Actions Speak Louder Than Words

In my last blog I wrote about balancing work, rest and play and gave several suggestions. Theoretically and intellectually we know what we “should” do, but actually doing it is often a very different challenge.  Building positive habits and routines have been a part of occupational therapy from its beginnings.  During difficult times in our lives we often lose the ability to participate in the positive habits that had previously been part of our lives.  

When visiting a health spa several years ago a health education said it took two weeks to create a habit or routine and three days to lose that same routine.  It hardly seems fair but life and health is not about being fair.  It is about being proactive, responsible and consistent.  The uses of action plans have been used in various forms to help individuals create positive habits and achieve the goals they set for themselves.  

The action plan that I have been trained in is from the Chronic Disease Self Management Program created by Kate Lorig, at University of Southern California.  The formula, slightly modified, is as follows:  

1. What positive habit do you want to achieve?
2. Where do you intend to carry out this habit? (gym, pool, track, kitchen, etc.)
3. How often do you intend to do this?
4. How long do you plan to do this activity? (10 minutes, one hour, etc.)
5. How confident are you in integrating this new habit? (Use a scale from 1-10)

*If your confidence is less than 70% then you ought to look at the barriers that are present that will limit your success. Creating a positive network of support is critical for success.  Once you declare it, tell others in your support network and let them know how they can support you.

An example to follow might be:  

I will cook three healthy meals at home each week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) when I get home from work. My confidence level is 60%.  

What are my obstacles? I get home from work too late and I don’t always have the right ingredients in the kitchen. Solution:

1. Shop for the three specific meals you intend to cook
2. Make all or part of the meal the night before.

My confidence level is now  80%. Make a declaration, follow the formula, and go for it. You will be thrilled that you did!

Holding Life in Balance

For many of us holding life in balance is a challenging endeavor.  Life moves quickly and there are endless activities and commitments that vie for our time and attention.  Mary Reilly, one of the early pioneers in occupational therapy discussed the need to balance work, rest and play and this has never been more relevant than it is now.  I thought it might be beneficial for all of us to take stock and assess how successful we are at achieving that balance.

The first challenge, at least in my life, is to untangle work, rest and play.  For many of us we bring our work home and sometimes bring home to work.  While searching for work related information on the computer, we become sidetracked and look up something we need for the house or the kids.  Groupon, Living Social and RueLa La send daily emails touting new fashion deals and social options.  Cultural and educational options also appear on our screen and before we know it we are emailing our friends to see if they want to take advantage of one the activities that are enticing us via email.  Conversely, when we are at home on our laptops or iPads, we just as easily get tied up in planning endless activities that keep us on the go.  Some may be more focused than I, and can therefore avoid getting bounced around from one thing to the next.  Scheduling play can become a job in itself.  Perhaps the underlying problem is that our work and play often include our computers and further entangle our lives.

Work demands seem to take up more time than ever. Companies are operating with fewer employers and the employees are picking up the slack and for many of us, we are happy to have a job at all.  We run from work to family answering everyone else’s needs and ignoring our own. It becomes challenging to find time to work out or go out with friends. Our health can deteriorate without us really noticing.  Sound grim?  The solution isn’t that difficult; it just takes some consciousness and commitment.  Here are a few suggestions:

Keep work at work.   If possible, stay a little later or go in a bit earlier.  If that is not possible, allocate a fixed amount of time at home so you don’t neglect the other parts of your life.

Schedule time to exercise.  Declare it.  If you have fixed times to exercise, you won’t let others activities upstage it. It is now believed that to optimize our health, we should exercise for at least ½ hour to one hour, every day. If you don’t have that much time, use the time you have.  

Find something truly restful to do each day and enjoy it.  You can take a walk, listen to music, read a book, play games, or watch a favorite TV show. Don’t end up spending hours watching things that don’t move you or inspire you.  

Watch a limited amount of news.  The 24 hour news cycle is meant to draw you in through continuous news cycles.  It often agitates the viewer and creates an undertone of anxiety.  

Get enough rest.  Sleep hygiene refers to the proper amount of rest, at fairly consistent times.  Develop a simple routine before sleep to prepare for sleep, signaling your body that it is time to shut down.  Avoid violent TV or computer work before going to sleep.  

Unplug from your technology at least once a week. Oh yes, and remember to stop, take a few deep breaths, and smell the flowers.

Masks

As Halloween approaches many of us are considering what kind of mask to don, in order to be, what we want to “be”.   What I know for sure is that nobody wants to be someone who is sick, unable or unwell.  At Healthough Action Inc., I see people put on many different masks to hide what is not right and not well. 

A man, who has lost much of his short term memory, hides behind the mask of “I don’t care.”  Regardless of what he is asked, whether it is his inability to return to work, having to sell his home, or his overall increased reliance on his wife, he responds with “I don’t care”.  Of course I know after working with him for 5 years, that he does care and cares deeply.  I help him reconnect with all that he loves and values.

A 6 year old boy who struggles with sensory problems and core weakness, problems which make it hard to sustain activities in school, hides behind the mask of “class clown”.  Why admit to having difficulty when you can get a few laughs.  Unfortunately, without the proper help, his poor behavior overshadows his skill development and it becomes hard to catch up.

There are those who may struggle to complete their daily tasks without becoming short of breath and others who may not be able to make a full fist due to arthritic pain.  These people wear the mask of their younger selves, denying encroaching health problems and becoming resigned to this diminished level of health.  Without intervention, they wake up one morning and wonder how they became so limited in movement and function. 

When celebrating Halloween it is fun to try on different masks.  Once the holiday is over we have to remember to take our masks off and face the challenges life presents.  In doing so we actually increase our ability to take control, choice from the available options and move toward a healthy and satisfying life.

Healthrough Action Inc helps you think better, move better, feel better and participate more meaningful in your life.