What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you
throw it away ?
May 31, 2013
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"Risk more than
others think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than
others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible. "
Cadet Maxim
May 30, 2013
30 Days of Organization
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!
Daily Dose of Inspiration
Brothers Conner and Cayden Long, were the recipients of the 2012 Sports Illustrated Kids "SportsKids of the Year" award. Cayden, a boy who has cerebral palsy, and Conner, his older brother have competed in numerous triathlons together and share a truly inspiring story!
May 29, 2013
Occupational Therapist Sued Over a Reacher
I am getting
increasingly frustrated at the failure of other OT’s to understand the value of
education when prescribing equipment.
While it might seem on the surface that use of a reacher, tub scrubber
or bath mat are “common sense”, my experience is that common sense is not
common, and I don’t want my license on the line.
Take a
reacher for example. I have seen people
use them as a cane. Or people who have
one that is too short and almost fall out of their chair trying to access that
item that is “just a little further”.
Maybe they think that reacher can handle the over-sized glass jar of
pickles and when it doesn't the jar ends up shattering on the counter in front
of them, landing on their lap, or worse, their head. To send something to someone in the mail, and
to indicate that “education is not necessary” exposes the OT to liability and
the client to risk.
Why don’t
OT’s hear about stories of devices gone array?
Mainly because when an OT is sued over a piece of equipment, the case
can take years to resolve and when it does, the OT is sworn to secrecy about
the outcome, otherwise they can be sued for breach of settlement. So OT’s: don’t think these lawsuits don’t
happen!
In the world
of insurance there is funding for equipment and funding for education to ensure
that the equipment is appropriate and the client can safely and independently
demonstrate its use. I have had to
return many-a-things that I thought looked great on paper to find out they don’t
actually work for that client in that case.
As OT’s we need to take our prescription responsibilities seriously and
should never jeopardize our education, training or experience under the
assumption that someone will properly use an item we consider “low risk”.
So, when I
prescribe devices, and ask an insurer to fund time for an OTA or myself to
provide them, it is because that is part of my judiciary duty to my client, my
college, my license, my training, and my sense of responsibility. If another OT feels the device is suitable,
but says education is not required, then they can feel free to order those
devices themselves and run the direct liability risk of being sued over a
reacher.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"No matter how much you think you want or need it, the past has to remain just that, the past..."
Phil Collins: "Can't Turn Back the Years"
Find on iTunes
May 28, 2013
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.
May 27, 2013
Just Get Er Done
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”.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you.
You have to go to them sometimes."
Winnie the Pooh
May 24, 2013
Weekly Mind Bender
You
have 12 black socks and 12 white socks mixed up in a drawer. You're up very
early and it's too dark to tell them apart. What's the smallest number of socks
you need to take out (blindly) to be sure of having a matching pair?
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"I think you can destroy your now by worrying about tomorrow."
Janis Joplin
May 23, 2013
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.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
Spencer West, featured earlier on the blog for his amazing climb of Mount Kilimanjaro, has just finished his "Walk 4 Water" raising funds for clean water initiatives cross the world. Spencer, born without the use of his legs, is a motivational speaker and inspiration to the world. His "Walk 4 Water" took Spencer on a 300 km journey from Edmonton to Calgary to raise funds and awareness for clean water. See a recap of his inspirational journey here.
May 22, 2013
Turtle Twins (Part 2) – Treating Auditory Processing Disorder
In my previous post I explained that auditory processing
disorder (APD) is like a game of “Operator” where a message is misinterpreted
when travelling between the ears and brain.
This causes problems with communicating in noisy environments, following
multi-step instructions, and wrongly hearing words, sounds and sentences. The good news is that APD can be improved
organically and through modifications to the functional environment.
Personally, my daughter was diagnosed in Grade 3 (age
8). To understand her problems, I read
several books on APD and copied some chapters for family. I disclosed fully to my daughter the results
of her testing and explained that sometimes her ears and her brain are hearing
different things. I wanted her to
understand that at times, when things people say might seem funny, confusing or
strange to her, she might have heard them wrong. She was encouraged to ask questions about her
ADP, and to never be shy about asking people to repeat themselves if
needed.
At school, the teacher started wearing an FM unit to help
best deliver instructions and teachings to my daughter who wore corresponding
headphones. The teacher and I put tennis
balls on the classroom chairs to reduce noise.
My daughter was relocated near the teacher’s desk and away from the busy
hall. The door was closed (reducing
background noise) during lectures. She
was allowed to write tests in the quiet resource room. The teacher was provided a list of other
classroom modifications to implement, including ways to breakdown instructions
into smaller chunks to improve her retention and follow-through. I talked to the teacher about the fact that
when my daughter was reading in class (when she was supposed to do other
things) to tune out classroom noise and / or because she missed the
directions.
In sports, we noticed an issue with her playing
basketball. The sound of the balls
bouncing on the floor made it difficult for her to hear her coach and the
background noise in the gym during practice was a struggle for her. At Karate, she would look around to see what
the other kids were doing as she would miss instructions. All of her coaches and Sensei’s were advised
of her APD and started speaking more directly to her, asked her to repeat
instructions, and tried to reduce background noise when possible.
We also made changes at home. We took extra time to reduce background noise
(difficult in a family with four kids), would reduce the number of instructions
we gave her at one time, had her repeat these back to us, and developed a
“roger that” mantra that she would say to indicate she got her instructions. Our audiologist recommended Fast Forward, an
online game designed to help improve APD.
While research does not conclusively confirm that this is helpful for
APD, we decided to give it a try and she found it very helpful. Ultimately, and for reasons other than just
her APD, we moved her to a small school with very low class sizes and she is
now thriving. We still notice her APD at
times, but she is very aware of this and is mature enough to understand that if
something sounds wrong (i.e. turtle twins) she should politely ask for
clarification.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"The good ole
days weren't always good, and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems.”
"Keeping the Faith"-- by Billy Joel
Find on iTunes
May 21, 2013
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.
May 20, 2013
Turtle Twins (Part 1) – Auditory Processing Disorder
In
recognition of Speech and Hearing Month, I wanted to tell the story of my
personal experience as a mom of a child diagnosed with auditory processing
disorder (APD).
APD is best
explained using the example of the game “Operator”. If the first person is the ears, and the last
the brain, everyone in between is the channel by which the message travels. And remember what happens? By the time the message reaches the “brain”
it has been altered. So, really APD is
just that – when a message or sound changes as it travels from the ears to the
brain resulting in the brain getting the wrong message.
Signs of APD
can include difficulty with: communicating in noisy environments, following
multi-step instructions, and wrongly hearing words, sounds and sentences. As an overlap exists between the signs of APD
and other disorders, and this may coexist with other problems, it can be
difficult to diagnose.
Being a
clinician, I recognized early that my daughter struggled with “hearing”. Yet at 18 months her hearing test was
“fine”. When she was three I remember
telling her that her “ears and brain were not talking”. In school she would become easily distracted,
would struggle with multi-step instructions, and did much better in classes
that were smaller, less chaotic, or when she sat closer to the teacher. At home the presence of her APD was apparent
when my instruction “change your shirt” would be met with the response “I am
not wearing shorts”. Or, when the
instructions “brush your hair, grab your lunch and put your coat on” might
result in one, maybe two, but rarely three of those instructions being
followed. But my favorite remains when
my daughter told her sisters they were “turtle twins” as she had misheard the
word “fraternal”.
The
diagnosis of APD is made by an audiologist when the child is at least 7 or 8
years old. However, psycho-educational
tests can also be helpful to rule out other or comorbid problems. In adults, APD also exists, and can be the
result of many factors, including acquired brain injury. Also, some research suggests that men start
to struggle with APD after age 35 and women after menopause. My next blog will focus on ways we managed
our daughter’s APD at home, in sports and school, and these same strategies
could also be used by others who have, treat, or know someone with APD.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"We have to learn to be our own best friend,
because we fall too easily into the trap of being our worst enemy."
Roderick
Thorp
May 17, 2013
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"Rain is a good reminder of how our attitude can
affect everything. Some folks let it destroy their day; others consider it a
blessing."
Judy Ford
May 16, 2013
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
Best Health Magazine-- 5 Ways To Improve Your Sleep
Daily Dose of Inspiration
The following shows one man's courageous journey to change his life and realize a dream, while fighting to save the life of his niece and others suffering from cystic fibrosis.
May 15, 2013
Achieve Better Sleep for Better Health
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!
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"And in the end
The love you take
Is equal to the love you make."
The love you take
Is equal to the love you make."
The Beatles-- "The End"
Find on iTunesThe Beatles: "The End"
May 14, 2013
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
Environmental Working Group-- Sunscreen Guide
May 13, 2013
Occupational Therapy is Functional Creativity
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.Daily Dose of Inspiration
"We must not allow the clock and the calendar to blind us to the fact
that each moment of life is a miracle and mystery."
H.G. Wells
May 10, 2013
Weekly Mind Bender
You
have a fox, a chicken and a sack of grain. You must cross a river with only one
of them at a time. If you leave the fox with the chicken he will eat it; if you
leave the chicken with the grain he will eat it. How can you get all three
across safely?
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no
birds sang except those that sang best. "
Henry Van Dyke
May 9, 2013
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.
MoneySense: Canada's Best Places To Live 2013
MoneySense: Canada's Best Places To Live 2013
Daily Dose of Inspiration
Although this inspiring moment happened over 20 years ago at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, it still brings a tear to your eye. Derek Redmond's incredible finish remains an inspiration to this day.
May 8, 2013
Making Martial Arts More Accessible
From a physical perspective, like all activities, Martial
Arts can be modified to meet any level of physical ability. Personally, I have vertigo so I cannot engage
in ground techniques. So, I stay on my
feet working on kicks, punches, forms, and self-defense. Erik Kondo (http://martialartistwithdisabilities.blogspot.ca/2008/07/erik-kondo.html)
has paraplegia and is a third degree black belt. He has posted several videos online about
self-defense from a wheelchair, and has also published an online resource on
the 5 D’s of self-defense (http://www.not-me.org/). Michael Sirota (http://www.sirotasalchymy.com/master.html)
runs an entire Martial Arts program for people with disabilities and structures
each program individually. With a
creative Sensei and a motivated participant, anything can be done. Tai Chi is also a Martial Art, but is
grounded in slow, sequential movements that can be done in sitting or
standing. My grandmother had Parkinson’s
Disease and practiced Tai Chi for years as a way to prevent the decline of her
balance and mobility. There are many local
chapters of Taoist Tai Chi (www.taoist.org/ontario).
Financially, like many organized sports or activities,
Martial Arts can be considered expensive.
However, as a parent, I have found Martial Arts to be less expensive
than the organized volleyball, basketball, tennis, Cheer and dance my girls
have participated in. In the world of
rehab, a one year Martial Arts Program could be easily justified on a treatment
plan. Or, if you are funding this
yourself, there are different dojos with different fee structures so calling
around can help you to find one within your budget. Our local YMCA offers Martial Arts as part of
the family membership, and a family membership at the Y has multiple benefits
for a reasonable fee. I also believe the
Y’s offer membership rates that can be geared to income. Some dojos offer Martial Arts on a monthly
basis, and others require a contract.
You can decide through speaking with different programs which option
works best for you. Also, some community
centers offer Martial Arts for very low prices, or again are geared to
income. I have also experienced Sensei’s
coming into physical education classes to demonstrate some of the skills and
techniques at no charge.
Geographically there may be barriers to finding a local
dojo, or transportation problems prevent easy access the community. Perhaps looking for videos, online resources,
books or even using video games to teach some of the skills could be
possible. Or, perhaps there is a
carpooling opportunity with another family in the same area. Explaining access issues to the Sensei at the
nearest dojo may result in some solutions.
The bottom line is that as with anything, where there is a
will, there is a way. And the benefits
of engaging in Martial Arts are so immense that taking some time to research
local opportunities and to ask questions to make this accessible to you or your
child will be well worth the effort.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"I know I was born and I know that I'll die
The in between is mine,
I am mine."
Pearl Jam--"I am Mine"
Find on iTunes
May 7, 2013
Do You Know The Signs of a Heart Attack?
This public service announcement created by Elizabeth Banks for "Go Red for Women" is quite comical, however, teaches a serious lesson on being prepared. It's National Emergency Preparedness week in Canada. Be prepared and know the signs of a heart attack. Doing so could save your life or the life of someone you love.
May 6, 2013
Martial Arts is All That…
I started Martial Arts at a time in my life when I was
discontent with my emotional, physical and cognitive health. I was unhappy with myself and listed all the
reasons I felt that way to come to a very solid conclusion – I was not getting
enough exercise. After having four kids
in five years, my exercise and sports were naturally not at the forefront of my
time. My solution? Karate.
Why? It would provide me with the
physical outlet I needed, would be a cognitive challenge, and would feed my
emotional need to do something for “me”.
Also, I considered self-defence, like CPR and First Aid, a tool I wanted
in my “just in case” tool box. But what
I found through Martial Arts was much more than I expected. I always struggled to explain this to others
until I read a wonderful post from Sensei Master Michael Sirota (http://www.sirotasalchymy.com/master.html). Sensei Sirota lives in British Columbia and
has created an entire Martial Arts program for people with disabilities. He is heavily involved in the Para-Olympics
and is, in my mind, a pillar in the Martial Arts Community. I was fortunate enough to meet Michael in person
last year.
In his post “Why Martial Arts”, Sensei Sirota highlighted
the benefits:
Self-Defense: “practice the fight so you don’t have
to”. This speaks to the fact that
Martial Artists develop a quiet confidence that is seen but not heard. This confidence makes them less vulnerable as
a target of violence, and teaches them to identify potentially dangerous
situations early to promote avoidance.
Athletic Enhancement
and Fitness: Many athletes combine
their sports training with Martial Arts to maintain endurance, flexibility,
coordination and swiftness. Being able
to strike, kick and move quickly mimics the explosive, fluid and coordinated
movements needed in sport. There are few
other activities that burn as many calories, or result in such an overall body
workout.
Other Health
Benefits: Martial Artists tend to
take diet and exercise seriously. This
is part of the intensity of their training and their commitment to
wellness. Martial Arts requires
concentration and focus, things relatable to all areas of life. Martial Arts is a commitment with the built
in motivation of moving through belt levels to achieve the goal of Sensei.
Respect and Courtesy:
Contrary to popular belief, Martial Arts is about restraint and playing nicely
in the sand box. It has been proven that
children (and adults) trained in martial arts tend to be disciplined, composed
and respectful. This is beneficial in
all areas of life, especially relationships, school and work.
So, if you are looking for fitness, emotional strength,
confidence, and cognitive stimulation, there are few other activities that will
provide more bang for your buck. And,
fortunately, there are many forms of Martial Arts to choose from, making it
likely that you can connect with a style and form that aligns with your
interests.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"Don't
judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seed that you plant."
Robert Louis Stevenson
May 3, 2013
Weekly Mind Bender
The
Muller-Lyer illusion:
Do these coloured lines look the same length to you?
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"It is a funny thing about life... you get back what
you put into it."
Catherine Pulsifer
May 2, 2013
Eat For Healthy Bones
It has long been understood that bone health becomes
increasingly important as you age - especially for women. It is also known that the functional impacts
of a broken bone (reduced self-care, productivity and leisure) can be
massive. The role of calcium is well
known, but what other factors contribute to bone health? Health magazine has created a list of eleven
foods that maximize the strength of your bones.
Check this out and see if you can up your consumption of bone health
promoting nutrients…
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"Never underestimate what you can accomplish when you believe in yourself." The Arthur Boorman story is a true inspiration to all.
May 1, 2013
What Behaviors Do You Want to Modify?
One of the best courses I took in university was Behavior Modification. Our main project was to modify one of our own
behaviors over a four month period.
Personally, I had a dog and wanted to develop a better walking routine. So, over the four months I mapped out several
walking routes that increased my time spent walking on a weekly basis. By the end of the four months, I was walking
my dog two hours and twelve kilometers a day.
Research indicates that it takes four months to develop a new habit, so
by the end of the course my new walking routine became standard practice and
something I did religiously with my dog (and then dogs) until I had my family
and needed to develop a new routine.
Often, when our regular routines are interrupted by disability bad habits develop. While not immediate, over time days can become more and more unproductive until soon very little is getting accomplished. This has a drastic impact on mental health and impacts all areas of physical, cognitive and emotional functioning, let alone the impact on those that we live with.
Often, when our regular routines are interrupted by disability bad habits develop. While not immediate, over time days can become more and more unproductive until soon very little is getting accomplished. This has a drastic impact on mental health and impacts all areas of physical, cognitive and emotional functioning, let alone the impact on those that we live with.
The best way I have been able to help clients to break such
routines is to simply have them track how they spend their time. Once this is documented, people can quickly
identify the problems areas and then together we discuss how to fix them. For example, through tracking for a week, one
client discovered that she does not shower, one found that he watches ten hours of TV
per day, and another learned that she does not eat during the day, but consumes junk
food all evening. In every case, people
discovered something about their routine that drove them into action for
change.
So, if you are concerned that your routine is lacking in
productivity, self-care or leisure, or there are activities you would like to
resume or goals to achieve, just keep a log of how you spend your time. After a week, reflect on your log and make a
list of the problem areas. Commit to
making small changes (start with the easiest changes first) and over time, you
will see huge improvements in how you feel about yourself and your
routines. Or, for a more structured
approach, consider hiring a professional to assess your suitability for the
Progressive Goal Attainment Program.
This program involves using time tracking over 10 weeks to completely revamp
routines to reduce psychosocial barriers to recovery, improve mental health and
reduce disability caused by chronic pain. Daily Dose of Inspiration
"But how many corners do I have to turn?
How many times do I have to learn
All the love I have is in my mind?
How many times do I have to learn
All the love I have is in my mind?
Well, I'm a lucky man
With fire in my hands"
With fire in my hands"
Lucky Man-- The Verve
Find on iTunes
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