Are you ready for autumn?

Commercials advertising back to school supplies try to convince us that September is the most wonderful time of the year. However, for many families, the transition from carefree summer vacation mode to the daily grind of school and work is a huge source of stress. There are schedules to coordinate, lunches to pack, extracurricular activities to plan, and all the while, our precious hours of daylight are decreasing.

How can we manage?

Energy conservation is a “tool” occupational therapists use to help people recovering from injury or illness return to meaningful engagement in daily activities. In fact, most people use these seemingly common sense strategies in their daily lives to stay organized and minimize stress. Sometimes, we need a reminder to get back to these basics.  

What are the principles of energy conservation?

1. Planning and prioritizing. In the fall, our list of TO-DOs seems never ending. Setting aside time to plan and prioritize can make a world of difference. Yes, it takes TIME to plan your day! Instead of scrambling from one event to the next, a well-organized schedule will help you allot enough time to get tasks that NEED to get done in day, reserving those that don’t until a later time and/or to delegate to another family member.

2. Simplify and modify. Is it possible to eliminate a few steps in a task and/or combine a few tasks to improve your time efficiency? For example, instead of preparing dinner, lunch and breakfast as separate entities can you set aside time to complete several meal preparation tasks at once?  There are many great online resources for plan-ahead/make-ahead meals for families.

3. Pace and rest. When we have too many things to do and too little time, we often try to push ourselves to accomplish super-human feats!  And what often ends up happening is we burn out, having little energy left to finish the tasks on our list. A well-planned schedule will alternate high-energy tasks with lower-energy tasks and ensure REST breaks are included. This not only relates to the physical aspects of a task; think of the mental drain as well.

4. Positioning and body mechanics. How many of us ignore that pain in the neck when we are frantically working on our computers? Or, the pain in our shoulders and low back when we are doing housework? Is it really more efficient to carry ALL of the grocery bags out of the car at once instead of making a few separate trips?  Be mindful of your body positioning and think of alternative ways to perform a physically demanding task. Can you modify your work station to avoid excessive bending and straining? Can you sit while chopping vegetables instead of stand?  Can your children help you unload the groceries? After all, if they want to eat, the adults will need to have the energy to prepare their dinner!

Many Lifemark physiotherapy and rehab clinics offer occupational therapy services. To find a clinic near you www.lifemark.ca/locations