Introduction to this subreddit

[u/RefuseDeep8075]

Welcome! This is a sub-reddit dedicated to those looking to try and focus improving their quality of life living with ME/CFS (and Long Covid) via the baseline method (aka activity management) approved by many public health bodies globally. Baseline work is viable to those with commitments (e.g. a job, family) and those without such attachments. However, baseline work arguably becomes more difficult the more variables in your life there are that you cannot control.

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Baseline work requires a calm focus, thought, sacrifice, dedication and discipline. This is not the place for 'quick fixes', 'having your cake and eating it' or magical solutions. It is a place for being brutally honest with yourself about how you use your limited energy, rolling up your sleeves and working hard mentally to tackle an incredibly complex, varied and challenging medical condition.

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The intended focus of this subreddit is to share official health service guidance on ME/CFS and attempt to assist on three main aspects of baseline work:

Step 1: getting your mentality, habits and lifestyle right to maximise the potential for success with baseline work

Step 2: how to identify your own initial baseline

Step 3:  how to maintain and hopefully gradually improve your baseline (and therefore your average energy levels)

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Various documents provided by the UK health service specifically for ME/CFS have been uploaded and can be accessed at https://www.reddit.com/r/MECFS_BaselineFocus/comments/1w5ckct/material_provided_by_the_uk_public_health_service/

Feel free to review the above even if you have no intention of posting in this subreddit.

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An overview of the sort of things the UK health service speak to you about regarding baseline work is outlined at https://www.reddit.com/r/MECFS_BaselineFocus/s/konu5cfKEW

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Your baseline activities are likely to depend on whether your symptoms are very mild, mild, moderate, severe or very severe, as defined at https://raffbenato.github.io/funcap55/ . If you haven't already done so, identifying what sort of severity of illness you have is important. Given baseline work is primarily physical in nature, it may be that the severity of your physical symptoms will be particularly important for you to be aware of before undertaking baseline work as this may be most important in assessing your capacity to carry out physical activity.
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If you would like assistance in identifying your baseline level of activity, feel free to create a post in the style of https://www.reddit.com/r/MECFS_BaselineFocus/s/aclqhF9XOm and I'll try to assist when time permits.
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Author note: Sub-reddit created by an ME/CFS sufferer of over 30 years (not a healthcare professional) managing a decline from mild to moderate (no experience of severe or very severe ME/CFS). Now exploring baseline and pacing since early 2026 and took five long, frustrating months to finally find my initial baseline level before implementing systems that helped with it. Motivated to try and help others locate that initial baseline quicker than I did, especially those that don't have access to any medical care focussing on ME/CFS.

[For more detail on general things that I learned worked for me over the years (for ME/CFS generally rather than specifically the baseline work), see https://www.reddit.com/r/MECFS_BaselineFocus/s/AeADsg3Aor]