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Archive for category: Solutions For Living

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The Alternative Limb Project: Fashion Meets Function

“It’s drawing attention to their disability in a positive way,” said de Oliveira Barata. “Rather than people seeing what’s missing, it’s about what they’ve got.” “Having an alternative limb is about claiming control and saying ‘I’m an individual and this reflects who I am.”

The Alternative Limb Project, started by London designer Sophie de Oliveira Barata, gives fashion to the function of prosthetic limbs.  The pieces created are amazing works of art that exude the individual personality of the wearer.  See more about the Alternative Limb Project here.

The Alternative Limb Project

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Make Time For Family Dinner Time

In today’s busy world it can be hard to make family mealtime a priority and in some cases it has become a thing of the past, or takes the form of people eating while texting, checking a phone, or using a game system.   However, making the time to sit and eat together has valuable physical and mental health benefits.  The following from Health magazine discusses the important advantages of family dinner time.

Health Magazine: 8 Reasons to Make Time for Family Dinner

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How do YOU do it?

I received a lovely email recently whereby the writer was painting me as some form of saint. But the question of “how do you do it” is one I have been asked before. Four kids, a business, house, dogs, a strict fitness regimen, clean-eating, volunteering, part-time MBA. This is my life and to me, nothing to be awarded a cape over.

Ironically, the question of “how do you do it” is one I too ask other people. I am inspired all the time. How do you have a job that is rigid and requires you to show up at a certain time, leave at a certain time, eat at a certain time, prevents you from seeing your child’s Christmas play, picking them up when sick, and restricts your vacation plans? How do you commute 1 hour or more to work in consistently terrible traffic? How do you manage the demands of your stressful job as a police officer, lawyer, adjuster, doctor? How do you manage the demands of caring for a sick or disabled child or an ailing parent? A medical or mental health condition? Single parenting? How did you lose 50 pounds, quit smoking, overcome cancer, beat rare odds, or kick an addiction? How did you cope with the death of your mother, father, child, sibling or spouse? How do you survive on such a restricted income, or with no support from others? Homelessness? Lack of education? How did you deal with the sudden loss of your job, the trauma you experienced as a child, or the daily struggles you might experience as someone with a disability?

We all need to remember that our own tolerances for the trials of life are very much determined by the experiences we have had up to this point. We are all saints – worthy of superhero status – for something. Our behavior, thoughts, beliefs, and practices are all explained by our past, our upbringing, and our genetics. We are all doing our best. And our future, I believe, will be ours to create with the choices we have. Perspective is everything. So, while I go about my day thinking about all the wonderful people that I encounter and that inspire me, do the same. And tell me, how do YOU do it?

 

 

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Spinal Cord Injury: It’s Much More Than Being Unable to Walk

The number one cause of spinal cord injury is car accidents, but falls in the elderly are also rising as precipitating factor.  Those suffering from a spinal cord injury struggle with mobility, bowel and bladder control, muscle spasms, and many other secondary effects of being unable to walk or use their upper body.  Occupational Therapists are integral to the process of adjusting to life post spinal cord injury as we look at all areas of function and promote independence through creative solutions to immobility.  The following video created by the Spinal Cord Research Foundation describes the effects of a spinal cord injury and helps the general public to understand this condition.

 

More than being unable to walk from Wings for Life on Vimeo.

More than being unable to walk from Wings for Life on Vimeo.

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It’s National Non-Smoking Week: Time To "Butt Out"

Apparently, quitting smoking is harder than overcoming other addictions.  For many smokers it becomes more about the habit than the nicotine itself.  There are so many products to assist in quitting smoking; from books, to e-cigarettes, to gums, to inhalers, patches, prescription drugs, and support groups, how do you know what will work for you?  The following website, Break it Off, provides information and support for those ready to quit!   This is national “non-smoking week”, can you make a commitment to Butt Out?

Break it Off

 

 

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Become Smoke Free in 2016

Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)

National Non-Smoking week aside, are you ready to butt out?  According to Smoke Free Ontario, smoking takes approximately 13000 lives in Ontario each and every year.  However, the good news is that the number of smokers continues to decrease yearly, and is currently at 18.1%.  Are you in for reducing this number further?

Apparently, quitting smoking is extremely difficult and many need to try different approaches before finally kicking the habit.  For many smokers it becomes more about the habit and the behavior, than the nicotine itself.  So how can you butt out?  Our team of experienced Occupational Therapists have some great solutions for you to try:

1.    Make Your Intentions Public:  The decision to quit takes a great deal of courage and should be celebrated.  Make your intentions public within your family or friends, or by using social media for a larger reach.  By making your goal to quit public it will help hold you accountable and to draw on those close to you to lean on for support.

2.    Devise a Plan:  Quitting cold turkey can be extremely difficult.  We recommend that you create a monthly or weekly plan to reduce your intake and set you well on your way.  This might be as simple as reducing one cigarette per day for a week or a month, then reducing again etc.

3.    Identify Triggers:  While working through your monthly or weekly plan to reduce the amount of cigarettes you consume, ensure you are keeping track of the amount you smoke each day, the times of day you smoke and what in your environment has triggered you to have a cigarette.  Tracking any behavior is the best way to isolate it and is the first step to making improvements.

4.    Modify your environment to help reduce these triggers:  After conducting your research look closely at the time of day, environment, people, stressors or other triggers that promoted your need or wanting to smoke. Is it possible to change your situation or environment to avoid these triggers moving forward?

5.    Work to reduce stress:  Many smoke as a reaction to stress.  Finding ways to reduce stress, such as meditation and mindfulness practice, taking a hot bath, or breathing exercises can help you to reduce this trigger.

6.    Find a healthier habit:  If it’s the “break” you find is your trigger try finding a different way to take 5 minutes to yourself.  Take a quick walk, try yoga poses, grab a warm beverage, phone a friend or practice breathing exercises instead.

7.    Seek Support:  By making your intentions to quit public you have opened yourself up to a group of family and friends to rely on and assist you in your goal to quit.  If these sources are not available, try phoning the Smokers Hotline or join a support group to speak with someone who can help you through your craving and keep you smoke free.

8.    Seek an Alternative Solution:  There are so many different products in the marketplace to assist you with quitting such as:  gums, e-cigarettes, inhalers, and patches.  Find which one works for you and rely on this to assist you along the way.

9.    Speak to Your Doctor:  Your family doctor is a great resource and will gladly support you in your quest to break the habit.  Speak with your doctor about the alternative solutions and medications that exist that can help you quit.  Your doctor may also connect you to OHIP-funded resources that you can access to support you in your quest.

10.  Celebrate Your Success:  Ensure that along the way you celebrate any milestones you have reached.  If you’ve worked for a week or a month to cut your daily intake by 5 cigarettes, reward yourself and share your news with those you love.  This will help to keep you focussed and lead to further success!

11.   Reword the goal if needed:  Yes “quitting smoking” might be the BIG goal, but under this there are layers of other goals that you can focus on that might seem less intimidating and are more fun to measure.  Maybe your smaller goals include walking upstairs without becoming breathless, having whiter teeth, or not wanting your clothing or home to smell like cigarette smoke.  Perhaps if you relate to a more practical goal that is tangible, measurable, and visible to others, your motivation might be enhanced.

12.   Watch for other bad habits to surface:  Sometimes when trying to move from one bad habit we pick up another.  With any reduction in a negative behavior there will be withdrawal.  Accept this and cope through it for the days it lasts, knowing that those symptoms too shall pass.  But when struggling through withdrawal, try not to adopt another bad habit as a coping mechanism.  Switching from smoking to eating unhealthy food or consuming more alcohol will not help you to achieve the ultimate result you want which is to improve your health.

13.   Don’t just change your behavior, change your LIFESTYLE:  Adopting a new way of living, and talking to others about this, is far more impactful and motivating then talking about a behavior change.  When people say “I am trying to lose weight” it is not nearly as impactful as “I have a sugar-free lifestyle” or “I have changed my lifestyle to achieve my health goals”.  Make a LIFESTYLE change to be healthy and let the behaviors follow.

14.  If at first you don’t succeed… try try again!

For more resources and tips to help you along the way visit www.smokershelpline.ca or www.quitnow.ca.   Also you can find some helpful apps by visiting checking out Healthline’s Top Smoking Cessation Apps.

We wish you the best of luck and encourage you to BE A QUITTER this year!

 

Originally posted January 19, 2015.

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Operation Simplification

Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)

Being honest, the fast pace of this world is starting to wear on me.  And according to Ray Kurzweil, the pace of change is expanding exponentially.  Ouch.  Things are going to get faster?  I can see why Yoga, Mindfulness, Soul Retreats and Vacations are so revered by those who get to enjoy them.

While I am a type-A, goal driven, never-slows-down Taurus, I have vowed to simplify this year.  Perhaps that is my reaction to a crazy last year of opening a new office, starting a blog, finishing my MBA, redoing my basement, getting a puppy, merging my business, or maybe it is just a sign of my maturity as I reluctantly approach middle age (well not that reluctantly because I suppose the alternative to aging is death).

So, what is simplification?  Not sweating the small stuff?  Saying no more often?  Not taking on any new responsibilities?  Not engaging in any new capital projects?  Limiting the constant brain activity that results from obsessive technology use?  Restricting the kid’s activities to my tolerances, not theirs?  Knowing my limits and being disciplined about maintaining them?

I believe that simplification is FOCUS.  Successful people focus their time on the things they are good at or love, they set boundaries, and participate in the intriguing, high reward things they find intellectually, physically, and spiritually uplifting.  Everything else is left behind.  So if you find yourself searching for the next thing, seeking out endless possibility, tangentially changing your mind or direction, perhaps happiness is actually in front of you, simple and clean, but the clutter you are creating in your efforts is clouding your view.

Zenhabits has some wonderful pointers for simplification (see them here).  My favorites include:

  1. Make a list of the top 4-5 most important things in your life.  These should dictate your schedule.
  2. Evaluate your commitments.  Do these align with # 1?
  3. Evaluate your time.  Keep track of this to see how you spend your day.  Do these align with # 1?
  4. Limit communications (personally I am bad at over-communicating.  This year I am making a solid effort to restrict this and to set boundaries – especially with email).
  5. Limit your spending.  Less spending means less stuff.  Less stuff means less clutter.  Less clutter means simple.  I am up for that.

So, contrary to my usual habit of writing down my long and exhaustive list of goals for the year, this year the list is decidedly simple.  In the end, as Zenhabits suggests, I am going to evaluate what is most important to me and try to eliminate everything else.

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Winter Got You Down?

I made a Facebook comment after the Holidays that I was slowly recovering from Christmas Affective Disorder.  For me, Christmas is stressful, hectic and challenging.  I struggle with it every year.  After the seasonal rush, it takes me days, or even weeks, to get back to my normal equilibrium.  However, really, winter despair is not a joke and for some, can be debilitating.

In fact, some research suggests that up to 15% of people in Ontario experience the “winter blues”. These leave you feeling tired, groggy, and maybe even sad or irritable.  While this causes discomfort, it is not incapacitating.  However, a more serious form of the winter blues, known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), can be.  While occurring less frequently at 2-3% of the population, the symptoms can prevent individuals from leading a normal life.  Symptoms of SAD include decreased energy, changes in appetite, especially leading to cravings for starchy or sweet foods, oversleeping and weight gain, among other things.  If you feel this is you, talk to your doctor and have your symptoms investigated.

The problem is not always the blues, but how these create a negative behavior cycle.  When you feel down, you revert, avoid, or change habits.  This leads to feeling worse and the cycle continues.  Occupational therapists (OTs) recognize the importance of being engaged in activities that are meaningful, active and productive, and understand how these contribute to health and well-being. In fact, one of the best treatments for beating the winter blues involves just “keep on keeping on” by doing what you normally do every day.  Some tips include:

 1.       Use behavioral activation to keep your normal routine.  Make the bed, have a shower, prepare a decent breakfast, walk to the mail box.  Don’t change habits that are ingrained just because it is winter.  Never underestimate how damaging it can be if you avoid even small things that ultimately add up to a productive day.  Gradually try to get back to those important tasks if you have found that your daily behaviors have become unproductive.

2.       Stay active.  Those that love the winter do so because they get outdoors.  Walk, ski, skate, toboggan – something to help you appreciate how wonderful a change of seasons can be.  This is best facilitated by proper clothing that will keep you warm.  If exercise is tough for you, build it into your day by default – park farther from the door, use the stairs, make a few trips from the car with the groceries to get the blood flowing.

3.       Consider light therapy.  Sit by the window at lunch, get some fresh air when the sun is out, or consider purchasing an artificial light for your use at home.

4.       Up the nutrients.  When some bad eating habits creep into your winter these can be hard to break come spring, and only contribute to further mood declines.  Shop in the fruit and veggie isles, and avoid the isles that house the bad foods you seem to be eating too much of.

Finding ways to help you do the things you want to, need to, or enjoy, is at the heart of occupational therapy. While the winter months can be long, dark, and cold, ultimately how we adapt to the seasonal change is up to us.  If moving or going south is not an option, consider some of the above tips to make the winter bearable, or dare I say, even enjoyable?

Seasonal Affective Disorder. (Canadian Mental Health Association, 2013) http://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad/

Beat The Winter Blues (Readers Digest, no date) http://www.readersdigest.ca/health/healthy-living/beat-winter-blues

Kurlansik, SL & Ibay, AD. (2012). Seasonal Affective Disorder. Am Fam Physician. 2012 Dec 1;86(11):1037-1041.

10 Winter Depression Busters for Seasonal Affective Disorder (Borchard, no date) http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/12/30/10-winter-depression-busters-for-seasonal-affective-disorder/

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Alzheimer’s Awareness Month: Keep Your Brain Fit

Alzheimer’s Disease International estimates that over 135 million people around the world will suffer from dementia by the year 2050, and are concerned of a looming global epidemic. How can you ensure you are doing the best for your brain in the hopes of preventing dementia? The Alzheimer’s Society of Canada has a fantastic website that outlines the signs and symptoms of dementia, how to care for someone with Alzheimer’s, and how to keep your brain fit through regular brain exercise and a healthy diet.

Alzheimer’s Society Canada: Brain Boosters

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New Year… New You? How to Promote Success with New Year Resolutions

Happy New Year!  For many of us, this is when we take time to reflect on the previous year, and set Resolutions or Goals for the year ahead. However, significant research highlights that many people who set resolutions or goals for the year end up abandoning these before the end of January. Why does this happen and how can you ensure the positive changes you wish to make come to fruition?  This article from the Huffington Post discusses why many often fail at achieving their New Years’  Resolutions and provides helpful tips on how to set reasonable and attainable goals.

 

The Huffington Post: This Is Why You Can Never Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions