Plan your schedule in your favor as you manage your arthritis symptoms.

When you're living with a chronic condition, it can be a real challenge to complete all the tasks you need to do over the course of a day. While the first and most important step you need to take to adjust to this is to learn to forgive yourself and take it easy, you can also maximize your productive time with a little bit of strategic planning. Read on to figure out how smart scheduling can help you can live more of the life you want even when you're in a flare-up.

Note your least symptomatic times of day

If you keep a record of your symptoms - what they are, when they happen and what may have triggered them - go over it and find out when you tend to feel best. If you don't keep such a record, it's a great idea to start, but you probably already have some idea of when you're at your best. People with osteoarthritis often find their pain worsens throughout the day with joint movement, while those with rheumatoid arthritis sometimes note they're better near the end of the day after they've gotten the fluid in their joints moving. Whatever the case is for you, make sure you are planning the most important activities of your day at times when you are feeling your best. Some days you won't feel well at all, of course, but being able to count on an important meeting falling during a time you're usually relatively pain-free can be helpful.

Don't try to sustain one activity all day

Arthritis symptoms often include fatigue, and this could harm your productivity. In fact, getting too tired could make the rest of your symptoms worse - or at least it could make them feel worse. For this reason, you should try to schedule breaks throughout your day. Whether you can fit in a nap or just a cup of calming herbal tea and a few deep breaths by yourself, breaks can make all the difference in managing your arthritis symptoms. On very hard days, try to make the gaps between activities you must complete longer if possible. For example, give yourself a large window between preparing lunch and picking the kids up from school if you're feeling poorly.

For more on managing symptoms of arthritis:

Lifestyle Tips to Manage Your OAK
Exercises to Help Psoriatic Arthritis Symptoms
7 Ways to Manage Chronic Illness Symptoms on the Job