OT Week 2024: Wellbeing tips from our Occupational Therapy team

byIsaac Mann/November 14, 2024/inNews

OT Week 2024 (Photo of our OTs Lizzie, Lilly, Connor and Roy.

Occupational Therapy Week (4th – 10th November 2024) is a great opportunity to celebrate the incredible work of Occupational Therapists (OTs) and highlight the positive impact they have on people’s lives. At Cypress Hospital in Devon, our OT team are dedicated to supporting people to build practical skills, manage their health, and build confidence in their recovery journey, one small step at a time.

To celebrate OT Week this year, we’ve asked our OTs to share some practical tips they personally use to improve daily wellbeing:

Lizzie’s tips

Start small with new habits – small changes really add up over time!
Attach new habits to existing routines – for example, if you want to practice mindfulness, set a timer for 2 minutes when you have a hot drink and pay attention to the drink, your body and your breath.
Try guided meditation apps – I use apps like Insight Timer and Headspace for guided meditations, often before bed to help me sleep better.
Plan your meals – I keep a list of quick, easy and nutritious meals for busy days so that I can make a meal quickly without giving it much thought.
Make routine tasks more enjoyable – For example, I listen to music when I clean my house.

Lilly’s tips

Make your bed every morning – sometimes the smallest things can make such a difference to your mindset for the day.
Splash cold water on your face in the morning – this helps to wake me up when I feel ‘groggy’ and tired.
Go to sleep at the same time every night – before 10pm if possible, bonus points for no screens an hour before this!
Use a diary or calendar to organise your day/week – I use an app on my phone called ‘TimeTree’ it’s free and super convenient giving you regular reminders.
Prepare breakfast the night before – I make ‘overnight oats’ using oats, yogurt and frozen fruit. I often don’t have the time for breakfast in the morning so this helps ensure I have a filling and healthy start to my day.

We hope you found these tips helpful. By incorporating them into your daily routine, you will hopefully begin to see some improvements in your overall wellbeing. Remember that small steps can lead to big changes over time!

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