Is your home improving your health?

Chronically ill people spend more time in their homes than healthy people. That makes it even more important that our home environment meets our health needs. At times having a healthy home is difficult to achieve because a limited income constricts our housing choices. There are ways to improve your environment no matter where you live.

One way to control your environment is by using cleaning products that are not toxic. http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-simple-alternatives-to-toxic-cleaning-products.html Those with Environmental Illness are especially sensitive to chemicals and their health can be severely effected by exposure to cleaning chemicals. They are the canary birds of our current society warning us of the dangers of the proliferation of chemicals present in every day life. Like the canaries in the coal minds warning of gas in the tunnels these individuals show us the danger of chemical overload can present to our bodies.The following link  is to the Environmental Resource Center and contains lots of information on the subject: http://www.ei-resource.org/ .

Another housing consideration is if your housing is accessible enough so you are able to function well in it. I live in a mobile home and it meets my needs well since it is all on one level. This has enabled to do my laundry without being exhausted by stairs. It has a small square footage which makes it easier to clean. I am able to live in a quiet environment which allows me to rest more thoroughly.

Is your home helping you to be more functional? If not are there simple solutions to make the home safer? Brighter lights for those with dimming eyesight might be as simple as a light bulb change. Taping down scatter rugs would make walking safer for someone no longer steady on their feet. Installing wall bars in the bathroom could keep a person independent in the bathroom.

Sometimes simple renovations or purchases can make a home more comfortable. Flooring could be changed to make it more walker or wheelchair friendly. A more accessible tub or shower could be installed. A chair that lifts could be bought to assist rising out of the sitting position.

It just takes a minute to sit down and think about your problems and how you can address them. Often an Occupational Therapist is a good person to give advice in this area. http://www.saot.ca/OT.htm

What do you do if your housing really is contributing to your health issues? You may have to consider moving. You may have come to the time when you require more care or a home without chemical problems in the air. Many local governments have housing for the disabled you may qualify for or assisted living facilities. The final decision will be yours. Will your home help your health or damage it?

Sleep the Great Health Restorer

I struggle with my sleep being fully restoring and constant fatigue is my major symptom of chronic illness. I have learned a few things that have helped me have a better quality of sleep. Adequate sleep is important for your immunity as well as many other body systems.

The most important  issue that I uncovered was that I had sleep apnea. Being diagnosed and using a CPAP machine at night to help my breathing increased the quality of my sleep. The following link describes apnea and other sleep disorders and their symptoms. http://www.sleepeducation.com/Disorder.aspx?id=50  The next link describes a CPAP and how it is used. http://www.sleepeducation.com/CPAPCentral/  One advantage of the CPAP after you get used to the mask is the quiet sound of the machine acts like white noise to block out other sounds making it easier to fall asleep.

I started to use an eye mask to block light while I slept and ear plugs to block noise. I bought a memory foam bed topper to decrease pressure on aching joints and pressure points. Education on sleep hygiene helped me make some wise changes in my routines around sleep and the comfort of my bedroom. This link gives helpful advice on sleep hygiene and how it helps the quality of your sleep. http://www.sleepeducation.com/Hygiene.aspx

Shutting off my racing thoughts to allow me to have a restful sleep rather than a restless night remained a problem. Writing down a list of things to do the next day allows my mind to let go of those future tasks. Journalling to relieve emotional stress allows me to let those issues go overnight. Sometimes I need to use a relaxation CD to allow muscle tension to release before I can sleep.

Changing all my meds that have fatigue and tiredness as side effects to evening doses instead of taking them throughout the day was another step to a more restful sleep and to a decrease in fatigue during the day.

Allowing myself to return to bed on the morning that I awake severely fatigued has helped also. As well as resting lying flat at times through out the day so my fatigue doesnot become so overwhelming that I am so overtired that I cannot sleep.

Counteracting a Winter of the Soul

 I love living in a country that has very distinct seasons. Spring, Summer and Fall can be brief but beautiful and Winter can seem to linger cold and still for too long. Have you ever had a winter of the soul? A time when life is bleak and you are in mourning for a stage of your life that has past.

For me that winter was a long bout of mono on top of my other chronic illnesses. Months turned into years of overwhelming fatigue, crushing brain fog and a great sense of loss for the work I no longer can do. Both my children left the nest and I was no longer able to assist my disabled brother and aging mother. I was required for health reasons to move out alone into a small bachelors suite while I struggled to focus on regaining a measure of my own health.

How did I counteract the bleakness? I read my scriptures and focused on finding joy. I added small things to my life that gave me joy such as listening to music or having fresh flowers in a vase. I learned to listen to my body and rest as much as it needed and worked on overcoming my resentment when my health didn't allow me to do the things I desired to do. I accepted the unconditional love and acceptance of my pets. I started a joy journal where I recorded small things I was grateful for in the day such as the beauty of the stars in the winter sky. I looked for inspiration in the lives of great people such as Helen Keller and Mother Theresa.

I still struggle at times to see the colors, the beauty in everyday life but now I have an arsenal of joy starters to counteract the bleakness. Here is a joy starter to share with you. The following is a link to a motivational movie showing beautiful photos and inspirational quotes on how to find joy in your life. http://www.simpletruths.tv/land.html

Thanksgiving

Giving Thanks
For the hay and the corn and the wheat that is reaped,
For the labor well done, and the barns that are heaped,
For the sun and the dew and the sweet honeycomb,
For the rose and the song and the harvest brought home --
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

For the trade and the skill and the wealth in our land,
For the cunning and strength of the workingman's hand,
For the good that our artists and poets have taught,
For the friendship that hope and affection have brought --
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

For the homes that with purest affection are blest,
For the season of plenty and well-deserved rest,
For our country extending from sea unto sea;
The land that is known as the "Land of the Free" --
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!
Author Unknown

Laughter Yoga

I was at a TOPS rally on Saturday. The key note speaker was a Laughter Yoga Instructor who also clowns. She lead us through laughter and yoga breathing exercises. There were no jokes, we learned to laugh on cue. Our bodies don't recognize the difference between genuine laughter and staged laughter. It was a little awkward as we began to laugh but soon the laughter was genuine and it was difficult to turn it off on command. Over 100 people were laughing heartily and it was contagious. What a joyous break in the day. I was wonderfully relaxed and my mood elevated after the exercises.

I have heard laughter described as "jogging for the soul". Indeed there are many health benefits to laughter including a healthier immune system. There are over 6000 Laughter Yoga Clubs around the world. The following link includes videos of laughter yoga. Check it out and see if you could benefit from some laughter in your life.
http://www.followthelaughter.com/Laughpic.htm