline of energy. i've been sick for so long (30 years) that i can no longer push myself beyond a few hours at most, but i do remember the cleaning spells.

i'm constantly battling with trying to relax in the face of things undone. i'll sit here and see all the dust bunnies, or paper work and wonder how it will all get done. there are alot of 'gifts' that have come out of chronic illness, but some days i just miss the person i use to be. the things i could do. but now i've been sick more than half my life, those memories are fading.

I used to be exactly the same and occasionally it happens. It's like I can't relax until I get everything done but 'relax' means exhausted.

It's like I don't have an off switch and I was like this before CFS but I didn't get the exhausted part.

I'm much better now, I think it just takes practice and will power to stop doing things when you feel like you don't want to stop.

Hope you're doing okay today...I do the same thing. I'll just get so frustrated by not getting things done, and then go on a tear and do it all in one day....but you know we shouldn't judge ourselves too harshly. We know that whether we do one load of laundry on a good day, or do as much as we can until we crash, either way the next day will be a resting day....so it's like in for a penny, in for a pound......

Working way too hard when you're feeling good is a common problem for those with CFS. I don't deal with that, but I do get to deal with wondering if I'm being lazy as I try to keep my energy as constant as possible.

I really don't like feeling worse and I suspect when I'm feeling worse it isn't any good on my body. Good luck. You are amazing for wanting to do what you can do. We all have to find our balance and sometimes we tumble to the ground a lot.

My problem is that I have always been that way but even with my CFS, chronic anemia, chronic pain, etc.... I still continue to do things just as you said, and then I pay for it afterwards. I just never seem to learn my lesson!! Do you think some day we will learn? Hugs GB

I am another one of those Type A persons who goes, goes, goes. Every now and then we feel like our old self, so we take advantage of the energy. But oh, do we pay for it later. I can definitely related. I do the same thing frequently. I think I make a conscious decision to go ahead and do what I enjoy even though I know I will pay for it later. It is the only way I can keep some quality of life.

AH.. I do this dance almost everyday. I combine Bipolar disorder with CFS so some times I'm just crazy ..ie pushing way past my boundaries and knowing it but unable to stop. Even without the BPD, I constantly am frustrated by all the things I cant do, so the moment I have the energy to do anything, I feel I have to make the most of it and inevitably end up crashing myself.

On the flip side, I have tried resting through those periods when I feel a bit better and frankly have not noted much improvement so what the heck.

I think I am still in that stage of struggling with the reality of how small my energy envelope currently is. When I crash I keep looking back and going "but I didn't do anything?" because in my head simple activities such as sweeping your room should not crash you .. but they do. Working on it...

They called my grandma "Scoot" and my mother "a race horse" so I come by those genes. I try to take breaks which does help. (10 minutes) and Friday is my day offmy only rule ..I only do what I want to do..I can lay in bed all day if I want. No guilt. Isabelle1954

I used to be this way and I constantly paid for my "hyperness." Crashing out for 2 to 3 days afterward. Only to gain my strength and energy again to do it again. Many times I did slow down and conserve my energy and coasted and was stable.

But unfortunately, many years of that burned me out for good it seems. I am now 50 yrs. old and the past 5 years have been nothing but constant 24/7 fatigue and sleepiness. I involuntary move much slower with very little energy. I guess I have reached a more severe level of CFS.

I hope all who read my reply will take my advice to slow down if you can. One thing at a time and slow down to enjoy each second of your day. :)

What a relief to see that I am not alone in this constant battle!! I'm so tired of friends and family not understanding the constant worry I have of crashing. I have become more realistic about what I can get done, but I am (blessed) with a monstrous curiosity and ambitious personality. It has been SO PAINFUL AND DIFFICULT to accept my limitations. Some books, etc.. Have helped me feel better about how creatively I have organized things I want to do in a much more limited way.

I knew I wasnt the only one! I drive myself crazy but cant find an off switch, its like once a snowball starts to roll downhill , I just cant stop! Even when I lay down to go to bed I cant sleep, even with the pills I take....then I hit the wall & can go no further, takes everything I got in me just to walk to the bathroom from my bed for god knows how long.
2 days ago I by myself moved a big ol tree that had fallen due to something eating away at it, was going to get my kid to help me but she would just tell me I shouldnt be doing all that hard work, so I did it on my own & you just know it was 90 something out & in the sun....today Im still in bed & havent really started my day yet lol 6:30pm!

I do this also. I had to learn-still learning-to pace means to pace to do only-what I can do .

It seems with this illness there comes so many rules that must be followed. Eat this, don't eat that, rest, move slow, pace yourself, rest, don't over-do, rest, ask for help, rest....rest ....rest.......rest. Ugh! Not adhereing to the rules means paying dearly for whatever little thing we do. It's gets monotonous, so I understand that feeling of just wanting to accomplish something, wanting to do it yourself and having that feeling that you CAN. It's something we do for our mental health, even though our bodies will suffer for it. Sometimes you just have to do that, and no need to berate yourself or feel guilty, there's no way to ever manage ourselves so perfectly that we don't suffer any consequences, it's just impossible. You may not have thought what you did was fun, or worthy of the crash, but I'm betting you felt pretty damn good cleaniang your own house, washing your own clothes, and going out into the world to shop for what you needed. You felt alive....right? That's what matters.

Now......get some rest, don't over-do, pace yourself, rest some more, ask for help...........LOL!

Hugs,
Genie