Mindfulness of Daily Life
A three-step Breathworks pacing programme to understand your activity patterns, manage your symptoms, and gradually improve your quality of life
Step 1
Keep a Diary
For 7 days, record every activity with its duration and your pain and tension levels (0–10). Note whether each activity increased (+), reduced (−), or didn't change (0) your symptoms. Mark rest periods R.
Step 2
Analyse
Categorise activities into three columns: those that increase symptoms, those with no effect, and those that help. Check rest patterns too — are you resting very unevenly across the week?
Step 3
Set Baselines
Find the shortest time a problematic activity caused a flare-up. Multiply by 80% — that's your baseline. Use a timer to stick to it, then gradually increase your tolerance over time.
Part 1 — Daily Activity Diary
1
Today's Activity Diary
Fill this in each day for 7 days. Record every activity — however small. Note the time, duration, your pain and tension levels at the end (0 = none, 10 = worst imaginable), and whether the activity increased, decreased, or didn't affect your symptoms.
0 = no change in pain
+ = increased pain
− = decreased pain
R = rest period
Time
Activity
Time Taken
Pain (0–10)
Tension (0–10)
0 / + / − / R
Part 2 — Diary Analysis (Complete After 7 Days)
2
Diary Analysis
After completing 7 days of diary, transfer your activities into the three columns below. This reveals patterns you may not have noticed — which activities aggravate symptoms, which help, and which make no difference. Include activity durations.
+ Extra Pain
0 No Change
− Reduced Pain
Part 3 — Rest Period Analysis
3
Rest Period Analysis
Note your rest periods from across your diary days. Are some days much more or less restful than others? Distributing rest more evenly — with shorter, more regular rests — can help stabilise symptoms.
| Date | Length of rest periods (mins/hours) | Total number | Total time |
|---|---|---|---|
Part 4 — Baseline Record
4
Baseline Record
Look at the '+' column in your diary analysis. Find the shortest time you spent on the activity that caused a flare-up. Your baseline is 80% of this. Start there — then gradually increase over time.
Minimum flare-up time:
mins × 80% =
—
mins (your baseline)
| Date | Level Achieved | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Based on the Breathworks pacing programme. © Breathworks CIC. Adapted for ChatCBT with permission.
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