Self-care has been a hot topic with people who have only recently been confined to the house. But for many people living with disabilities, it’s common to feel as though it’s difficult to take care of general self-care needs. It can be difficult to get out of the house or to get basic chores done. It isn’t just from stripes of living with a disability, either. Often it is exhausting when going through recovery of recent surgery, changing medication, or continuing treatment and therapy. If you are in this predicament, you should get in contact with one of our Milwaukee SSDI attorneys right away.
It is always helpful to understand how you can build self-care into your life. Even if you’re reading for someone in your life that has a disability, many of these tips are great to implement into any lifestyle. These are useful and actionable tips that you can put into action today.
Explaining the Out of Spoons Saying
If you’re new to the disabled community, you may have heard the expression “out of spoons,” which can seem a bit strange at first. What happens when someone says that they are out of spoons is they mean that they’re running out of energy or the ability to physically continue going. The out of spoons expression is very common among the medical and disabled communities because it’s a great way to explain or justify your decision-making and your plans. But understanding how spoon theory applies to you can also help you manage self-care while you’re on disability.
Imagine if you have ten spoons. Except, you don’t always wake up with ten spoons. Sometimes you wake up, and your shoulder is sore; any energy is drained, and you feel like you only have three spoons for the day. That particular day, your three spoon day might mean that you don’t have the energy to do much of anything. But that the idea is being able to assess quickly and succinctly when you need to rest.
So if you’re feeling low on spoons, and you had plans with friends or physical therapy or medical appointments, you might start brainstorming how to reduce the demands put on you. For example, if you needed to get physical therapy but were low on spoons, you might call an Uber rather than driving yourself. Or, if you have a medical appointment that may be difficult or impossible to reschedule, you might call a friend or a family member to have them come with you and ask the doctor questions for you.
Have Scheduled Appointments to Keep Your Spirits Up
There are many ways to stay connected, even if your schedule seems to be full of doctors’ appointments in physical therapy. Additionally, if you slept with a disability for some time, it may seem difficult to arrange for appointments that don’t just benefit you physically. What
One of the greatest ways to take care of yourself while living with a disability is to schedule appointments that benefit your mental health and well-being. We’re not just talking about an ongoing appointment with a psychologist or psychiatrist to address any trauma. But schedule a weekly call with a friend. Or find an online book club that meets once a week through Zoom, Skype, or even through a chat service like Facebook Messenger. These types of appointments give you something to look forward to throughout the week, and they can help you cultivate hobbies that you might otherwise have drifted away from.
Hiring Temporary Services for Help
Thanks to advances with the Internet and the gig-economy, it is possible to hire temporary help only when you need it. Getting help, even if it’s temporary, can have a drastic impact on your household. Through Care.com, TaskRabbit, and many other websites, it’s very easy to get one-time help with things like laundry, grocery shopping, or getting your household back into working order.
Hiring an SSDI Attorney to Fight SSDI Denials
Having a disability is not something that’s easy to live with, and all disabilities have different challenges to face. To start the battle to keep some kind of income-generating into your household, you may need to apply for social security disability benefits. These benefits can help people who are newly disabled adjust to their life after likely losing a consistent paycheck. But it should also serve to help those with long term disabilities remain independent.
If you have a disability in Ohio and have not yet received approval for SSDI benefits, then you should consider calling in a Milwaukee SSDI attorney. At Tabak Law, our offices will always focus on supporting your need and getting you rightful access to your benefits.