pacing myself

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiom

   Doing something at a steady, controlled speed so you do not run out of energy or time.

   Grammar: Used with a possessive that matches the subject: pace myself, pace yourself, pace themselves.

   Patterns

   • pace myself/yourself through something
   • pace myself during something

   I'm pacing myself through the report so I don't burn out before five.

   She was pacing herself during the marathon and passed everyone in the last mile.

   If you're pacing yourself, you take a short break every hour.

2. 2phraseidiom

   Deliberately slowing your speech or actions to keep control in a tense situation.

   Grammar: Often used in the progressive to describe what someone is doing right now.

   Patterns

   • be pacing myself while doing something

   He was pacing himself while answering the questions, choosing each word carefully.

   You could hear her pacing herself, refusing to get angry on camera.

Common combinations

pace yourself

Pace yourself — it's a long day.

pace myself through the day

I pace myself through the day with a nap after lunch.

pace yourself during exercise

Doctors tell you to pace yourself during exercise.

learn to pace yourself

New runners have to learn to pace themselves.

Synonyms and how they differ

take it easy

More informal and vaguer; it suggests relaxing rather than managing your speed carefully.

go steady

Focuses on keeping a constant rate, not on saving energy for later.

Opposites

Word family

pace verb

To walk or move at a steady speed, or to set the speed for someone.

pace yourself phrase

The base form of this expression, used for advice or general statements.

Commonly confused: pacing myself or pacing up and down?

Practice

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