Our mission is to make invisible illness visible.

Pacing is a self-management strategy widely recommended for complex chronic illnesses in which post-exertional symptoms occur.

At Visible, we define pacing as balancing physical, cognitive, social and emotional exertion with rest, helping people make the most of their current capacity while reducing the risk of worsening symptoms.

Pacing isn’t about avoiding activity altogether. Doing more than the body can tolerate can make symptoms worse, but avoiding activity unnecessarily can have consequences too. The aim is to find a sustainable balance between activity and rest.

We also recognize that pacing isn’t always possible to the extent someone needs. For people who are more severely affected, essential daily activities can worsen symptoms. For others, work, caring responsibilities and other demands can make it hard to rest when needed. Visible is designed to support people in pacing within the circumstances of their lives.

The science of pacing is still developing. Visible works with clinicians, researchers and people living with complex chronic illnesses to ensure our approach reflects the best available evidence. Through our own research and collaborations, we’re also working to improve understanding of how pacing can support people living with these conditions.

Living with complex chronic illness can affect mental health in many ways. Changes to independence, work and relationships, uncertainty about the future, and difficulties accessing appropriate healthcare all present significant emotional challenges.

There may also be biological reasons why these illnesses affect mental health. Research suggests that changes associated with these conditions, including inflammation and changes in nervous system function, may contribute to anxiety and depression, although the extent of their contribution is not yet fully understood.

Physical and mental health can also influence one another. Cognitive and emotional demands can worsen physical symptoms. This is why pacing needs to account for all forms of activity, not just physical exertion.

But recognizing the importance of mental health must never mean dismissing or invalidating physical illness. Despite substantial scientific evidence of biological abnormalities associated with complex chronic illnesses, misconceptions about their psychological origins persist. These can lead to physical symptoms being incorrectly attributed to psychological causes, contributing to stigma, delayed diagnoses and inappropriate care, all of which can cause significant harm.

At Visible, we’re working towards a future where people living with complex chronic illnesses receive comprehensive, evidence-based care that recognizes the full complexity of their conditions and addresses all aspects of their health.

The course of complex chronic illness can follow many different paths. Some people recover fully, others improve gradually or experience periods of remission and relapse, while some remain at a similar level of health or become more unwell.

Too often recovery is treated as the expected or only outcome of complex chronic illness. We believe this is an oversimplification, and ultimately unhelpful. It can leave people who don’t recover feeling as though they have somehow failed. It can contribute to dismissal of their ongoing concerns and health needs. It also undermines the urgency of research into better treatments and cures.

At Visible, we believe progress can take many forms. For some, progress means recovery, with Visible helping them understand and support their health along the way. For others, progress might mean fewer symptom flare-ups, a more stable baseline or greater confidence in making decisions about their health. All of these are meaningful forms of progress.

Our ambition is a future where everyone affected by complex chronic illness can recover. We’re working to support people with their health today, while partnering with researchers to advance scientific understanding and accelerate progress towards better treatments and cures.

Research has identified changes in how the autonomic nervous system functions in people with different complex chronic illnesses. These changes affect how the body regulates automatic functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion.They can also affect how the body responds to stress and how easily it returns to a restful state. This may in turn impact immune function, symptoms, and overall health.

There is growing evidence that techniques that influence the autonomic nervous system, such as paced breathing, mindfulness, and relaxation exercises, can benefit physical and mental health. Studies have shown improvements inheart rate regulation, fatigue, sleep, and moodin broader populations, and early research suggests similar benefits in people with complex chronic illnesses.

Supporting nervous system regulation may therefore play a valuable role in improving health and managing symptoms linked to autonomic dysfunction. However, autonomic dysfunction is one part of a complex biological picture. Nervous system regulation is not a cure for complex chronic illness, nor a substitute for appropriate medical investigation and treatment.

At Visible, we’re working to make evidence-informed nervous system regulation techniques more accessible, giving people practical ways to support their health and wellbeing. Through our research and collaborations, we’re also working to advance understanding of how these approaches work and the role they can play in supporting people living with complex chronic illness.