Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. I can only speak to my own experience and hope that gives you some insight into what POTS is and how it can affect you or the people around you.
I’m going to walk you through 4 daily routines, 2 where I feel good and 2 where I feel okay. Each will include 1 day of work and 1 day off. I am not including a day where I feel terrible because those days I’m just trying to survive and they generally do not have a routine.
My routine changes frequently with how my POTS is doing but this is a decent representation of what my day is like. I’m not saying it’s perfect or the best routine, you need to figure out your routine but it does show somethings that have helped me.
Okay Day at Work
6:30 – Wake Up
I normally wake up very groggy, especially on days I don’t feel good. I tend to stay in bed for 20 minutes on these days, moving my legs, and starting to sit up a little. I always check my blood pressure and heart rate before standing up as well. Once I stand up I check it again, if it’s bad then I sit down for a little while longer but not lay back down because then you need to start over again.
6:40
Drink a cup of water with ½ a pouch of Liquid IV
6:45
5 minutes of floor yoga with floor poses, laying or sitting only.
6:55
5 minutes on the elliptical and 5 on the treadmill. This does help me so much, I find it gives me more energy and makes my valves work better which means I feel better throughout the day.
7:05
2nd cup of ice water with ½ pouch of Liquid IV. If I cannot drink all of it I take it in a to-go cup and sip in on the way to work.
During this time I also pack my breakfast, lunch, snacks and water. I fill up a 24 oz thermal cup with ice and a straw with ½ pouch of Liquid IV and then I also include a 32 oz water bottle with about ½ of a pouch of Liquid IV. I make sure to drink the entire cup by 9 then fill it again, drink that one by 1pm, and fill it once more finishing by 3:30.
I do not eat breakfast first thing in the morning, my stomach cannot handle it but I do pack a breakfast for around 9 am.
7:15 leave for work
7:30 – 9ish – Work
On these days I sit down at the groups and check in. I try to save student work days for days I might not feel good or small group work. I have an extra chair at each group and I move to each group and sit in the chair.
9 – Breakfast
This is when I normally eat breakfast. I try to eat a baked oatmeal slice or some other type of carb heavy breakfast. I find this helps my stomach most but on days when I don’t feel great I might not be able to eat the whole thing. I break it into pieces and eat it slowly.
9 – 11 – Work
Once again I try to sit down as much as I can during these days and I eat bits during the day and drink more.
11 – Snack
On these days I’m normally still eating my breakfast but I do try to have a small piece of fruit, maybe just a slice of clementine or a few grapes.
11- 12 – Work
12 – 12:30 Lunch
Sometimes I haven’t even finished my breakfast by this point so I’ll continue to eat that and try to have some of my lunch.
12:30 – 3:30 work
I try to finish my water before leaving work and I’ll try to eat a bit more.
3:30 – Leave Work
3:45 – Arrive at home
After that I take a nap and try to wake up by 5.
5:00
I get up and do some work, rest on the couch and watch TV.
6:30
Eat a small dinner, small serving of rice and beans, sausages and peppers, etc. Then go back and rest on the couch.
8:30
Small snack – maybe a small bowl of ice cream or some fruit.
9:00
Get ready for bed and go to sleep.
Good Day At Work
6:30 – Wake Up
I normally wake up very groggy. I try to stay in bed for 10 minutes, moving my legs, and starting to sit up a little. I always check my blood pressure and heart rate before standing up as well. Once I stand up I check it again.
6:40
Drink a cup of water with ¼ a pouch of Liquid IV
6:45
10 minutes of floor yoga with both floor and standing poses.
6:55
5 minutes on the elliptical and 5 on the treadmill
7:05
2nd cup of ice water with ¼ pouch of Liquid IV
During this time I also pack my breakfast, lunch, snacks and water. I fill up a 24 oz thermal cup with ice and a straw with ¼ pouch of Liquid IV and then I also include a 32 oz water bottle with about ⅓ of a pouch of Liquid IV. I make sure to drink the entire cup by 9 then fill it again, drink that one by 1pm, and fill it once more finishing by 3:30.
I do not eat breakfast first thing in the morning, my stomach cannot handle it but I do pack a breakfast for around 9 am.
7:15 leave for work and arrive by 7:30ish
7:30 – 9ish – Work
I am a teacher so I do a lot of standing and moving around the classroom when I feel good. I generally circle around the desks of the students checking in with each one.
9 – Breakfast
This is when I normally eat breakfast. I try to eat a baked oatmeal slice or some other type of carb heavy breakfast. I find this helps my stomach most.
9 – 11 – Work
I try to move as much as I can during the days when I feel good. I do think it helps to feel good the next day and gives me energy.
11 – Snack
I try to eat clementine or other fruit during this time period.
11- 12 – Work
12 – 12:30 Lunch
I eat a small lunch, like ¼ of chicken breast with some salad or ½ cup of soup with a slice of bread. These small meals help me a lot to keep up energy without losing it to digestion and not upset my stomach so much.
12:30 – 3:30 work
I try to finish up the last of my water during this time and generally eat a small snack around 2:40ish. I try to have some sort of vegetable such as red pepper slices, snap peas, ect.
3:30 – Leave Work
3:45 – Arrive at home
Yoga for 15 minutes when I get home with a combo of standing and floor poses.
4:00
I generally don’t feel great at 4, I’m not sure why, just extremely tired. I try to go for a quick walk during this time when I do feel good.
4:30
Rest on the couch, maybe do some work. Have a quick snack such as crackers and hummus.
6:30
Eat a small dinner, small serving of rice and beans, sausages and peppers, etc. Then go back and rest on the couch or go for a short walk after dinner.
8:30
Small snack – maybe a small bowl of ice cream or some fruit.
9:00
10 minutes of yoga and get ready for bed.
9:30
Go to sleep.
Okay Day Off
Wake up without an alarm probably around 11.
11 – 11:30
Chill in bed, probably on my phone and just relax. Check my blood pressure and heart rate when I am in bed and when I stand. Maybe go back to bed for a bit if I really don’t feel good.
12
Go for a short walk or maybe do 10 minutes of yoga with only floor poses.
12:15ish
Eat a very light lunch and then relax on the couch for a while.
3ish
Probably take a nap until 5.
5ish
Relax on the couch until dinner and maybe we’ll go out or at least go get ice cream. I try to leave the house everyday.
10 pm
Go to bed.
Good Day Off
Wake up without an alarm probably around 11.
11 – 11:30
Chill in bed, probably on my phone and just relax.
11:30 – 12:00
Drink a cup of water with ¼ pouch of Liquid IV. Do 30 minutes of yoga of both standing and floor poses.
12:00 – 1
Go for a walk and then hang out for a bit.
1 – 1:30
Eat a light lunch / breakfast. Maybe some toast with hummus and tomatoes or a pancake and have another glass of water with ¼ ouch of Liquid IV. Maybe have a cup of decaf coffee or tea.
1:30 – 6
Just hang out, maybe go outside or clean the house a bit. Do some school work. I make sure to drink more water and maybe go for another walk or get on the treadmill for a bit.
6ish
Go to dinner, hang out with friends, etc. I usually feel best later at night so I take advantage of it.
2 am
Go to bed.