In addition to all of the other responsibilities that they care, caregivers need to be able to take care of themselves. This goes for both family caregivers and professional ones. If you’re not doing well yourself, it’s not realistic to expect that you can give someone else the time, attention, and energy that they need. Self care is essential to finding this balance.
We’ve all heard the term “self care” a lot over the last few months. I know I’ve heard it so many times that I’ve come to have a little bit of loathing for the phrase. However, although there’s definitely some room for this term to be abused, it does illustrate a really important concept. If you are burnt out, exhausted, and not feeling well–either physically, mentally, or emotionally–you’re not going to be functioning at your best. And if you’re not at your best, it is really hard to give someone else your best, too.
With that in mind, here are a few quick and easy things that you can do to take better care of yourself without spending a lot of time away from your loved ones.
Take a Bath
Or a shower. It’s really easy to get out of the habit of bathing, but sometimes this can provide the mental pickup that you need to feel refreshed, literally and figuratively. It doesn’t take long, and it can often go a long way toward boosting your morale.
Here are a few easy self care tips to help you refresh your ability to care for others.
Dress Up
After you’re out of the shower, put on some nice clothes. Dress like you would if you were going out or to work. It can be easy to put on a pair of sweats or stay in pajamas all day, but dressing a little bit more nicely puts you in a mental frame where you’re ready to work and ready to help. Little mental tricks like this can help when caring for an older loved one.
Get Help
Ask for help, whether it’s a friend, family member, or a professional. This can give you some time to yourself, either for fun or work. Care is not a solo adventure, there are a lot of resources out there so that you won’t need to do it all on your own. As long as the person helping out is someone that you trust, you can be sure that you’ll be able to spend some time away resting or running errands without worrying even more.
Whether you’ve been a family caregiver for a long time, or you’re brand new to thinking about senior care, please know that there are a lot of resources out there that can help you. This isn’t something you need to shoulder by yourself. Please feel free to use any or all of these tips. Also, please feel free to reach out to us if you have questions or you’re looking for help. We offer a free consultation that might be exactly what you need to take the next step toward a stress-free senior care experience. We would love to be a part of your team.
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