Energy Economy - How To Declutter While Chronically Ill - Part 2

Ok.  We’ve made a plan (see here).  We’ve armed ourselves with six questions that will focus our decluttering energy so that we can achieve the desired results.  We have made a Keep vs Throw list.  And we have got some basic principles to keep us grounded (in case we were getting too heady with all this romantic tidying up talk).  

 

Now it’s time to implement the plan, use the questions, and actually do some work.  I know, I know.  This is the hard part.  But I do believe there are ways to make it easier so that even we, the chronically ill people of the world, can make a noticeable difference in this direction.

Declutter around your bed first.

Last week we discussed the first five steps.  Today we discuss the remaining 10.

Six:  Declutter the area around your bed.  Or wherever you spend the most time (couch, desk, kitchen counter, whatever).  This is a good place to start.  We are not talking about the room itself.  We are talking about the specific area you inhabit most frequently and the two (or four) areas that abut to it (i.e. the tables, floor, and other things right beside your bed).  You can often do this in a relatively short period of time, maybe even without having to vacate your spot.  (However - don't get rid of things you really need right there - like meds and books, etc... That doesn't make life easier. )

Seven:  Try clearing out one shelf or drawer.   You can even just do half of the shelf or drawer.  Sit down while you work.  Try not to exceed more than 20-30 minutes on this project.  Then try to maintain it.  Every now and then do a quick tidy up of that area (2 minutes).  Trust me, this leads to bigger things. 

Energy Economy - How To Declutter While Chronically Ill - Part 1

Energy Economy - How to Declutter While Chronically Ill - Part 1

The last Coping With Chronic Illness post was about the difference between de-cluttering, organizing, and simplifying and why the difference matters.  If you didn’t read that post you might want to.  

 

In the meantime we are going to be talking about clutter today.  To de-clutter means to get rid of excess stuff.  And for the purposes of this post we are thinking primarily of tangible stuff –things, possessions.  

So here are the first five suggestions.  You can do these even while bedridden.

Energy Economy - 10 Ways to COMBAT Cognitive Dysfunction (Brain Fog, Fibro Fog)

10 Ways To Combat Brain Fog

As I see it, dealing with cognitive dysfunction falls into two categories:  1. Coping, and 2. Combatting.

Coping means to accept that it is a problem and do what you can to live within its limits.  Cope can literally mean to come into contact with, to meet.  So to cope is to go out and meet the challenge as best we can.  Last week we discussed 10 ways to cope with this problem.  Today we will discuss how to combat it.

When I think of Combat, I think of a battle.  And often battles are fought over territory.  So, ‘to combat’ means to fight for our mental territory.  Literally it can mean to take action to reduce, destroy, or prevent something.

Energy Economy - 10 Was to COPE with Cognitive Dysfunction (Brain Fog, Fibro Fog)

Brain Fog (Cognitive Dysfunction) and Chronic Illness

One of the most difficult and devastating things I have had to deal with in this last year is a worsening of my brain fog/cognitive dysfunction.  I thought, ‘so my body doesn’t work, at least I can catch up on some reading and studying’.  But no.  To my horror, I found that even reading caused extreme exhaustion, pain, and debilitation.  This realization was a very low point for me.
 

Cognitive dysfunction (or brain fog) has many causes.  It can be a symptom in illnesses like depression, lupus, Celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis, fibromyalgia, sjogren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity), and many more.  It is also sometimes a symptom in ADHD and peri-menopause.  And this barely scratches the surface.

Energy Economy - 12 Ways To Simplify Your Grooming And Dressing Routines While Chronically Ill

Have you ever felt like the woman in this picture?  By the time you are ready to leave the house you have already used up all your energy?  I have.  So, I'm trying new and different methods to more successfully deal with these things.

These suggestions may be controversial and I am by no means to be taken as law on these points.  Your appearance can be a very personal matter fraught with deep emotions.  Take my words with a grain of salt.

 

With that proviso in mind, here are the suggestions I am working on for saving energy while still putting your best foot forward.

Energy Economy - Dealing With People While Chronically Ill

When you get right down to it, dealing with people can be one of the most physically, mentally, and emotionally draining aspects of dealing with your illness.  So, I thought it only right that we cover this under Energy Economy, because if we don’t learn to deal with people more effectively we will have serious problems.  So here are some of my top suggestions.  (Keep in mind that these suggestions are for the masses, the public, not for your close friends or your support system.)

Energy Economy - Personal Hygiene and Chronic Illness

Bathing has become an ordeal for me.  I can’t shower now because I can’t stand up that long and I can’t raise my hands above my head.  So I take baths.  But doing a full bath – like washing my hair and shaving my legs – takes forever and is exhausting.  I have to rest for hours afterward.  So I am constantly looking for easier, better, energy-saving ways to perform personal hygiene tasks. Below are a few practical suggestions I (and others) have followed at various levels of illness to make bathing and personal hygiene easier.  I hope some of them work for you too.

Energy Economy - 14 Suggestions For Cleaning House While Chronically Ill

Arggg.  This can be a very frustrating problem when you have physical limitations.  In the end, we may just have to settle for less than best in this area.  I don’t claim to have all the answers.  I certainly am not able to do all the cleaning myself.  But, these suggestions have helped me and others I know to do as much as we can.

Energy Economy - Leaving The House While Chronically Ill

Leaving the house while chronically ill.

Energy Economy – Leaving The House

When you are chronically ill, just the act of leaving your house may be difficult.  You may have very limited mobility.  And you may have some emotional effects from being confined to home so much (if you are confined to home) – anxiety or fear about leaving the house and all that entails.  Everything is harder when you are dealing with a chronic illness.  But, here are some simple suggestions to make life a little easier. 

Energy Economy - Wardrobe Considerations For The Chronically Ill Part 2.

My Personal Hat and Glove Collection.

Well, in my last post we discussed 2 ways to conserve energy when it comes to your wardrobe – figuring out what kind of clothes work with your illness, and only having clothes that look presentable and are flattering on your body.  Today we have six more suggestions to help us work smarter and not harder.

3.    Keep a few pairs of gloves.  Wear them when you leave the house if you have weakened immunity.  You can buy pretty, vintage gloves on eBay.  Or look at department stores.   Or wear the five dollar winter gloves from Wal Mart.  Whatever floats your boat.  I have gloves in a variety of weights.  In the summer I wear my lightest, coolest gloves because I get hot, and I get sick when I get hot.

Energy Economy - Wardrobe Considerations For The Chronically Ill Part 1

The subject of clothing might seem frivolous but spending some time on it can make a difference in your energy expenditure.  It can cut down on pain, discomfort, energy used dressing, energy used fretting about your appearance, sorting time, emotional energy, and the list goes on.

I am a girl who likes working on/ thinking about her wardrobe.  But this has less to do with fashion and style and more to do with dressing practically for your illness.  It can still be fun and you can still be into fashion even with these practical suggestions.

The Issue of Clothes and Chronic Illness

Energy Economy - Grocery Shopping and Chronic Illness

When dealing with chronic or disabling illness, preparing the food that goes in our mouths is difficult enough.  Even worse is shopping for the food.  These are suggestions that I and others with chronic illnesses have found helpful.  

Park in a disabled parking space.  If you do not have a disability parking tag then see your doctor about getting one.  

Use an electric cart.  Do not feel guilty or embarrassed about this.  The fact is that those carts are made available specifically for people like you – whether you regularly use a wheelchair or not.

Purchase a mechanical "claw" so you don’t have to stand to reach everything.

Energy Economy - Food Matters Part 3

Well, you thought I was done, and so did I.  But, it turns out there is more to say on the subject of nourishing ourselves while coping with chronic illness.  Following are a few suggestions from readers. 

Stock up on healthy freezer meals.

• Cook or do most of the prep work at your best time of day.  If your best time is just after waking up, try to put on a crock pot meal, or prep a dish so you can put it in the oven for dinner without having to do anymore work.  If your best time is at night you could get breakfast together and prep a crockpot meal so that you can just turn it on the next day.    Again, here is my pinterest board for inspiration.
• Make more than you normally eat in one setting so you can have two or three meals from it and only cook once.

Energy Economy - Food Part 2

 

Because food can be such an issue when you are chronically ill it is good to simplify things as much as possible.  In Part 1 – we went over four basic suggestions that can simplify the process of nourishing ourselves.  These five more suggestions are slightly more advanced. 

•  Cook sitting down.  I mean, gather all of your utensils, plates, ingredients, pans, cutting boards, etc… and do all the prep and cooking sit down.  I can’t stand for longer than about two minutes.  So this is the only way I am ever able to cook – even just an omelet.  I’m also less tired afterward.
•  

Energy Economy - Food Part 1

We have to eat.  We cannot fight our illness without energy.  Food is energy.  However, getting the food to our mouths may be difficult.  In the past year I have been completely bedridden, requiring all my meals to be brought to me.  Then I improved to eating what somebody else prepared but in the kitchen rather than my bed.  Then I progressed to being able to get very simple, basic meals for myself (we’re talking things like a ham sandwich or boiled eggs).

In the next two Energy Economy posts I will list some practical suggestions that either I or people I know implement to make eating more doable.  

• Keep snacks by your bed, especially if you are bed ridden, or wherever you spend the most time.  Some Ideas for non- perishable snacks are:  Dried fruit and nuts, granola or fruit bars, peanut or almond butter, and crackers.

• Make a list of very easy, simple foods you can get in about five minutes.  I’m talking basics like PBJ, ham sandwich, eggs, can of soup, smoothies, etc…  You can see my personal list of easy five minute foods here and here.  You can also do searches on google, bing, or pinterest.  You’ll find some good ideas.  I find that I need the list as a reminder.