Maintain Your Optimal Health

Emotional wellness considers your ability to be self-aware of your actions, accept your emotions, and handle challenges that may require resiliency.

• Acceptance
  • Webinar: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Occupational Therapy Practitioners
• Mindfulness
  • Mindfulness Strategies for OT Practitioners
• Emotional regulation
  • The Relationship Between Emotion Regulation and Quality of Life in Healthy Adults: Implications for Occupational Therapy

Foster your environmental wellness by creating a stimulating and pleasing environment that supports your overall well-being.

Do your part

• Recycle, reuse and reduce waste.
• Use reusable bags when shopping.
• Conserve water.
• Ride your bike, walk, or jump on an electric scooter to run quick errands.
• Plant a garden.
• Appreciate your surroundings and spend time in nature.

Adapt your space

• Adapt your personal environment to provide opportunities during scheduled activities for mindfulness exercises.
• Incorporate mindfulness into your lunch break by practicing mindful eating and sitting outside on a bench or under a tree.

Make an in-person sensory room or space

• Identify an available room or space (e.g., vacant office, unused section of a classroom, empty cubical) to create a sensory room.
• Decrease artificial light in this space by using a floor lamp instead of overhead lighting.
• Use calming lighting, such as a lava lamp to center your space.
• Provide comfortable seating, such as beanbag chairs, and place a docking station for personal devices to play music.
• Consider using a diffuser for aromatherapy.

Create a virtual sensory space

• Seek out opportunities within your schedule to introduce mindfulness breaks.
• Use a virtual meeting platform to set up virtual breakout “rooms” to provide specific sensory activities for each room.
• Create a different atmosphere for each room:
  • Slideshow of scenic views
  • Soft and calming music
  • Stretching and yoga poses.

Take the meeting on the road

• Go for a walk with the team for a small group meeting.
• Take advantage of a conference call to change your environment by walking around the block.

Source: Gibbs, V., & Harley, N. (2021). Trauma treatment in ACTION: Over 85 activities to move clients toward healing, growth, and improved functioning. PESI Publishing, Inc.

The anxiety of financial stress has a strong impact on financial well-being. Preparing your financial house can ease some of the angst associated with finances.

Education

• Take a personal finance or financial management course.
• Learn the right investments for your needs and start investing early.
• Research the best savings vehicles.
• Create passive income by exploring one of your passions or areas of creativity.

Budget

• Use a budgeting app to track spending and income.
• Set weekly, monthly, and yearly financial goals.
• Create an emergency fund.
• Continue to save and always pay yourself first.
• Don't forget to budget for enjoyment, such as movies, dining out, and travel.

Credit

• Get a free credit report from all credit bureaus annually.
• Check for discrepancies and errors that lower or affect your credit score.
• Keep credit card usage below 30% of your credit limit.

Emotions

• Develop a positive attitude about money. Past experiences can affect our feelings on finances.
• Set up a weekly or monthly meeting to discuss your financial goals and progress with a trusted friend, partner, or advisor.
• Celebrate your wins!

Establishing routines that provide stability and giving yourself permission to try something new will support intellectual well-being.

• Implement schedules including opportunities for self-care.
• Establish healthy routines and habits.
• Use assistive technology, such as scheduling apps on your smart phone or other device.

Achieving occupational wellness means that you are fulfilling your purpose in your chosen field and satisfying your work-life balance and financial well-being needs.

• Network within your circle of colleagues and be open to making new connections.
• Build positive relationships at work.
• Seek out a mentor to help guide you on your career path.
• Take advantage of networking opportunities at conferences or work retreats.
• Volunteer to take on a new assignment or project.
• Set boundaries and realistic expectations.
• Keep a list of accomplishments, reviews, and feedback. Some of the best compliments are emailed.

Physical activity, proper rest, and good nutrition go a long way in helping you maintain your optimal health.

Recommendations

• Consult with your physician before starting any exercise or diet routine.
• Engage in regular exercise—aim for 150 minutes a week.
• Get plenty of rest to reset.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Reduce sugar and artificial and processed foods.
• Soak up the sun when you can—vitamin D fights diseases, promotes bone health, reduces depression, and boosts your immune system.
• Stay hydrated. Aim for a minimum of 8 glasses of water per day.
• Try to eat a well-balanced diet with whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
• Prepare your meals for the week in advance.

Interventions

• Acupressure tapping
• Diaphragmatic breathing
• Ear and eyelid massage
• Eye yoga
• Powerful iliopsoas stretches
• Rhythmic activity such as dancing and music

Finding ways to connect to your spirituality can be very helpful in balancing your life. Spiritual well-being can have a positive impact on finding your purpose and meaning; coping with depression, anxiety, and stress; fostering resilience, and feeling a sense of belonging to a group.

• Understand the gratitude journal and the dopamine connection.
• List what you are grateful for to release dopamine, which makes your brain respond in positive ways.
• Make time for yoga and meditation.
• Travel to a unique location or even your backyard to connect with nature.
• Seek high vibrations (developing positive and healthy relationships, interacting with nature, seeking a balanced and nurturing diet, and practicing gratitude in your daily life).
• Establish your values to serve as a structure on how you live your life.
• Create a prayer journal that supports religious practices to capture prayer requests, needs, goals, and visions for your life.

Staying connected in your community is an important component to social well-being. A sense of belonging and engagement is necessary for overall health.

• Organize meetups with colleagues, friends, or family members.
  
• Participate in social meetups.
  
• Attend staff “happy” hours.
• Engage in virtual lunch hours.
  
• Volunteer in your community.