Life with Chronic Fatigue: Basically, I'm a Sloth in Human Clothing

If you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s like living with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME), just picture a sloth. Now give that sloth a Wi-Fi bill, a laundry pile, and a workplace that insists on 9 a.m. meetings. Voilà— you’ve got me.

𝟏. 𝙈𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙄𝙨… 𝙊𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 (𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙡𝙤𝙬)

Sloths are famous for moving at the speed of spilled molasses. Same. My “morning stretch” looks less like yoga and more like a dramatic scene from a nature documentary:

“Watch as the human attempts to reach the coffee mug. Note the patience, the precision, the likelihood of giving up halfway through.”

𝟐. 𝙉𝙖𝙥𝙨 𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙃𝙤𝙗𝙗𝙮, 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙮𝙡𝙚

Sloths sleep up to 15 hours a day. I’d compete with that, but honestly, who has the energy? The difference is, sloths wake up looking refreshed. I wake up like I’ve just returned from fighting orcs all night in another dimension.

𝟑. 𝘾𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙗𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙞𝙘

Sloths gracefully dangle in trees. I attempt the majestic climb… to the top of the stairs. It’s my Everest. I’d wave a victory flag if I weren’t too busy trying not to collapse on the landing.

𝟒. 𝘿𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙏𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧

Sloths need about a month to digest a leaf. My body seems to apply the same timeline to errands. Buy groceries? Better schedule three to five business days for recovery.

People adore sloths. “They’re so calm, so chill!” they say. But try waking one up at the wrong time, and you’re getting claws. Same with me: wake me from my “horizontal meditation” and you’re risking a very cranky human.

𝟔. 𝙒𝙚'𝙧𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

Sloths don’t waste energy. They only move when necessary. I do the same: multitasking looks like grabbing snacks, phone, and blanket in one single heroic trip to the kitchen. Efficiency level: sloth.

𝟕. 𝙒𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙈𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙅𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙚 𝘾𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨

Sloths are rarely spotted in the wild. People with chronic fatigue are also elusive—mostly because we cancel plans 83% of the time. Don’t take it personally; my jungle (aka bed) won’t let me out.

𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣

Living with chronic fatigue is like being a sloth dropped into a caffeinated squirrel society. The world says “Go, go, go!” and my body says “Nap, nap, nap.” I might not be climbing trees or chewing on hibiscus flowers, but trust me—we sloth-humans are out here surviving, one slow, sleepy step at a time.

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