Hi, my name's Ciarán. I've been disabled with ME/CFS for over two years now, and I got tired of the terrible self-management tools and apps that are supposed to help us chronically-ill people. That's why I developed the BEDHEAD pacing journal. My background spans Psychology, Embodied Cognition, and Data & Analytics, and I’ve tried to fold the core principles of each into this journal. BEDHEAD is a patient-designed, analog-first tool that helps people with debilitating fatigue, inflammatory, neuroimmune, and autoimmune conditions pace their energy, track delayed symptoms, and reclaim agency without relying on constant app use, shame, or burnout.
The Problem
Millions of people are living with enigmatic, poorly supported conditions like ME/CFS, Long COVID, fibromyalgia, POTS, MCAS, and unexplained fatigue. These conditions don’t fit into tidy boxes — and neither do the tools that claim to help.
Most symptom trackers are too clinical, have a boring UX, or are too focused. Most wellness planners are actually just to-do lists that glorify productivity. And health apps? Most are digital energy sinks that are too hard to navigate and don't encourage repeat use through engagement.
Our Philosophy
Pacing is a learned skill, not a moral failing. You’re not lazy, inconsistent, or undisciplined. You’re adapting to a body that no longer runs on default settings and with a capacity that likely changes everyday. This journal helps you do that confidently while learning how to read your body's warning signs.
What Makes the BEDHEAD Pacing Journal Different
- Daily to-do style system that rewards rest over output, helping develop pacing strategies naturally
- Icon-based tracking of mood, sleep, hydration, bowel health & more
- Optional symptom correlation tools to find delayed patterns (especially useful for PEM conditions
- Gamified streaks and pacing check-ins — progress is personal, not performative
- Monthly “Beditations” offer guided low-effort stretches and mindfulness techniques as well as high-reward activity suggestions
- Free online supplement & vitamin index to help you find the right nutritious aids
- Tear-outs, refillables, and printable extensions — all analog-first
Why Now?
Because the tools out there aren’t built by us. This one is. The BEDHEAD Pacing Journal is designed to serve as a flagship product, to prove that we can make humane tools built intentionally, tested thoughtfully, filled with compassion as well as structure, to help people pick themselves up when the system fails them.
We're not here to fix you, to gaslight or gatekeep. We're here to help you spot your limits as they shift and to know when to say "screw it" and live a little anyway and be your own metric.
We are currently in the R&D phase, finalizing content and looking for people to take part in preliminary trials. So far this project has been fully self-funded and I am actively seeking grant/funding opportunities to get the ball rolling. If you want to contribute/test or join the waitlist for when we launch you can sign up to the mailing list on the Home Page!