Step Ladder Strategy
Discover more about the Step Ladder Strategy for managing your chronic illness. When we are in pain, we may struggle to remember the relief strategies we can use for each symptom or condition. It can help to use a flare up toolkit, which you can find out more about on this page, or on my symptom specific strategies page but this is another useful strategy to have in your toolbox!
​
You can create your own and it can be personalised and tailored to your own symptoms and experiences. Everyone's strategies will be personal to them but the concept is a visual cue to refer to when you need a prompt. The range of things you can apply the strategy to is super vast! The rules for going up and down the steps will change depending on the situation. For example, you may say that _ days symptom free or _ days with symptoms, and you go up to the next step.
How it works?
You will typically always have the baseline or first option on the bottom step and go up the steps when needed. My examples have four steps but you can as many or as few as you need.
​
However it can vary in context:
​
These are some examples where you start on the bottom step as the baseline/safest option when symptoms are at their worst, then work your way up when symptoms ease.
These are some examples where you start with the more basic strategies for symptoms that are less severe and as you go up it's when symptoms have worsened.
​
Create your own using these templates below
How to fill them in?
Download or screenshot the image. Print them out and fill them in by hand or use an app like Instagram Stories to fill in and save to your device. You may want to store them in a digital album on your phone labelled "Flare Up Resources" to refer to when you need.
Have these strategies been useful? Do you already use these? Could you suggest something similar that could help others? Get in touch and I'll share with the community
_p.png)