It’s fairly easy to say some of these we have heard all the time. Staying hydrated, stretching, sitting up straight to name a few. Which are all very valid and core things to consider improving in your daily routine. Here are some other really easy passive activities you can do between appointments to get the self-care you need.
First, we should consider what the goal is. Is it reducing tension in a particular area, joint issues, or overall stress levels? Once this has been identified for your personal needs that will clear up how to proceed with your self-care routine.
The easiest passive thing you could do is to check your shoes. Shoes with great support are ideal. If the shoe itself does not have decent support there are many great custom options for shoe inserts. This is important especially for activities that require you on your feet at your job or if you are exercising frequently.
Your personal ergonomics as you proceed through your day is also something to keep an eye on and become more aware of. It is very easy to slouch when at your desk or gaming on a console. Consider your chair in respect to where your monitor is, as well as the keyboard and mouse.
Raising or lowering your monitor to a comfortable level for your neck and shoulders could do wonders alone. Or even an adjustable desk for standing or sitting. Traditional computer mice are not very great for your hands or wrists, especially if that is the majority of your day. Looking into more ergonomic computer mouse such as the ones with the rollerball or dynamic shape could help as well.
If you drive a majority of your day consider your arm/hand placement on the wheel and where your seat is with respect to your wheel. Dropping your hands from 10 & 2 to 7 & 4 could relieve much stress from your arms and shoulders while your seat is at a natural and relaxed arm distance from the wheel.
Self-massage is a great option and you could get instruction from your therapist on how to do that for your specific needs. There are also great resources online to safely perform some basic and gentle self-massage for places like your arms, legs, and neck. Heating pads or microwavable rice bags for warming and relaxing the muscles could help as well. Some rice bags have essential oils or other scents infused to warm the muscles and have the nose filled with soft notes of lavender or mint. Nubbed tools for shower massage are also great ideas while you scrub. There is a tennis ball foot massage technique where you roll it back with light to medium pressure in the bottom of your foot and some people find great relief for aching feet. Some with fallen arches might find this technique more uncomfortable.
These are some examples for you to try at home or in your daily life, please ask your therapist for things to do specifically for your care.