Exam week, or perhaps college in general, seems to be a time of irregular sleep schedules.
Students who are balancing course assignments, club meetings, and part-time jobs often don't seem to have enough time to do it all, and unmanaged stress often shows up in their physical and mental health. You may feel it.
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Chan Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy proposed a program called “Lifestyle Redesign.”
“Lifestyle redesign is a framework for intervention… [for] It’s about developing habits and routines that promote health,” said Chantel Rice-Collins, associate director of Lifestyle Redesign Clinical Programs and Services. “Certain things are part of a healthy lifestyle, such as eating healthy, being physically active, managing stress, getting enough sleep, managing your time and schedule, and being sociable, but how you do it is Each person is very unique.”
The program began as a preventive occupational therapy study investigating occupational science interventions for healthy aging and has since been implemented to support lifestyle changes that promote health.
“An OT assessment is an opportunity for someone to sit down and report on, 'How am I spending my time from the moment I wake up in the morning until the time I go to bed?'” Rice-Collins said.
Mr. Chan has expanded programs for college students, including a lifestyle redesign clinic for college students and undergraduate courses in the Department of Occupational Therapy. Occupational therapists help college students create healthy routines and practice time management, self-care, and healthy habits.
“College students… [Lifestyle Redesign program includes] time management, stress management, ergonomics, and coping skills,” said Ashley Uesiro-Simon, associate professor of clinical occupational therapy. “OT 101 Caring for Your Self… was the first course created under the Lifestyle Redesign Program.”
Undergraduate courses based on research frameworks include “Caring for Your Self: Engaging in Healthy Habits and Routines,” “Lifestyle Design: Introduction to Working Therapy,” and “Creating a Sustainable Lifestyle.” The research center's intervention program-based curriculum helps students learn the fundamentals of health behaviors such as restorative sleep, healthy relationships, exercise, and self-identity.
Rice-Collins directs the USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice, a clinic that implements lifestyle redesign interventions for clients living with chronic health conditions. Occupational therapists assist clients with health education in clinical settings and manage conditions to reduce recurrence of symptoms and improve quality of life.
Chan's clinic relies on the program's Interdisciplinary Occupational Science Research Center. The Lifestyle Redesign for Chronic Illness Lab designs occupational therapy interventions to support clients living with chronic health conditions.
“There's a study I often cite: It takes about two hours per day for people with diabetes to do everything recommended to stay healthy. Most people spend less time just managing their disease. We don't have the time,” said Beth Pyatak, director of Lifestyle Redesign for Chronic Illness. “The key is to be strategic. [about] What matters most and how to incorporate it into your routine. ”
LRCC studies occupational science through a health and equity lens, including considering structural barriers, social determinants of health, and existing inequalities when designing OT interventions. Recent programs use telemedicine to support patients with diabetes, provide occupational therapy in primary care, and address health disparities in underserved communities.
“We try to get a complete picture of the person's life, including what their roles, responsibilities and challenges are,” Pyatak said. [consider how to] Align with your disease management activities. ”
Pyatak studies occupational therapy interventions for clients living with chronic conditions, including type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Her research applies occupational science and translational medicine to evaluate the effectiveness of health behavioral interventions in disease prognosis.
Health behavioral interventions can help patients with inflammatory conditions manage stress, alleviate symptoms, and reduce systemic responses. Occupational science research has relied on health-promoting behaviors to reduce stressors and improve coping skills.
In clinical practice, Uesiro-Simon uses lifestyle redesign to support clients with chronic diseases, with measured biomarkers demonstrating clear health benefits. Her work in occupational science has supported patients living with chronic illnesses, including multiple sclerosis.
“The way you live your life can also influence the prognosis of the disease. People with MS who follow an anti-inflammatory diet should exercise frequently to calm their bodies. [there is less] There's chronic stress on the nervous system,” Uesiro-Simon said. “When you get an MRI, your scan results will show less plaque.”
The Occupational Science program offers lifestyle redesign for chronic health conditions, dysautonomia, mental health, sleep disorders, oncology, neurological conditions, and cardiovascular health. Interventions help clients learn to manage medications, treatments, diet, allergies, and environmental factors.
Chronic health conditions often cause chronic pain, cognitive health impacts, and psychological stress, requiring patients to make adjustments to their existing lifestyle. Clinical occupational therapists strive to help clients manage their conditions through lifestyle redesign programs.
Chan's innovative programs rely on a multidisciplinary approach that applies occupational science and medical research, education and client-provider communication, and community support to promote lifestyle redesign.
“We define a profession as a meaningful activity in which we spend our time,” Uesiro-Simon said. “When you return to your own life, you [can ask yourself] “What meaningful occupations contribute to or detract from my health and sense of well-being?” [and] happiness? '”
The Lifestyle Redesign Program offers clients weekly in-person or telemedicine sessions with an occupational therapist. Students interested in being evaluated by the Occupational Therapy Program can schedule an appointment through mySHR.
