By Desirée Gagné, MA, OTR/L

When you are recovering from an illness or surgery, you may find tasks that were once simple to perform are now exhausting. Energy conservation techniques can help make everyday tasks easier, allowing for increased independence and returning to activities you enjoy.

WHAT IS ENERGY CONSERVATION?

Energy conservation is a means of adapting the way you carry out your day-to-day activities within your environment. Making simple adjustments to daily routines can improve energy efficiency, and ultimately conserve energy throughout the day. Everything we do from waking up to going to bed is classed as an activity and uses some form of energy. These techniques can be applied to any aspect of life.

Before you begin to make changes to your daily routine, the first step is to find out how you spend your time and energy. Think about what you do throughout the day and how exerting each task may be for you. This is very important as it will allow you to get a better understanding of how much you are doing and which activities are more or less demanding. The aim of energy conservation is to improve your quality of life, by conserving your energy for the activities you “like to do” as well as those you “have to do”, within a safe and well-structured environment.

THE SIX P’S FOR MORE ENERGY

1. Prioritize

• Prioritize your daily routine and activities – think “how tired will this make me?”
• Set realistic goals, every day.
• Eliminate unnecessary steps of a task I.E., minimize frequency of going up and downstairs during the day.
• When you have more than one thing to do, begin with the most important to make sure it gets done. Decide what needs to be done today and what can wait.

2. Plan

• Break down tasks into stages.
• Plan ahead by alternating light tasks and heavy tasks.
• Plan activities throughout the week to avoid doing too many activities in one day. Put a schedule on the refrigerator to remind you and others who is doing what.
• Use family and friends or pay for help to complete tasks you may struggle with or that require too much energy.

3. Pace

• Pace yourself – keep a slow and steady pace and don’t rush.
• Allow ample time to finish an activity.

• Rest Often! Listen to your body and rest before you become exhausted.

• Have sufficient rest after completing a task and before moving onto the next one.

• Know your limits. Don’t push yourself.

4. Positioning

• Sit down for your activities whenever possible. Keep a stool handy to allow you to sit down to perform tasks.
• Avoid tasks that require prolonged standing, squatting or stooping.
• Avoid raising your arms too high above shoulder level or bending over for too long.
• Keep your body straight while performing a task as poor posture consumes more energy.
• Avoid tiring and awkward posture that may impair breathing I.e., overhead reaching or bending over.
• Keep your arms close to your body while carrying objects and spread the load between both arms at the same time.
• Support your elbows or forearms on a firm surface while you work i.e., shaving, peeling vegetables.
• Sit when you can. Sitting supports your body so you can focus on your breathing and activities while conserving your energy. Sitting reduces energy use by 25%.

5. Pursed lip Breathing

• This technique may not be suitable for everyone such as patients who have breathing conditions.
• This breathing technique allows for better emptying of air from the lungs, more oxygen into your blood, and is also relaxing. It is performed by inhaling through the nose, then exhaling slowly through pursed lips (as if whistling or blowing out a candle). Exhaling should take about twice as long as inhaling (i.e., count 1, 2 while inhaling and 1, 2, 3, 4 for exhaling.
◦ Relax while performing and don’t force a deeper than normal inhalation or exhalation. When performing an activity that makes you short of breath, use pursed lip breathing. Try performing the work while exhaling, i.e., when climbing one or two stairs. Repeat this, pacing yourself up the stairs.

6. Positive Attitude

Rather than focusing on what you can’t do, try to concentrate on what you can do to maintain a high quality of life. Be creative in finding ways to adapt your activities so that you can continue to perform them.

Remember… The most important energy conservation tip is to listen to your body. Stop and rest BEFORE you get tired. Plan rest times. Rest often.

DISCLAIMER:

This article is intended to provide general health information and is not intended to provide individual-specific medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

(Sources: Breathe Easy – 2008, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton revision 11/2013)