Self Management and Flexibility: taking care of yourself

By Jessie Shier

This is some practical advice for living, for people looking for basic guidance steps.

Self management and flexibility: taking care of yourself

It is possible to learn to take care of yourself and be independent by allowing yourself to take basic steps, and not over-complicating the process.

It isn’t necessary to have a perfect home and freshly-cooked meals in order to be self sufficient. Nobody needs to be dependent on another to create the perfectly clean and tidy home and to cook and feed you. As an adult, you have the ability to maintain yourself basically and easily. This will lead you to being independent, where you are in control of your own world.

Basic housework: self management

When you get up from bed, turn around and straighten the bed over. Done.

Use the bathroom – when finished, with soapy water/spray dispenser, wipe it over. Done.

Cook, eat – when finished, wash the dishes, with soapy water/spray dispenser, wipe it over. Done.

This is cleaning as you go. Self management. You’re on top of it and there’re no regimented chores. It takes just a few minutes.

When you notice the floors need cleaning, clean them with a vacuum/ mop and bucket of soapy water.

When you notice the bed needs changing, change it. It’s up to you how often, just when you notice. As time goes by you’ll naturally fall into a routine with it.

Sometimes it happens more often than other times, it depends – flexibility. Respond to life as you find it.

Laundry services and launderettes are often available if there’s no machine at home, and these often offer ironing services too. However, if you have a machine, take a few minutes to learn its operation and then use it as needed, separating light-coloured clothes from dark-coloured clothes and placing them in the machine in two separate loads.

Drying can be achieved by taking the clothes to a launderette and using their dryers, if there is no way to dry them at home. If you have the space, it’s possible to use a clothes airer or some type of rail to drape them on and open windows to release condensation. Check the clothing label before using dryers. The label will show a square or circle with a cross over it if it can’t be tumble dried without damaging it.

Laundry needn’t take a long time, with automatic washing machines and laundry services/ launderettes.

Cooking

It’s more about shopping. You can eat quite well very easily.

Basic long life foods – canned food, dried noodles, micowavable food, frozen food, cereals.

Beans on toast is a satisfying and healthy meal. Using hot water to boil noodles or frozen foods. Heating a microwavable meal. A great mixture of foods is available in cans, which can be opened and heated easily, to provide nourishing meals. *Use a non-metal container in a microwave!*

Then perishables – fruit, milk, bread, eggs.

When you notice you need some, go and buy it. Make your own choices. There’s no need to be a cook. You are aiming to be independent. No need to feel frustrated because you haven’t got freshly-prepared meals. You eat to sustain yourself and this can be done using shop-bought foods very easily.

It’s basic feeding of yourself. No cooking, just heating up. And cleaning after – cleaning as you go. This is self maintenance.

Learning to look after yourself. It’s a learning curve. Start basic and let yourself develop naturally.

Routines happen naturally. Trying to force it creates a chore. For example, toileting- you have a natural routine.

Respond to your body, clean as you go – the keys to self management and flexibility. You improve as time goes by.

That’s all!