Chronic Health Conditions and Digital Overstimulation

How online habits can interfere with your baseline, your pacing, and your progress

Living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) means managing your energy and nervous system every single day. Many people use a strategy called pacing — staying within your limits, stabilizing your energy, and slowly raising your baseline over time.

One factor that’s often forgotten is how screen time and online activity affect your sensitive system.

Even when you’re physically resting, your mind can be overstimulated by constant notifications, rapid-fire visuals, and never-ending content. For someone with M.E. or CFS, this mental overload isn’t harmless. It can trigger crashes, worsen symptoms, and undo weeks of careful pacing.

You might notice:

• Pushing past your limits without realising it when you’re online
• Feeling wired or agitated long after you’ve closed the app
• Struggling to fall asleep or waking up unrested because of evening screen use
• Losing emotional balance or feeling on edge after scrolling through content
• Experiencing flare-ups in fatigue, pain, or brain fog after long sessions online
• Falling behind your pacing targets because your mind never truly rests

The online world is built to keep you engaged, not to help you recharge. If you’re pacing toward recovery, daily digital overstimulation can work against you.

This isn’t about blame. It’s about understanding how your digital habits play a role in your healing journey. Once you recognise the impact, you can make simple changes to protect your energy baseline rather than erode it.