Hypermobility: Practical Pacing with peer support (Members only, Free, BOOK HERE)

Self-management of hypermobility syndromes is vital, and can also be hard work. Especially as some healthcare professionals aren’t always in a position to give the level of time, information, and support we need in order to successfully self-manage.

Alongside our popular ‘Living Well’ series run by expert professionals Jo Southall and Kim Clayden, and our other self-management resources, the HMSA has created our own peer-led Practical Pacing course. This course is all about fostering a practical peer support environment in which to start setting strategies for managing symptomatic hypermobility in your everyday life, during challenging periods, through crashes and recharging periods, and as your symptoms change over time. Among other things, we'll explore when to seek, and how to identify more intensive professional support when needed.

This course isn’t about sitting and listening – it’s an interactive course with a combination of short webinars, Q&A discussion sessions, and a pacing-specific online peer support group on our website (like a small discussion forum specific to hypermobility, pacing, and self-management), that will only be available to people who are on, or have been on this course. It will be moderated by our volunteers to ensure it stays a safe and constructive space. This forum will initially be open to course attendees until October 30th. 

This time, the three-session course will be run by one of our volunteers, Hannah Ensor – an expert patient with an unspecified connective tissue disorder and PoTS. Hannah has nearly twenty years experience of supporting other people with hypermobility syndromes, both as individuals and in group situations.    

We strongly recommend that anyone signing up completes all three sessions (they aren’t designed to be done separately) – but that can include watching the session recording. Please note that the Q&A part of each session (like our other support group sessions) will not be recorded, but we plan to share top tips from the Q&A session in the linked online support group.    

This time we are running the course for members only – with free tickets for our members. If we were running it commercially we’d expect to charge £100 per ticket, so it really is a worthwhile membership benefit! (If a non-member purchases a ticket, they will be given the opportunity to receive a refund, or be offered a place on a future course being run for non-members). Family membership holders can book 4 free tickets, but we are only able to assign forum access to the main account holder.

Sign up today!

Links to the webinars will be sent a few days before the event – so do check your spam folder if necessary.

Links to the online support forum will be sent out at/immediately after the first session – and we’ll also cover instructions on using it at the end of the first session. 

Session 1: Wednesday Sept 4th 7-8pm

Topics covered:

• Getting to know your body: symptoms, identify those things that aggravate, and those that help.
• Exercise

Session 2: Wednesday Sept 11th 7-8pm

Topics Covered:

• Creating basic pacing strategies  - tips and suggestions to get you started

Session 3: Wednesday Sept 25th 7-8pm

Topics covered:

• Managing crashes and flare-ups
• Recovery plans