2020 is off to an incredibly difficult start, so I wanted to take a moment and spread some healthy, positive news.

During the month of April we get to celebrate a profession that brings healing, joy, and fulfillment to the lives of so many people.  As National Occupational Therapy Month kicks off, I am honored to serve the Helena community and work in a career that not only brings me happiness, but also impacts many families.

“Occupational therapy is more than a job. For many it is a calling. We felt drawn to it.” -Amy Lamb OTD, OTR/L AOTA President

Being an occupational therapist is more than just a 9 to 5 job.  Being an occupational therapist means you love, you empathize, you show compassion, you create, you modify, you adapt, and you become flexible. It means going above and beyond serving clients and families in order to help people achieve their full potential.

It means viewing life through a holistic lens and focusing on everyday activities (occupations) that are challenging for an individual. It means meeting your clients where they are. It means providing a safe space in which they can learn, grow, stumble, and succeed with the support and facilitation of someone who understands. 

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This is a profession that needs to be celebrated. This is a profession that needs to be recognized.  There are 104,500 working occupational therapists in the United States, and 42,660 certified OT assistants.  If you know one of these hardworking individuals, please celebrate with them. This year our celebrations may look a little different, but that does not mean we shouldn’t be spreading the word about the amazing things this wonderful profession does for those around the world.

For National OT month we invite you to join in on the fun. Those of us at Roots Rehab will be adopting a new quarantine-friendly “occupation” to engage in during the month of April. We will bring you along for this fun adventure.  If you decide to also adopt a new occupation this month send us an email at [email protected] and share your experience.  Tag us on Facebook and Instagram, @rootsrehab.  We will be featuring these fun ideas on our blog later this month!

Here are 25 fun “quarantine friendly” ideas:

• Knitting
• Crocheting
• Watercolor paint
• Calligraphy
• Hand lettering
• Yoga
• Start a garden
• Learn magic
• Scrapbooking
• Learn a new instrument
• Learn to cook
• Learn to dance
• Learn a new language
• Learn origami
• Become a song writing
• Become an author
• Become a runner
• Start a blog
• Start a podcast
• Take up photography
• Learn to ride a bike
• Whittling
• Woodworking
• Teach your pet new tricks
• Geocaching