Fatigue Pattern Quick Tool

Step 1

Urgent boundary check

Fatigue is common, but fatigue with severe or frightening symptoms should not be watched quietly.

This is not immediate danger; I am organising fatigue for review. This may be severe, sudden, or frightening; urgent or emergency help is needed now.

Do not wait for forms: fatigue with chest pain, severe breathlessness, collapse, stroke-like symptoms, severe bleeding, suicidal thoughts, sudden major confusion, black stools, severe dehydration, new one-sided weakness, or frightening deterioration needs urgent help.

Step 2

What kind of fatigue is this?

Sleepiness, weakness, low motivation, brain fog, and post-exertional crash are different patterns. Tick what fits.

Sleepiness: wanting or needing to sleep. Weakness: muscles feel unable, heavy, unreliable, or difficult to use. Brain fog: concentration, memory, word-finding, clarity, or processing affected. Low drive: starting tasks feels unusually hard or impossible. Post-exertional crash: symptoms worsen after physical, mental, emotional, or social activity. Unrefreshing sleep: sleeping but waking unrestored. Fluctuating energy: energy changes with meals, stress, posture, medication, time of day, or sleep.

Describe it in your own words

Step 3

Onset, pattern, and trajectory

The pattern matters more than a perfect label.

When did it begin?

How long has this been going on?

When is it worst?

Trajectory

What has changed since the last review?

What helps / what worsens it?

Step 4

Function: what can you no longer do?

Function shows the gap between your normal capacity and current capacity.

Walking, stairs, standing, balance, or leaving the house is affected. Cooking, washing, shopping, driving, working, or concentrating is affected. Caring responsibilities, social life, sleep, exercise, or recovery after activity is affected.

Before this, I could...

Now I struggle with...

Step 5

Load, recovery, sleep, and rhythm

Fatigue may reflect a mismatch between what life asks and what the body can currently recover from.

Current load

Current recovery

Sleep and restoration

Rhythm / timing

BeingVITAL.Me bridge: WardWise helps organise fatigue for review and safety-netting. If the pattern points toward deeper rhythm, recovery capacity, sleep, metabolism, gut, stress-load, and implementation work, that belongs more naturally within BeingVITAL.Me.

Step 6

Post-exertional crash / energy envelope

Use this if activity makes symptoms worse afterwards.

Physical activity can trigger a crash. Mental, emotional, or social activity can trigger a crash. The crash can be delayed by hours or a day. Pushing through tends to make the next day or few days worse.

Crash pattern

Current energy envelope

Pacing note: if exertion reliably causes a disproportionate crash, “push harder” may not be the right starting point. Ask what level of activity is currently recoverable.

Step 7

Medicines, supplements, alcohol, and interactions

Bring the actual list where possible, not just memory.

Prescription medicines

Over-the-counter medicines / supplements

Recent antibiotics / steroids / painkillers / changes

Alcohol / recreational substances where relevant

Do not stop prescribed medicines suddenly without appropriate advice. Do not start a large supplement stack just because fatigue is present.

Step 8

What has already been reviewed?

This helps avoid “tests normal” becoming a dead end.

What has been checked or reviewed?

What has not been reviewed or remains unclear?

Pending results / referrals / actions

What should be recorded?

Step 9

Outcome, safety-netting, and next-step owner

If the plan is “watch and wait,” ask how to watch and when not to wait.

Main question for review

Outcome needed

What should be tracked?

What would make this unsafe to watch?

Same-day or urgent triggers

Who owns the next step?

Summary script: “My fatigue feels like [type]. It started [when]. The pattern is [timing/trajectory]. It affects my function by [function]. What has been reviewed is [reviewed]. What remains unclear is [unclear]. I need to know [question], what to track, and who owns the next step.”