LIVING WELL WITH ILD
Pace yourself
When living with ILD, it's important that you take time to learn to pace yourself.
It's good to be active every day but you need to listen to your body to know when to slow down. Pushing yourself too hard can make your symptoms worse.
If you have questions about how much is too much, talk to your healthcare team.
Plan ahead
- Plan activities for the time of day when you have more energy.
- Plan your tasks so that you don’t use more energy than you have to. For example, plan activities to limit the number of times you have to go up and down stairs.
Know your limits
- Learn to say no to activities that you think may be too demanding or may make your symptoms worse.
- Ask for help to do things that are necessary but that you may find difficult.
- Try to limit yourself to one big event or activity per day.
Adapt your usual routine
- Cook double the amount of food you need and freeze half of it for days when you may be too tired or busy to cook.
- You can also sit down while you prepare a meal or do the dishes.
You may also be interested in:
- Living Well with Interstitial Lung Disease (printable fact sheet)
- Living Well with Interstitial Lung Disease (printable checklist)
- Interstitial Lung Disease: A Patient's Perspective (video)
- Interstitial Lung Disease: A Doctor's Perspective (video)
- Interstitial Lung Disease: A Caregiver's Perspective (video)
- Breathe BETTER, Stay STRONG Virtual Pulmonary Rehabilitation program