Work with the
capacity you have.
Pacing is about more than physical activity.
Everything your system has to process can contribute to load. A sustainable day considers the whole picture — physical, cognitive, sensory, emotional, social and everyday demands.
Help me pace today ↓ Back to Respond →Match demand to the capacity available.
Pacing is not necessarily about doing everything slowly or avoiding activity.
It is about considering how much the whole system is carrying and arranging activity, demands and recovery so they fit more sustainably.
Capacity can change from day to day — and sometimes across the same day.
The question is not only:
“Can I do this?”
It can also be:
“What else is my system carrying —
and what might this cost later?”
Activity is more than movement.
Different kinds of demand can draw on the same limited pool of capacity. A day with little physical activity can still be highly demanding.
Physical
Walking, standing, housework, exercise, travel or physical tasks.
Cognitive
Concentration, planning, decisions, problem solving or learning.
Sensory
Noise, light, smell, movement, touch or busy surroundings.
Social
Conversation, groups, listening, responding or masking.
Emotional
Conflict, worry, uncertainty, grief or strong emotions.
Executive function
Starting, sequencing, switching, organising and deciding.
Body & symptoms
Pain, fatigue, dizziness, poor sleep or other symptoms.
Environment
Travel, temperature, clutter, unfamiliar places or difficult surroundings.
Plan for the capacity you have today.
Available capacity may be affected by what has already happened, what is happening now, and what your system is still recovering from.
Changing the plan when capacity changes is not necessarily failing to follow the plan. Sometimes changing the plan is the pacing strategy.
How do I feel right now? → Could my body need something? →What is difficult about pacing today?
Choose the box that fits best. ↗ opens quick ideas.
Build the day around available capacity.
A plan does not need to use all available space.
Open whichever steps seem useful. You do not need to use every one.
STEP 1 Check today’s capacity
Before planning around what needs doing, notice what capacity appears to be available.
STEP 2 Identify the important demands
Not everything on a list has equal urgency. Start with what genuinely needs to fit within today’s capacity.
STEP 3 Make demanding activities smaller
Pacing may mean stopping before the whole task is finished.
STEP 4 Put recovery into the plan
Recovery time is part of pacing. It does not need to happen only after capacity has already been exceeded.
STEP 5 Spread different kinds of demand
Changing activity does not automatically mean resting. Moving directly from one demanding task into a different demanding task can still create a high total load.
STEP 6 Review what happened later
The immediate experience does not always tell you the full cost of an activity. What happens later can provide useful information for future pacing.
The true cost may show up later.
Some people can complete an activity and feel relatively capable while doing it, but experience increased symptoms, fatigue or reduced capacity later.
That means “I managed it at the time” does not always mean “that amount was sustainable.”
Activity and recovery belong in the same plan.
Pacing is not simply deciding how much you can do. It also means considering what may need to happen before, between and after demanding activities.
Am I repeatedly borrowing from tomorrow?
There will be times when someone chooses to use more capacity for something important. Pacing does not require every day to be perfectly balanced.
The useful thing to notice is whether today’s activity repeatedly leaves too little capacity for tomorrow.
“Can I push through this?”
you might also ask:
“If I do this amount today, what might I need to change before, after or tomorrow?”
Tools can make pacing easier to use.
Planning aids, equipment, environmental changes and appropriate professional guidance can reduce how much you have to hold, organise or physically manage.
Sometimes pacing needs support around it.
Knowing you need to pace does not automatically make pacing possible. Tasks may need simplifying, responsibilities may need sharing, expectations may need adjusting, or another person or service may need to provide practical support.
A very small or changing capacity may need more investigation.
Pacing can help someone work with available capacity, but it does not explain why capacity is limited.
If activity causes substantial or prolonged worsening, capacity has changed significantly, symptoms are new or worsening, or everyday activities have become difficult, appropriate professional assessment may help identify what else needs attention.
Professional Care → Understanding Symptoms → ALPIMS Domains →Explore Pace
A more detailed Pace collection could include capacity planning, activity and recovery tracking, low-capacity day planning, delayed effects, pacing different kinds of demand and practical examples.