Some days caregiving is full of wonderful experiences. Other times, not so much. When the days are difficult, try one or more of these strategies.
Start Journaling
Journaling gives you a chance to work through your emotions and to keep records of what happened when. You can use it as a tool to help you to find the good parts of every situation with which you deal. Negative feelings are much easier to work out on paper than they are in your head.
Visualize Your Future
When you’re in the midst of a bad day, it’s difficult to remember what good days feel like or to remember that they’re just around the corner. Visualize your happy future. What are you doing? Who is there with you? Your happy future could be just as simple as one of your elderly loved one’s good days, so hold onto that image on the bad days.
Give to Others
You might feel at first that you give plenty already as a family caregiver and that’s true to a certain extent. But you have amassed knowledge and skills as a family caregiver that others don’t have yet, so one option is to give of yourself to an online or in person support group for other family caregivers. You can also give in different ways that usual by helping out at an animal shelter, for instance. Look for ways to give to others that also help you to recharge.
Take Care of Yourself
If you’re taking good care of yourself, your mindset will automatically be a bit more positive. Eat the right foods rather than junk foods, get enough sleep, and do what you can to exercise regularly. This may sound like tiny things to be doing compared to the scope of everything else that you have to manage, but it can help to leave you feeling your best and strongest.
Stop Seeking Perfection
One big problem that can get you into trouble fast is expecting yourself to be perfect. That can really mess with your perception. The quicker you can get rid of any need that you have for your situation to be perfect, the better for you and for everyone else involved.
Need time to yourself for some of these activities? Get help from other family members or your loved one’s elderly care providers to free up some of your time.
For elderly care in Southern NJ and the surrounding areas, call and talk to us at Home to Stay Healthcare Solutions (856) 321-1500.
