Tips to Lighten Caregiver Load in the New Year A Place At Home Omaha
It’s an irrefutable fact: you cannot be a caregiver for others unless you first take care of yourself. To ensure that next year brings you and your elderly loved ones true happiness, resolve to incorporate self-care into your daily lives. Staying healthy is one of the best gifts you can give your family, because it allows you to be a better, stronger and more supportive, spouse, sibling, parent and/or child, to those you love, including your senior parents.
Become a Stronger, More Capable Caregiver–by Prioritizing Self Care
Guard Your Health Sleep Well and Deeply Indulge Yourself a Little Each Day Enjoy Time with Elderly Parents or Senior Relatives
Guard Your Health You need to be resilient to deal with life’s challenges successfully. So make it a priority to deal with any health concerns you may be struggling with, both physical and emotional/mental. See your physician if you haven’t lately, and address issues like prediabetes, extra weight, high cholesterol or poor eating habits. You may need to take an exercise class (for shaping up with peer support) or start walking to a chosen local landmark every day.
Sleep Well and Deeply Sleep hygiene can help you feel more rested, calm and ready for any caregiver issues that come your way. Sleep in a comfortable bed, in a dark, quiet room. Don’t eat, drink coffee or do computer work within four hours of bedtime. Consider creating a prebedtime ritual to wind down daily. Like drinking a cup of chamomile tea and/or reading a (not too exciting) book before bed. Getting a bit more exercise each day can make getting to sleep at night easier.
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Indulge Yourself a Little Each Day Taking some “me time” can do wonders for your overall energy level, helping you to feel calm and in control, so you can bounce back from adversity, make the most of opportunities and be a stellar caregiver. Schedule a few minutes daily, a few hours weekly, a day now and then, and a week-long vacation a few times per year. Take a yoga class, learn to meditate, play tennis or squash—do what you enjoy on a regular basis!
Enjoy Time with Elderly Parents or Senior Relatives If you normally spend most of your time with these folks dealing with serious issues or being the caregiver, set some of that aside. Make sure some of your get-togethers are just for fun. Enjoy your time together and make memories. In fact, you can forge an even better relationship with your parent(s) than you had in the past if you take time for fun shared activities and/or real conversations. Do some of the “indulge yourself” activities with mom or dad!
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