Pain is a given for nearly everyone with fibromyalgia. So are fatigue and brain fog. While those symptoms can be challenging, you don’t have to put your life on hold because of them. Living with fibromyalgia means making adjustments, from work to parenting responsibilities to household chores to having fun, by taking a more active role in managing your condition, you may feel a sense of control and boost your self-esteem along with your quality of life. Consider the following tips to bring comfort to your life.
Ask for help
Know your limits and quit before you reach them. Don’t try to do everything. Delegate tasks to family members, Assign weekly and age-appropriate chores. Everybody in your home can do great even toddlers can put clothes in a basket or pick up toys.
Green cleaning
People with fibromyalgia can have chemical sensitivities. There are tons of recipes for all-natural cleaners on Pinterest. A few simple DIY cleaning tips: A half cup of vinegar with gallon water can be used to mop hardwood and laminated floors. It cleans fine with no cruel chemicals and leaves a nice polish. The vinegar smell will leave as the floors dry. You can also try using vinegar in the rinse cycle of your washing machine instead of fabric softener. Vinegar helps leave clothes smelling fresh, controls static and even de-funks towels. If you can deal with perfumes, essential oils have plenty of great clean-up properties. Baking soda also makes a good scrub. Use it with vinegar for additional cleaning help.
Medical care
Stay on your meds. Sounds obvious, but this can be why you don’t get enough symptom relief. Almost half the people in one study didn’t take their medication as advised because of absentmindedness, negligence, or out of annoyance. Keep a journal and bring it to doctor visits so you can zero in on what’s bothering you, and see what helps. Your doctor should have understanding of fibromyalgia. Psychiatrists, psychologists, and physical and occupational therapists are the other team members that wok mutually and can help with exact symptoms.
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Get rid of stuff
Look around your home, there are fewer things to look for and clean. Start thinking, do you require all of those ornaments on your side tables collecting dirt? Do you require the fancy dishes that you no longer use? Yes stuff is nice and we pay a lot of money to buy them, but they also need care and cleaning, so fewer stuff equals to less to clean and maintain.
Simplify your home
The less you have, the less you need to clean. Do this as a long-term project. Work at it slowly. Assign homes for things, and then use them to help with fibro fog. It makes tidying much simpler when you already know where to put things. Get the family on board. Have them help weed through things, especially their own stuff. Keep what they love and use and tell them let go of things they have outgrown, don’t like or don’t use or wear. They may be resistant, but if you are also simplifying, they may get on board. Bribes work, too! Donate unused items.
Don’t be hard on yourself
You’ll never get it all done. Even when you were healthy, you still didn’t get it all done. I know I’ve already said this once, but it’s probably the most important takeaway: Just do what you can, and leave the rest for another day. Trust me, Martha Stewart isn’t going to knock on your door and ask to inspect. I know it’s appealing to keep cleaning if you’re having a good day, but force yourself to take usual breaks or you will pay for it afterward. Use a timer if you need to. It’s important to find the balance of activity and rest that works for you. Also, look at the big picture. If you’re going to clean in the morning, then keep your afternoon free so you can relax and get better. Avoid over scheduling yourself.
Draft your kids
If you have kids, then assigning them chores is a great way to teach them responsibility and skills they’ll use later in life. Even little kids can do their part by picking up their toys and putting them away. Your kids won’t appreciate doing housework now, but they’ll see the value of it when they are older, and you’ll appreciate having less to do around the house. (If you have a important other or other family members, they should do their part around the house also.)
Miscellaneous ideas
There are a ton of things we don’t consider in our “master cleaning list” that need to be dealt with from time to time. Whereas sitting in the car waiting for an important person, clean out your purse, neat the car or put in order the glove compartment car. Keep a basket near the front door to hold things you don’t want to forget. Include things like reusable grocery bags, library books or dry cleaning. Use your vacuum instead of sweeping hard floors and use the attachments to dust.
Sit down while you work
Do as many chores as you can while sitting down. Fold laundry, wipe surfaces and sort and organize papers. A bar stool in the kitchen can be a great help. Use it so you can clean dishes or do other household tasks while sitting for tasks that you might usually do standing.
Related Article:
How to Clean When you are chronically ill
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