Kitchen hacks for bad pain days

ALL of this. Especially the sitting on a stool at the counter — I got a rolling stool so I can wheel between the stove, counter, and fridge and it honestly changed my kitchen experience completely. My additions: - Rubber shelf liner cut into strips to help grip jars and bottles - A reacher/grabber tool for the high shelves (no more painful reaching overhead) - Pre-portioned freezer meals. I cook in bulk on a good day and freeze individual portions for the bad days.

Paper plates on the worst days — YES. I used to feel so guilty about this. Like I was being lazy or wasteful. But you know what's more wasteful? Spending what little energy you have on dishes instead of resting and recovering. I also want to add: pre-made soup in the freezer. When I have a good day I make a big batch and freeze it in individual containers. On bad days, microwave soup + crackers = a meal that requires zero effort.

The cast iron thing made me sad but I did the same thing. My beloved cast iron skillet that I seasoned for years... she's too heavy now. The lightweight nonstick ones are a fraction of the weight and my wrists thank me. Another one: automatic soap dispensers in the kitchen. No squeezing a bottle with sore hands.

fed is fed. i need that on a tshirt honestly. my contribution: bendy silicone spatulas instead of rigid ones. easier on the hands and you can get every last bit out of containers. also one of those electric pepper grinders because my hands cannot handle a manual pepper mill on a bad day

I'm 71 and I've been collecting kitchen hacks for years. A few more: - Rocker knife for chopping (you push down instead of pulling through, much easier on the hands) - Dycem non-slip mat for under bowls and cutting boards - Electric kettle with a lift-off base (no heavy kettle to tip) - Pull-out shelving in lower cabinets so you don't have to bend down and rummage Also: no shame in paper plates, frozen meals, or cereal for dinner. You did great just feeding yourself.