With shorter daylight hours and colder days and nights, winter can feel like the perfect time to hibernate. And, in a sense, we do spend the winter months conserving our energy. When we think of energy conservation, the first thing that often comes to mind is tips and tricks for home energy conservation. There are an abundance of guidelines that provide energy (and money) saving tips, holiday-specific energy-saving tips, as well as low-income assistance programs for winterizing homes. Often, the second thought when considering energy conservation is how we can conserve our personal energy, especially for people with chronic health conditions.
If you have a chronic health condition, like arthritis, asthma, COPD, or heart disease, it can be very important to conserve your energy year-round. It is especially important to conserve energy in the winter though when our bodies are already wanting to go into a mode of hibernation. Some great suggestions for how to conserve energy include:
- Plan your activities in advance and also plan for periods of rest
- Ask friends, family, and neighbors for assistance with tasks (like shoveling the driveway/sidewalk or helping with grocery shopping)
- Use assistive devices to make tasks easier (like a cane or walker, bottle and can openers, Good Grips cooking and eating utensils, button hooks, etc)
- Organize your items/storage with items you regularly use in closer proximity
For more resources on personal energy conservation, check-out the below resources!
Conserving Energy When You Have COPD or Other Chronic Conditions