Lift Up Your Everyday

Occupational therapists help people of all ages overcome challenges and completing everyday tasks or activities – what we call ‘occupations’.

Occupational therapy is a science-based, health and social care profession that’s regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council. Occupational therapy helps you live your best life at home, at work, and everywhere else. It’s about being able to do the things you want and have to do. That could mean helping you overcome challenges learning at school, going to work, playing a sport, or simply doing the dishes. Everything is focused on your wellbeing and your ability to participate in activities.

Find out more about occupational therapy

An occupation is any activity that we need, want or like to do to live and to look after our physical and mental health, and our emotional and spiritual wellbeing. We do occupations from the moment we're born, on our own or with others.

An occupation isn't just your job or activities of daily living. An occupation can be self-care, such as washing, eating or sleeping; productive, such as work, study, caring or domestic activities; and leisure, such as playing sports, hobbies or socialising.

We're all different and so are the occupations that matter to us. They vary depending on our environment, interests and values, talents and skills. Our occupations also change throughout our lives. 

We are the Royal College of Occupational Therapists. We’ve championed the profession of occupational therapy and the people behind it for over 90 years. More than 36,000 occupational therapists are members of our organisation. We’re here to help achieve life-changing breakthroughs for our members, for the people they support and for society as a whole through occupational therapy.

We have a vision, that people everywhere value the life-changing power of occupational therapy. One of the ways we can achieve this is by sharing occupational therapists’ advice more widely with the nation.

The advice given in the campaign doesn't replace the one-to-one medical and health advice you may receive direct from an occupational therapist, your GP or another healthcare professional.