How do you tailor your daily routine to fit your disability needs?

This week’s blog is actually a great subject to revisit from time to time to see where you might make changes down the road. Yes, your body does evolve, and so should your routine! My own daily routine has changed many times over the past nine years since my disability began. Although I modify my level of performance as needed, my baseline routine stays intact and at a comfort level that’s suitable to me.

I’d like to share my plan and offer some ideas that might be beneficial in streamlining your own routine. And remember to help your future self by occasionally reviewing your daily patterns using these 5 steps:

1. Set Up a Plan

To go about everyday life in setting up and living by a routine, one of the first things you might consider is brainstorming what’s important that you would like to let into — or back into — your life. Start small with your list, and remember you’re not in a competition. Wherever your routine will take place, be it at home, a scheduled weekly appointment, work, or a combination of these items, you might also consider obstacles that have the ability to potentially hurt or hinder you at any of these places.

Make a list of obstacles to avoid or find a way to work around. They could be anything from electrical cords on a floor to stairs, or even the different surfaces you walk on inside and outside. This is a very important step to revisit as you progress: both your body and your environment will change overtime. Just because a threat didn’t exist yesterday doesn’t mean you’re in the clear tomorrow!

2. Manage Energy Levels

As I mentioned in the previous tip, start small. Energy management in the beginning is something that not only requires foresight, but it also requires situational awareness and the willingness to not push forward when your body is saying its had enough. By accepting your body is tired, you have energy for tomorrow’s routine and avoid stealing from tomorrow’s energy because you pushed too hard today. Regarding situational awareness, have you ever seen that person driving down the road, mile after mile with their turn signal on? Well, there’s an example of a lack of situational awareness. Imagine that now when you’re learning to listen to your body, and yes, it takes an effort sometimes to grow that muscle memory.

A few helpful examples here are setting up the clothes you choose to wear prior to the beginning of your work week, preparing meals ahead of time, and using a bag with wheels and a telescoping handle to carry your necessities to and from work. Have all your important contacts stored in your phone and at least one other location that’s easily accessible. And make sure all your personal electronic devices are fully powered! These steps may seem insignificant, but each adds up overtime to long term benefits.

3. Note Changing Endurance

Because you can do whatever makes you happy, here’s another fun idea! In my case, after I got home from the hospital still in a paralytic state, I had my recumbent bike moved from my exercise room downstairs to the living room upstairs where I was spending most of my time. I evolved from figuring out how to get on it to figuring out the movements of pedaling. It was a time consuming process to work up to longer and longer rides. This built my endurance for movement and elongated my ability to exercise each day. It also helped me in relearning how to put one foot in front of the other.

As your body changes, so does your endurance levels. When tailoring your daily routine to your disability needs, note areas where you can rest while also keeping in mind ways to build your endurance. If this sounds like a balancing act, then you’re right on the money.

4. Monitor Nutrition Levels

As an airline instructor, one thing I always noticed year after year was how drained my students were after they returned from lunch. I’ve never been someone who has eaten poorly throughout my life. I’ve always gravitated toward healthy food and nutrition. This is something that I’ve also found vitally important while recovering from my aneurysm, spinal cord stroke, and paralysis.

Healthy food choices always overcome fast food options. Even though stopping by a local chain restaurant can be more convenient, there are great workarounds. Meal prepping — even if it’s picking up pre-made salads for lunch breaks when grocery shopping — doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Even switching out fries for fruit or veggies has an impact. The better you’re eating, the more you’re able to support your energy and endurance.

5. Set Up a Free Day

Set aside one day a week for you with no routine! These ideas so far have all centered around the physical aspects of improvement. This last idea centers around the psychological aspect of improvement. It’s good to consider taking a day each week to do something unplanned as a reward for all your hard work and commitment. In other words, break with the routine on this particular day and do something you enjoy.

Sit in the backyard, take a walk in a park, read a book, watch a light-hearted movie, or maybe even consider massage therapy. Whichever you choose, find and observe a little peace a quiet just for you. Find something that exercises your smile muscles on this day. You may find along the way that it also turns off the monkey chatter in your brain and rejuvenates you for a while new week ahead.

I hope these 5 tips help ensure you’re putting your best foot forward each day. With steady commitment, moving closer to your goals is unavoidable. Keep at it, and again, remember to revisit these tips as you progress to reap the rewards. Do you have your own tip to tailor daily routines to disability needs? Feel free to share in the comments below or connect over social media with me (links below).