Healthtaking care
Taking Care of You!
Your life is busy and having a disability can add complications! Sometimes, it feels like it takes all your energy to make it through the day. It’s important to stop once in a while and think about your health and well-being.
Did you know? No matter how old we are, we all deal with stress.
How to Get StartedFocus on Your Health
Start Small
Following are some short guides with tips and resources about living healthy.
You Have to Start Somewhere!Areas to Focus
Nutrition
We all know that we should eat “healthy.” But what does that mean? A healthy diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins, and healthy fats. Eating these foods will give you energy for the day and can help manage fatigue, anxiety and stress. They also can help protect you against many diseases. Eating the right types of food is important, but so is watching how much we eat. The following activities provide tips on how to eat healthy.
Physical Activity
From a young age, we are told that exercise and active movement are good for our heart and help us stay strong. But did you know that regular physical activity can also prevent injury, reduce pain, fatigue, depression, and anxiety, and improve your sleep? The following activities can help you learn more about the benefits of physical activity and help you create a plan for being more active.
Sleep
How often do you wish that you had gotten a better night's sleep? Sleep issues have been linked to anxiety, pain, depressed mood, fatigue, heart, digestive, and weight problems. The following activities will provide tips on developing good sleep habits and ways to help you fall asleep.
Stress Management
No matter how old we are, we all deal with stress. Although stress is a normal part of life, there are times when it may affect how well we can cope with life emotionally, socially, intellectually, or physically. These activities can help you manage the stress in your life.
About the Authors:
These health factsheets were created by Dr. Catherine Ipsen, the Associate Director of the Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities (RIIC) and Director of the Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities. She has 25 years of experience in disability research and evaluation. Past employees of RIIC, Dr. Bethany Rigles currently conducts research at University of Colorado, Boulder and Dr. Casey Ruggiero is a practicing Clinical Psychologist.