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Occupational therapy support

Occupational therapists provide practical support to help you do the activities that matter to you.

Occupational therapists will consider all of your needs – physical, psychological, social and environmental. Their support can make a real difference giving a renewed sense of purpose, opening up new horizons, and changing the way you feel about the future.

Top tips from occupational therapists

Occupational therapists have provided top tips that you or a friend/family member can do to help you.         

Living well at home

Living fully and safely in your chosen home is important. There are many steps that you or a friend/family member can do to help you to remain independent.

Take care of yourself
  • Eat and drink healthily with plenty of fruit, vegetables and water. Even if you are not hungry, have a little - it will help boost your immune system and energy levels.
  • Sleep is important, but if you are struggling, try avoiding tea and coffee, taking a bath, using blackout curtains, listening to gentle music or deep breathing exercises.
  • Keep mobile by moving every 20 minutes - it’s good for the muscles and joints. A timer might help to prompt you.
  • Keep doing what you enjoy. Living is more than the everyday tasks we have to do.
Manage your activities
  • Plan ahead. Break your tasks into small steps and give yourself plenty of time to get to where you need to be and complete your tasks.
  • Pace yourself and take regular breaks. If you experience fatigue, breathlessness or chronic pain, spread your activities through the day or week.
  • Use technology. Try shopping online or using apps that help manage your health or environment and social media to keep in touch with friends and family.
Manage in your home
  • Organise your home so you have everything you need within easy reach to reduce the demands on your body.
  • Stay warm in winter. Have a look at advice from the Energy Saving Trust on how to reduce bills and make your home more energy efficient.
  • Make your home safer by decluttering, removing loose rugs, installing banisters and grab rails and ensuring good lighting.
  • Make adjustments to reduce effort and risk. Rearranging furniture, changing the height of your chair or bed and installing bath aids could all help.
Ask for support
  • Find out what is available in your area. There might be a group, class or centre that will suit you.
  • Talk with family and friends to help them understand how you feel and how they can support you.
  • Try not to isolate yourself at home. If you find it difficult to get out, invite others to visit you.

Living with a long-term condition

If you have a long-term condition, you are likely to rely on medication and other therapies to help you to cope with it.

If your symptoms are mild, there are simple steps you or a friend/family member can do, to help you manage. This might reduce some of the frustration you may feel and help you to feel more positive.

Take care of yourself
  • Eat and drink healthily with plenty of fruit, vegetables and water, to help boost your immune system and energy levels.
  • Identify the triggers that make you feel worse and look for ways to reduce or manage them.
  • Sleep helps, but if you are struggling, try avoiding tea and coffee, taking a bath, using blackout curtains, listening to gentle music or deep breathing exercises.
  • Avoid staying still for too long. Exercise and regular movement will maintain fitness and strength.
Manage your activities
  • Plan ahead. Set realistic goals by breaking each task into small steps, give yourself plenty of time to carry out each step and take regular breaks
  • Look at your daily routine to see where you have problems. Consider each one separately and see if there are some simple solutions or technology that could help.
  • Balance your weekly routine so you have a good mix of work, rest and leisure activities.
Manage at home, school and work
  • Organise your home so you have everything you need within easy reach to reduce the demands on your body.
  • Make adjustments to your environment to reduce effort and risk. Rearranging furniture, changing the height of your chair or bed and installing bath aids or grab rails could all help. Ask your local authority about handyman services who could come and do minor jobs, usually for a small fee.
Ask for support
  • Get advice and support by using online resources and joining support groups. Sharing ideas and experiences with other people can help.
  • Talk with family and friends to help them understand how you feel and how they can.
  • Talk with someone at work, school or college and discuss what they could do to help you, such as having a workspace that meets your needs support you.

Living with anxiety and depression

Anxiety and depression are very common. Around one in four people experience mental health problems like these each year.

You can still lead an active, full life and achieve your goals when you have anxiety or depression. If your symptoms are mild, there are lots of simple things you can do yourself, to help you manage.

Take care of yourself
  • Eat and drink healthily, including lots of fruit, vegetables and water.
  • Reduce or cut out alcohol – it can make you feel worse.
  • Exercise​ including walking, will help lift your mood, increase your energy and keep you fit.
  • Sleep helps, but if you are struggling, try avoiding stimulants (including tea and coffee), taking a bath, using blackout curtains, listening to gentle music or deep breathing exercises.
Manage your activities
  • Identify the triggers that make you feel stressed and look for ways to reduce or manage them.
  • Identify what you already do that helps and make them part of your daily routine.
  • Set realistic goals by breaking each task into small steps - they will seem more manageable that way. Don’t try to do too much.
  • Plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to carry out tasks and activities – it will help you feel more in control.
Manage school, college or work
  • Talk with someone at school, college or work so you can review your workload. If appropriate, ask about flexible working, working from home and taking longer or more mini breaks.
  • Set boundaries so that you can walk away from your work when it is done. Try not to think about it once you have finished for the day.
Ask for support
  • Talk with family and friends to help them understand how you feel and how they could support you.
  • Use social media to stay in touch with friends and family, but be careful that it doesn’t ‘feed’ any negative moods you may be experiencing.
  • Get advice and support by using online resources and joining support groups. Sharing ideas and experiences with other people can help.

Living with dementia

If you are living with dementia or know someone who has just been diagnosed with dementia occupational therapy can help. 

There are simple steps you or a friend/family member can do, to help you manage day to day, to stay active and keep connected with your local community.

Staying active in everyday life
  • You have a future – hopes and dreams can still be realised.
  • Keep doing what you enjoy and what’s important to you.
  • Keep your routine going. Routines provide structure and familiarity.
  • Decide what you need help with and what you don’t.
  • Try something new.
  • Use technology, like mobile phone apps, to stay independent.
Taking care of yourself
  • Exercise, get out and about.
  • Eat regularly and have a balanced diet.
  • Stay connected to family and friends.
  • Keep talking. Let people know what helps you with communication.
  • Take time to relax. Be aware of how you feel, it’s OK to have time to yourself.
  • Try to do one thing at a time. Don’t put yourself under pressure.
     
What you can do at home
  • Use reminders for information, dates and appointments. Everyday technology can help.
  • Declutter so the objects you use every day are easier to find.
  • Use colour contrast to make objects stand out.
  • Remove trip hazards, like rugs.
  • Make sure rooms are clearly lit. Consider night lights.

Managing well at work

Employment or work can be meaningful and important in different ways. It is a source of income, but can also be a source of enjoyment, pride and self-worth.

If you are finding work a struggle, there are many steps that you or a friend/colleague/employer can do to help you to manage your work role or daily routine.

Take care of yourself
  • Eat and drink healthily with plenty of fruit, vegetables and water, to help boost your immune system and energy levels.
  • Exercise, even walking, will help lift your mood and improve your fitness.
  • Sleep helps, but if you are struggling, try avoiding stimulants (including tea and coffee), taking a bath, using blackout curtains, listening to gentle music or deep breathing exercises.
  • Balance your weekly routine, so you have a good mix of work, rest and leisure activities.
Manage your activities
  • Identify the triggers that negatively impact you and look for ways to reduce or manage them.
  • Set realistic goals by breaking each task into small steps - they will seem more manageable that way. Don’t try to do too much.
  • Plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to carry out tasks and activities - it will help you feel more in control.
  • Use technology to help manage tasks. Software and apps can help organise your child’s time, record and store information and communicate with others.
Manage at work
  • Good posture while you work is important. If you are straining your back or neck talk to your employer about what adjustments can be made.
  • Consider different coping mechanisms such as flexible working, working from home, taking longer or more mini-breaks.
  • Set boundaries to ensure you can walk away from your work when it’s done. Try not to think about it once you have finished for the day.
Ask for support
  • Talk with your employer about what they can do to help you. If you have a disability or long term illness, they should make reasonable adjustments to meet your needs. Discuss any difficulties you might have accessing areas at work or using equipment and how they can best help you.
  • Talk with your GP. If you haven’t seen your GP already, consider asking for their help.
  • Talk with family and friends. to help them understand how you feel and how they can support you.

Managing well in education

Education is a right for children and a benefit to a person of any age. To do well in education an individual needs to be able to gain access to, understand and retain the information and meet the requirements of the school/course.

If you or your child has a condition or situation which makes it difficult to do these things, there are many steps you can take to help.

Take care of yourself
  • Eat and drink healthily with plenty of fruit, vegetables and water. A varied diet with plenty of vitamins will help boost you/your child’s immune system and energy levels.
  • Exercise, even walking, can help improve your/your child’s energy levels, mood and fitness.
  • Identify the triggers that negatively impact you/your child and look for ways to reduce or manage them.
Manage your activities
  • Plan ahead. Break your/your child’s tasks into small steps, plan plenty of time to complete tasks and take regular breaks.
  • Be organised. Check your/your child’s daily routine has a balance of work, rest and leisure/play activities.
  • Use technology to help with as many tasks as possible. Software and apps can help organise your/your child’s time, record and store information and communicate with others. Your school might have software that will help.
Manage at school or college
  • Talk with someone at school or college to discuss how they could help. Most schools, colleges and universities have teams to help students with additional needs.
  • Ensure that you/your child can access all the rooms and facilities, including places to eat, sports facilities and toilets.
  • Make sure you can use all the equipment including tables, chairs and computer stations.
Ask for support
  • Ask for a formal assessment. Having a formal diagnosis can make it easier to get support and resources.
  • Talk with fellow students or parents to discuss how they can best help and support you/your child.
  • Talk with your local authority. They will have a service to provide children and young people who have special educational needs or disabilities, and their parents, with information, advice and support.

Support from occupational therapists

If your needs are complex, or you’re unsure how to manage your situation, you might benefit from the support of an occupational therapist.

Support from occupational therapists

An occupational therapist will consider your strengths, abilities and health care needs. They will fnd out what you want and need to be able to do and then consider if your environment (home, workplace, school, etc.) supports or hinders your ability to do those things. They can then fnd ways to make life easier and support you to manage daily tasks and activities. This might include support with self-care, household chores, getting out and about, adaptations to your home, fnding or staying in work or education, or taking part in social and leisure activities.

Arranging to see an occupational therapist

Speak with your GP or a health and social care professional - they might be able to arrange for you to see an occupational therapist. Before you speak with anyone, you might fnd it helpful to spend some time writing down the things you’re worried about or struggle with; it will help you feel more prepared.

If you see an occupational therapist on the NHS, or through education or social services, you will not have to pay. Alternatively, you could consider contacting a local independent occupational therapist who works outside the NHS and social care services. You will need to pay for their services.