Energy Budget: Time & Household Management for the Chronically Ill (book review)

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Energy Budget: Time & Household Management for the Chronically Ill (by Rachel Ramey of Titus2Homemaker.com) – A quick review

This was obviously written by someone with an intimate knowledge of the subject matter! Author Rachel Ramey is a homeschooling mama of five and a long-time chronic illness sufferer who knows what it’s like when one’s energy reserves don’t always live up to her priorities. (She also happens to be my daughter, and I know her battles — and I know if she’s sharing this helpful info with us, it’s good stuff, because she doesn’t have time for busy work and she knows you don’t either!)

From the back cover: “If you battle with chronic illness, you’re probably familiar with the “spoon theory” — the idea that we start each day with a limited number of spoons available, and use them up as we carry out the business of our days. This is true for everybody, but those with chronic illness often start out with fewer spoons and use them up more easily.

Another way of looking at it is that we have a finite amount of energy in any given day (or week, or month…) so we have to budget it carefully, just as someone on a tight financial budget might need to allocate his money with care. …

Drawing on principles from the financial world, you’ll learn strategies for making the most of the energy you have, to accomplish the things that are important to you.”

SO helpful. It’s written concisely (for those with little time or energy to read or process) and in bite-size chunks. I love that it makes the parallel between money budgeting (which most of us are at least somewhat familiar with) and then applies that to our daily energy levels. For those with chronic (or even temporary but more than two days) illness, this is a lifeline!

The six primary chapters are very short but meaty, with application exercises to make them practical. And if you couldn’t even think of the options you might have for filling in your apply-it-to-your-life worksheets, she’s provided an appendix with some sample lists to get you going.

The appendices are gems on their own! Full of forms to use as desired, snack and meal ideas, time-saving resources, food prep and mixes to put some energy in reserve, and loads more.

Valuable even for those who aren’t ill — but a lifesaver for those who are.

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Rachel blogs about Authentic, Balanced, Counter-cultural homemaking…to the glory of God! at her site, Titus2Homemaker.com

Energy Budget: Time & Household Management for the Chronically Ill The ABCs of BIG-Impact Homemaking: Designing a Life of Balance and Integrity that Glorifies God

Read more in her recent book, The ABCs of BIG-Impact Homemaking: Designing a Life of Balance and Integrity that Glorifies God (linked above)

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