Caregiving demands an awful lot out of you and if you’re not careful, those demands can take a toll. Having some good self-care routines in place can help quite a bit. If you’re not already doing some of these things, you might want to reconsider.
Set Aside Time to Relax Every Day
Whether you’re taking time just for you at the beginning or the end of every day, make sure that you’re consistent. This gives you a chance to do specific things just for you, whether that’s meditating or reading a favorite book. When you know you have that time set aside, you can look forward to it and allow it to help you through a bad day.
Make Sure You Have a Confidant
Humans need someone to talk to and you’re no different just because you’re a caregiver. Keep in touch with your friends and make sure that you’ve got someone that you can talk to when you’re having good days or bad days. If you’ve let some of your relationships fall by the wayside, look for ways to rekindle those friendships.
Take up Journaling
Even if you’re uncomfortable talking about some caregiving issues with your friends or family members, you can always write about how you’re feeling. Journaling can help you to work through tons of situations that stump you throughout the day. Your journal doesn’t have to be complicated at all and if you’re worried about someone finding it, you can trash the pages when you’re done.
Do Activities that Bring You Joy
What activities did you enjoy before you started being a caregiver? It’s possible that you’ve stopped doing most or all of those activities completely. If that’s the case, you might want to look for ways to start incorporating more of those activities into every week.
Stay Alert for Signs that You’re Stressed or Depressed
Make sure that you learn the signs and symptoms of stress and depression. Watch your own behavior for those signs and if you notice that you might be feeling depressed or under too much stress, you go ahead and get help right away. Waiting only makes the situation worse, so it’s imperative to take fast action.
When you’re keeping your own mental and emotional health at the top of your list, you can react quickly if you spot problems. Remember that you’re just as important as your aging adult in the caregiving equation.
