Right there with you on the chronic fatigue syndrome. I had a big collapse about two years ago and have been rebuilding slowly since then.
Maybe it will be helpful to you if I share my experiences?
I find it’s absolutely key to avoid outdoor walking for exercise, and do it instead on a treadmill with a timer and digital speed control. That way I can precisely track and control how long, how intensely, and in what environmental conditions I exercise. Little things like temperature, wind, air quality, social interactions positive and negative, waiting times at intersections, route changes due to obstructions, and sound levels add up fast as variables that change true time spent and overall energy expenditure.
And it gives me a true barometer of how I’m doing – I can sometimes detect incoming flareups before they start just by realizing I’m reaching my “stop now” level sooner than usual. I stop right away (never push past that feeling).
Then I can adjust my schedule (including skipping the next exercise day) and my commitments, to head it off before it gets worse, to plan for extra rest, and to just not feel so blindsided, guilty, and useless.
Going outside for fun is different – should still do that – I’ve just found that it’s too uncontrolled for the critical survival exercise I need to conduct.
This has made a major difference in my quality of life!
Thank you for the links and for sharing, also! I’ve always had it too, but have had a few critical episodes in my life where it suddenly became a bigger factor. Once in my early teens, once in my mid twenties, and then now in my forties. But life is again improving so no complaints here 😆
My best to you, and I hope you have smooth sailing ahead!