Are you feeling the spring cleaning itch? Wanting to simplify and organize your life? De-cluttering and organizing your surroundings can help your health and give your mood a boost. This great article from Today’s Parent walks you through a month of daily organizing activities that will help you de-clutter your home and your life!
Take Good Care of Your Feet
Never underestimate the importance of your feet. If you are on your feet all day, or have trouble with foot pain, check out this article filled with easy ways to keeping your feet healthy.
Winnipeg Free Press: Facing foot pain: Right shoes, insoles, exercises may help to ease discomfort
Just Get Er Done
Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)
Often I am asked by others how I balance the many aspects of my busy life. My answer is that I just “get er done”. In fact “get er done” is a mantra I use regularly to motivate me to knock things off my list.
For example, if I am driving and realize I will arrive at my destination 20 minutes early, often something (or several things) will pop into my head about how I should spend that extra time (stop into the bank, drop by the post office, grab that birthday present, stop at the store for some fresh veggies etc.). Then, my head starts negotiating with itself (“no, just keep driving and you can check email for 20 minutes in the parking lot”, or “I don’t feel like doing that right now”, or “I don’t need that present until next week anyway”). Really, we can talk ourselves out of anything (mostly healthy eating, getting out of bed earlier, and exercise), but success comes from being able to hear through the noise to make the best decision.
In my case, when my head is conflicted by the devil and angel arguing on my shoulders, I apply the mantra: “Julie, just get er done”. Every time I say this, it springs me into action.
I remember watching a You Tube video by Mel Robbins that clearly explained that thoughts are just thoughts and to turn them into action, we need to attach a physical component. We have five seconds to turn a thought into an action or it won’t happen. So, when hearing the alarm, we have five seconds to throw off the covers and put our feet on the ground, or the “thought” of getting up will turn into the action of not. Same with the thought of exercising: if, within five seconds of thinking “I should go for a good walk” you have not gotten up and moved towards putting your runners on, chances are another thought will tell you to stay put.
So, turn those thoughts into action. Use mantras and physical responses to your thoughts to just “get er done”.
Aches and Pains From Technology
Are you attached to your smart phone, tablet or e-reader? In this “Health Minute” from CNN Health some potential health risks are revealed regarding our reliance on technology. Ways to reduce the risks are also discussed. Check this out to ensure you are taking care of yourself while still enjoying modern day conveniences.
CNN Health Minute: Aches and Pains from Technology
Eat Well, Live Well With Spinal Cord Injury
A new book called “Eat Well, Live Well with Spinal Cord Injuries“, written by a nutritionist with a spinal cord injury and an Occupational Therapist specializing in neurological disorders, discusses the connection between diet and spinal cord injury. Check out this article explaining how a proper diet can help to reduce complications from spinal cord injury and improve overall health.
Are You Getting Enough Sleep?
Sleep is one of the most important determinants of health. Our bodies need proper rest in order to function properly… are you getting enough? This article from best health magazine gives some great tips on how to beat insomnia and get yourself to sleep.
Best Health Magazine– 5 Ways To Improve Your Sleep
Achieve Better Sleep for Better Health
Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)
Sleep is one of the most important determinants of health. Proper sleep helps to restore our minds and bodies so that we are able to effectively tackle another day. However, it is estimated that 1 in 7 people suffer from sleep problems, and non-restorative sleep is a common complaint I hear from my clients.
As an occupational therapist there are several strategies I utilize with my clients to help them improve sleep:
Sleep Surfaces – a good mattress can ensure that your body is aligned when sleeping whether you sleep on your side, back or front. Often when we work with people to replace a bad mattress, they are actually more uncomfortable for the first several days or weeks. This is often the result of their body being required to re-align when sleeping, when previously it was resting in awkward positions. If your mattress is too soft, or sagging, and you are not able to get another, consider using a board under the mattress to provide support. A good pillow is also very helpful, but the purchase of this should be based on personal preference (not on a therapist or sales person telling you which one you should have). I have a great Ergocentric Pillow, but previous to that enjoyed my Medi-Flow water-based pillow that allowed me to adjust the water volume for different amounts of support.
Sleep Habits – a consistent sleep routine is essential to teaching your mind and body how to effectively shut down at the end of the day. Shift workers can have a terrible time with sleep because of the unpredictability of their sleep schedule. If you consider that you need a certain amount of sleep per day (which can vary by individual), then you should try to get into a routine around those hours. I read years ago that sleep cycles are 20 minutes so if you need to nap during the day, consider setting a timer for 20 minutes so your nap will be restorative, but not too long that it will impact your sleep at night. If you are in a routine of napping for long periods during the day, and cannot fall asleep at a decent evening hour, then consider shortening your nap daily by small increments to achieve a better balance.
Mind Distractions – often it is the mind that won’t shut off and this prevents us from falling or staying asleep. Counting sheep is not always effective. Consider using a sleep CD (I recommend Eli Bay), or meditation, relaxation or mindfulness app on your phone to help your mind focus on a restful place. Some natural remedies like certain decaffeinated teas can also help to make us feel groggy before bed.
Tracking Sleep – often when helping clients to develop a new routine, I will ask them to track their sleep cycles. This can be done simply on paper. Often, through this exercise, I find there is no routine and if we can develop and implement a sleep schedule, improvements in energy, mood, and cognitive function follow. Personally, I use a Sleep Cycle app (.99 cents) to track my sleep habits. This uses sensors in my cell, when placed above my pillow, to tell me how many hours I slept for, if I achieved deep sleep, and how my sleep ranks against other recent nights. But what is even better about the Sleep Cycle app is that when you sent an alarm, it works to wake you up when it senses you are in a light sleep. This reduces “snoozing” and awakens you when you are more likely to actually get up. This app helped me develop a new schedule of getting up an hour earlier so that I could achieve my goal of getting my four legged beast his exercise bright and early!
Are You Sun Smart?
We all know the importance of protecting ourselves in the sun. Proper clothing, sun hats, and shade all help, but many health experts feel the best way to protect ourselves is by regular use of sunscreen, even in the cold weather months. But is the sunscreen you use actually doing more harm than good? Check out the Environmental Working Group’s “Skin Deep” which annually rates over 1800 different sunscreens available consumers. Many of the sunscreens we use contain harmful chemicals and may actually be harmful. Visit the website and see how your favourite brand stacks up.
Environmental Working Group– Sunscreen Guide
Occupational Therapy is Functional Creativity
Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)
The profession of occupational therapy is all about creativity in solving barriers to function. However, often we come across problems for which no solution currently exists. In those cases we need to customize a solution that works for the client, their environment or care providers.
Personally, I have had great success with the local Tetra Society for developing creative solutions to problems that need a custom approach. In one situation, my client who suffered from quadriplegia had the goal of feeding himself. His elbow and shoulder flexion did not allow for his hand to reach his mouth. With the help of his physiotherapist and Tetra engineer we were able to create a custom splint and modified utensils that bridged the gap between his hand and his mouth. The material costs were $40.00 and the engineer was a volunteer. In another situation my client, mobility impaired, wanted to attach his walker to his scooter so he could park his scooter and walk into the places he was visiting. Tetra was able to custom mold a bracket for his walker at a cost of $10.00. Another client also used Tetra under my encouragement to develop a bracket that would allow her to mount her camera so she could take photos from her power wheelchair.
Occupational therapy is about custom solutions to sometimes complicated problems. But I believe that every problem has a solution and that as professionals we need to stay apprised of the options in the community that can help us to create customized solutions. Take a look online for your local Tetra Society.
Your Health and Where you Live
Money Sense magazine has just released its “Top 200 Places to Live in Canada” for 2013. Apparently, where you live and corresponding environmental factors can directly impact your health. Money Sense based their rankings on factors such as crime rate, property tax average, average income, weather, accessibility and others. Check out the list to see how your city compares to other great spots in Canada.