Cancer-related fatigue

Cancer-related fatigue can be a common problem for some patients. This can be experienced throughout the course of cancer treatment. People with cancer-related fatigue can get tired after very little exertion, even though you may be getting enough rest and sleep. This tiredness can be physical, but you may also feel more emotional or mentally slower than usual with fatigue. The fatigue may not be constant, and some days may feel better than others. 

See below what you can do to help cancer related fatigue: 

• think about when you have the most and least energy to plan when it is best to do things 
• keep active as much as possible even if you feel tired – exercise has been proven to help with fatigue 
• balance active time with rest time 
• pace yourself and don’t do so much that you feel exhausted, as this can lead to recovery taking longer than usual 
• think about how you can make doing things easier for yourself, for example, sitting down while preparing meals and making extra portions to freeze for later, taking regular rest breaks at work 
• it may be helpful to explain to people around you how fatigue is affecting you, as they may not fully understand how you feel 
• speak to a doctor if you think your fatigue could be caused by something else and needs medical treatment, e.g. anaemia or depression