Energy Conservation
Sounding complicated and very scientific, Energy Conservation (EC), gets easier with practice. In short EC is just saving your energy. Well-known Christine Miserendine created and published, The Spoon Theory. Using spoons as energy, she takes a spoon away with each life task. Sometimes more than one spoon is needed because a task may take more energy than another. Lupus and any chronic illness fatigue is real and is worse with some individuals than others. I may be able to vacuum so 1 spoon energy is used while another person may need 3 spoons. Knowing how many spoons you use throughout the day and how many you must begin with for the day. Lupus and most Chronic illnesses being a day-to-day illness, sometimes you have no idea what energy task you will need to get through the day. I find 12 spoons to be a good number to start with. Daily tasks include showering/ hygiene needs, making breakfast, going to work, getting kids ready for day, work or leisure, lunch, work or leisure, dinner, cleaning house, nighttime activity. Daily tasks depend on your own personal health and your own energy levels. Lupus fatigue is the most common complaint from fellow Lupus warriors.
Find your EC, make a list of your daily tasks and find a way to simplify your tasks to save energy and make tasks more manageable for you to complete. Here’s a couple examples that I have had to incorporate into my life to ease pain, save energy and save stamina.
Cooking: chop or prepare food sitting down, buy already chopped food, buy a peeler that is palm held, mini electric chopper, electric can opener, jar popper which releases the lids, and nice floor mats. Create easy recipes with 6 or less ingredients. Bagged frozen veggies for the win.
Showering: use shampoo/conditioner and soap in pump bottles, put a seat in the shower, try a hair towel, sit and do make-up and hair, buy a hair dryer or curling iron/flat iron that fits your hands and has umph!
Housework: Have a place for everything, hunting and searching is exhausting. Swiffer mop has been a life saver, lightweight vacuum and those magnetic dusters. Pretreat bathroom with Tilex or whatever you use. Let it sit. I clean the shower when I’m in it. Leaving Clorox wipes under every sink makes them easy to grab for a quick wipe. Throw a wipe on the floor spot clean with foot rubbing wipe in spots needed. (bad days and bending no fun)
Exercising: I know, how do I exercise if I feel so bad and every body part hurts, plus parts I never knew I had hurt. Not to mention how tired you are daily. Exercising may not be a good idea at every level of your Chronic Illness especially when you are in a flare. Here are some tips to get you started or get you to start thinking about exercising. Now my exercise looks like a slow warm-up. It’s time to stop comparing yourself to before Lupus self. Oh, it’s hard but you can do it. Tips: Start really slow, you may want to just walk outside to mailbox and back, (my neighbors are well aware of my pj’s and bedhead, just wave), before getting out of bed do some leg lifts or bend and straighten, when shopping try to park a little from handicap parking on your good days, don’t use an electric cart for quick errands ( sometimes you just have too). Try to stretch and stay limber, your joints need to be lengthened. Hands over head reach up and now reach down as far as you can next time try a little further. Water aerobics is the best workout with reducing stress on joints and body. If you can’t swim don’t worry, they have lots of classes in shallow water, only do what you can and what feels good for your body. The no pain no gain is just not applicable for us. I started walking outside about six years ago. I try to walk at least 2 days a week. I drove around trying to find a nice trail or sidewalk that was somewhat flat. I have been walking the same path which is only .65 miles long. I use walking sticks to help keep my posture up. I like music so I have my headset. My time has increased but I still haven’t gone for that next lap. Maybe this year it will happen. Most importantly when it comes to working out, pick an exercise you may have done in your youth or something you are familiar with. You will be surprised how your muscle memory will help you along the way. You want your work out to be easy so you will do it. To make it harder, increase pace or walk backwards or pump arms more. I do recommend cooling down and stretching after work out. There are a ton of free videos of most exercises for free! I did love restorative yoga until other body parts started screaming just to find a way to move. Chair yoga is fun too! If physical exercise is too much, find a hobby or activity to do throughout the day. Finding something you can accomplish is so rewarding no matter what it is.
Disability Placards
Living in the state of Virginia the process was easy. Get a form from the DMV, give it to your general practitioner or rheumatologist to fill out and return to the DMV. They mailed me my placard. I now have handicapped plates on my car and a placard to take when with a family member or friend. Your car must be registered in your name for handicapped plates.
Once you get your placard display it on your car window shield when parked in handicapped spot. A placard you can take when you travel. It’s for you, not the car owner. If you need steps, park away from the store and use it when you need it! Egos are huge and I have one! My transition to handicap placards was not easy. Having a chronic illness was bad enough now I’m handicapped. Ugh! Let me tell you, you deserve it if you’re having trouble and in a flare. With an invisible illness you will get looks, you will get unwanted or uncalled-for comments from ignorant individuals, and you may feel you don’t need to deserve it. You are very deserving of a little grace and a handicap placard. The ignorant individuals are just that ignorant and do not need an explanation or response. You may want to respond but save your energy for your errand or appointment. They are not worth your energy or thoughts.
