How to Avoid Caregiver Stress
Things that Help
Even if you willingly and gladly took on the role of caregiver, stress is typically a hazard of the job you've taken on. But it doesn't have to be…As a caregiver, one of your greatest challenges is finding personal time for yourself. With stressors such as kids, spouses, significant others, friends, relatives, jobs, driving, the economy, finances you may feel like you're stuck in a tornado with no hope of it stopping any time soon. We now know that stress can negatively affect your health, quality of life and your ability to provide the quality of care you want to give and is in fact one of the top "killers" of people today.
Take Care of Yourself,
As Well As You Take Care of Others
Do you perform regular maintenance on your car? You probably take it in regularly for oil changes, inspections and you know once it has no gas, it's going nowhere. The human body functions the same way. The better you take care of it, the better it is able to perform and the longer it can work for you.
What are you doing for your body? It is very important that you stay in good
mental
, spiritual and physical health. Here are some things you can do for yourself:
- Take a break. Many caregivers never
ask for help
. They often feel like they can rely only on themselves and don't want to "burden" anyone else. Down time is critical.
- Take care of your body, mind and spirit: Eat nutritious food, get exercise and regular check ups. Those you already know. Try to stay away from excessive alcohol, as it is a depressant. Sweets give you a temporary "high" but then you come down and crave more. Get plenty of sleep at night-or take naps during the day if possible. Get mental stimulation by playing games, going out with friends,
learning something new
. Socialize with people who share the same spiritual values and beliefs that you do. Feed your body, your mind and your spirit, and then take time to foster the connection between all of them.
- Don't bottle it up. Talk about your emotions and your challenges (and the rewards of caregiving) with your friends, relatives, coach or other support groups. Keeping it all inside will cause much damage to your body, your mind and maybe even your soul if you let go on too long. Don't dwell on the negative, but you do have to allow the feelings you have to be expressed. Give yourself a time limit to feel and express the negative and then take action steps to move forward into the positive. Listening to music, meditation, prayer relaxation techniques can all help relieve stress and improve the quality of both your lives.
You Are Doing A Great Job!
So Why Don't You Feel Like it?
Stress can cause depression, a feeling of guilt, fatigue and a pattern of negative thinking. It is easy to succumb to these if you are physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted. But it doesn't have to be that way. You can change the way your stress is causing you to think. You can change how you view things. You can choose to respond to events rather than react to them. You can look at what you do with a sense of accomplishment, instead of judging yourself negatively. You are doing a great job! Bo Bradley, a Certified Dream Coach ®, has years of experience in helping caregivers find themselves again. In helping them to go after their dreams, and in many cases, in helping them find their dream. If you want to change your inner critic and build your dreams instead of cutting them down. If you hunger for something more, to do more, to be more, Bo can help.
Contact Bo
to schedule a free ½ hour consultation.
Let her help you eliminate the harmful effects of caregiver stress.
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