CAREGIVING
Adopting a self-care mindset BY MELISSA GIBBS AND PARICHAY RUDINA
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ome of the most common advice you hear when taking care of a family member or friend is to practice “self-care.” But when you’re busy and overwhelmed by the needs of the person you’re caring for, self-care can seem like a luxury you don’t have the time or money for — or it can feel like one more thing to add to your ever-growing to-do list. Instead of thinking about self-care as something separate and distinct, it may be helpful to think of self-care as a lens for decision-making. The choices and decisions we make impact our health, well-being and ability to take care of others. Every day we make thousands of decisions, whether or not we’re really conscious of them. Making decisions about self-care doesn’t have to be another thing added to your to-do list. It can be a simple awareness of the daily choices we make and being mindful of the impact of those choices. It can be embracing and celebrating what you already do: Perhaps you start the day with a healthy breakfast — or maybe it’s that you make sure to get a good night’s sleep or make an effort to move your body a little extra throughout the day.
Building community Self-care can be self-defined by what’s most important to you. You don’t have to go it alone. Some-
18 / January 2018 / Minnesota Good Age
times knowing where to start can be the hardest step. In the Living Well With Chronic Conditions community class organized by the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, selfmanagement of health is the focus. Individuals in similar situations come together to focus on managing their health and well-being. This class builds on health and wellness practices you may already be doing — or have been trying to do. Being in a group, sharing ideas, thoughts, struggles and triumphs with others, however, can be empowering and can hold you accountable to your goals through ups and downs. Another way to get support for making decisions with self-care in mind is through Powerful Tools for Caregivers, a
six-week class offered throughout Minnesota that helps people manage caregiving strategies that work for them. While building a supportive network with other caregivers, participants develop tools to reduce stress, communicate needs to family members (and the rest of the care team), work through difficult feelings and make tough caregiving decisions.
Action planning If self-care seems to be a practice that’s eluded you so far, there are tools available. The classes mentioned above discuss a variety of tools, including the process of “action planning.” This strategic process helps people break down an overall goal into smaller, more manageable steps.