We’ve all heard this phrase, “Work smarter, not harder!” But what does that mean exactly, and can you apply it to anything? Can you apply it to your life? The term is called energy conservation and it is the concept of completing tasks with the least amount of exertion, or effort. The definition may make it sound like you’re trying to be lazy, but don’t get the wrong idea. Energy conservation is about modifying ways to do every day tasks so that maybe you can spend more energy on activities you love, or even just to get through the day. Sometimes this means reducing muscle fatigue, sometimes this means avoiding joint pain, but whatever the reason energy conservation becomes especially relevant as we age.
Think of your daily routine. For some of us this does not seem like a struggle, but for others with joint pain or muscle fatigue getting through the morning routine can be a challenge. If we are experiencing any kind of pain or fatigue then we generally want to get through our movements much quicker, sometimes we might even rush. When we rush though, we are putting ourselves in a position to make mistakes and this is the most common reason for a fall.
Energy conservation involves not just avoiding challenging tasks but also planning.
Take a look at your every day routine and break it down to each step. Is there something you can eliminate? Is there something that can be moved to make each day easier, like the location of your shoes or shirts? Whatever it is focus on how you can make something simpler or take less time to complete Even though you may have already simplified your daily routine to what you believe is the most condensed version you can always break it down step by step and take a look at it.
It may not even be your daily routine that needs to be addressed, maybe the task that challenges you the most is cooking or cleaning. Either way, we have some tips on how to incorporate energy conservation into your life.
A huge part of conserving energy is planning. Whether it’s extra trips to the kitchen or heavy laundry, creating a plan before you complete a task can reduce fatigue or joint pain. A few tips for planning is to create a general outline of your day, being very detailed. You can do this in your head or on paper, whatever is more effective for you. But what you should be focused on is the tasks that cause you the most discomfort. Let’s look at laundry. First you identify what it is that causes the discomfort. Is it standing for a long period? Lifting heavy sheets? Bending over the dryer to pull items out? By identifying what the issue is you can plan out your steps to make changes or reduce effort.
Standing too tiring? Have a chair in near your washer and dryer or complete the laundry in another room while sitting down.
Laundry too heavy? Do light loads, but frequently. Or get heavier items dry cleaned.
Bending causing back pain? Get a heavy duty reacher to lift out items from the washer and dryer without having to bend over!
Whether you get tired after too much activity or repetitive movements cause you pain, prioritizing can help you. When you’re making your list for the day to help you better plan, you can also use that to prioritize. First you can focus on the tasks that absolutely have to be completed during the day and which ones could be pushed back to a different day. Another prioritizing tip is to look at your week as a whole. When looking at the week you can make sure that you’re not trying to put too many tasks into one day and see if you can’t add it to a different day.
Having a correct and convenient location for frequently used items also greatly reduces your amount of effort exerted. Imagine going to the kitchen to use a pair of scissors only to find that they aren’t there. The amount of time that it took you to walk to the kitchen may have been a short amount but you likely will spend quite a bit more energy looking for the scissors rather than having already completed the task. Although the scissors is a simple example, many out of place items can cause extra work for yourself. Keeping your items organized and free of clutter not only reduces your energy exhorted but also reduces your risk for falls. And let’s be honest, it just makes things a lot easier.
Another way to conserve energy is to take rest breaks when you get too tired. Or schedule a rest break before you get too tired. There is no shame in needing to rest while washing the dishes or cooking, and often times there isn’t a rush anyways. When cooking some things can be done ahead of time, such as cutting vegetables, in order to reduce amount of effort around dinner time. Allowing yourself to rest between tasks can be a very beneficial trick when attempting to complete multi step activities.
Maybe you’re working on planning and organizing but what you may be forgetting is to ask for help. Although asking for help is hard for many of us, it is usually not as awkward or as burdening as you imagine it. Often times we have this idea that if we ask for help you will be burdening someone, when in reality there are often people in your life eager to assist you. This doesn’t mean ask them for help with everything but it can mean analyzing your day and determining which part is the most painful, or the most exhausting and seeing if someone could assist you. Whether you need help regularly or just every once in a while it never hurts to ask.
Still need help? Schedule an online appointment to talk with an occupational therapist about energy conservation for home, work, or even hobbies! An occupational therapist can help you analyze your activities and provide beneficial advice for modifications, tips, and even special devices to make tasks easier. Contact us today to schedule an appointment! hcstraightup@gmail.com or 727-275-0493
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