The Energy Envelope Theory, originally developed by Bruce Campbell for people with ME/CFS, can be expanded for ALPIMS, where post-exertional crashes stem not only from physical effort but from multi-system input overload—including sensory, emotional, immune, cognitive, and relational demands.
✉️ Energy Envelope Theory for ALPIMS
A precision model for managing multisystem overload
📦 What Is the Energy Envelope?
The Energy Envelope is your body’s total available capacity for the day—a blend of energy, resilience, and buffering. Operating within this envelope prevents breakdown. Pushing beyond it—through exertion, overstimulation, or emotional load—risks a flare, crash, or shutdown.
In ALPIMS, your envelope isn’t just physical—it’s multidimensional.
🧩 ALPIMS Domains That Drain the Envelope
| Domain | Example Drains |
|---|---|
| Anxiety | Hypervigilance, masking, social fawn responses |
| Laxity | Joint strain from posture, walking, sitting upright |
| Pain | Migraine, nerve flares, inflammation |
| Immune | Histamine spikes, allergens, mold, infections |
| Mood | Rejection sensitivity, grief, dysregulation |
| Sensory | Lights, noise, touch, temperature, smell |
Each of these consumes invisible energy—even if you’re “just lying down.”
🧭 Step-by-Step: Using the Envelope Theory for ALPIMS
Step 1: 🕵️ Discover Your Envelope
Ask yourself each morning:
- What zone am I starting in? (🟢 Green, 🟡 Yellow, 🔴 Red)
- What input load am I already carrying from yesterday?
- How much buffer do I have emotionally, physically, cognitively?
Use a combined zone + spoon estimate to plan your day.
Step 2: 🧮 Budget Across Domains
Instead of one general energy budget, try multidimensional budgeting:
| Domain | Capacity Today (0–5) | Planned Load | Risk Level (Low/Med/High) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical | |||
| Emotional | |||
| Sensory | |||
| Cognitive | |||
| Immune |
Example: You might tolerate 2 hours of movement (physical), but only 10 minutes of conflict (emotional).
Step 3: 🚥 Match Tasks to Zone and Load
Use zone-based planning to match activities to your current state.
| Zone | Activities | Caution |
|---|---|---|
| 🟢 Green | Creative work, light cooking, social connection | Watch for overconfidence—build in breaks |
| 🟡 Yellow | One task only, short errands, emails with downtime after | Risk of tipping red if you add input |
| 🔴 Red | Full rest, no expectations, sensory retreat | Avoid decisions, screens, conversations |
Step 4: 🧘♀️ Stay Inside the Envelope
Use the “Pause-Check-Adjust” method:
- Pause before starting new tasks
- Check your internal signals: breath, focus, emotions, body tension
- Adjust: stop, slow down, reschedule, or scale down if signs of overload appear
🔁 RRP-R² (Recognize–Reduce–Pace–Restore–Repeat) fits here perfectly as your pacing rhythm.
Step 5: 📉 Track Post-Exertional Consequences
Keep a simple log:
| Activity | Zone Before | Zone After | Symptoms (Next Day) |
|---|---|---|---|
This helps you learn which inputs overdraw your system—even nonphysical ones, like social events or exposure to strong smells.
🧘♂️ Key Adaptations for ALPIMS
| Classic Model | ALPIMS Adaptation |
|---|---|
| One envelope per day | Multiple envelopes: sensory, immune, emotional, physical |
| Crash = fatigue | Crash = multisystem flare: migraine, mast cell storm, shutdown |
| Limit activity | Limit input and processing, not just movement |
| Plan tasks | Plan zones, buffers, and recovery windows |