Replace caregiving stress with peace and serenity.
Caregiving and stress generally go hand in hand. Dedicating your life to fulfilling the needs of an elderly family member can be difficult, specifically when a serious health problem is at play, leaving family care providers with less time to meet their own needs and for rewarding and relaxing activities. Yet, it’s vitally important for family caregivers to make it a point to carve out regular, ongoing time to relieve caregiver stress and recharge, and to make their own self-care a priority.
At Home With You, a provider of professional senior care in Manchester and nearby areas, we want to make certain that family members remain healthy as well as the older individuals for whom they’re providing care. The ideas below can help replace stress with tranquility, and restore a healthy life balance for family members:
- Breathe deeply. Deep, controlled breathing, as rudimentary as it sounds, is a great method to very quickly calm tension and stress. Sit in a relaxed position, breathe in through your nose for a count of 5, and then breathe out through your nose to a count of five. Repeat a handful of times, and build up the length of time you breathe in and out, up to a count of ten.
- Count your blessings. It’s normal to focus on the problems at hand and lose sight of the countless positive aspects that make up each of our lives. Making a conscious effort to take a mental inventory of things you’re grateful for can help considerably with changing your frame of mind, irrespective of how small the positives may seem: a patch of sunlight shining through the kitchen window, a hot cup of coffee, the laughter of your loved one at a shared memory.
- Give your self-esteem a boost. Replacing negative thoughts with positive ones also applies to our internal dialogue about ourselves. Rather than beating yourself up internally about losing your patience or a mistake you’ve made, emphasize to yourself that you’re doing the best you can and are working hard to make life the best it can be for your loved one.
- Keep moving. Physical exercise releases endorphins to naturally give a boost to your state of mind and sense of well-being. Although it can be challenging to set aside time for a good workout, it’s helpful to break an exercise routine into smaller pieces and still gain the rewards. Try, for instance, parking the car a greater distance from the shopping mall when running errands, making a point to always take the steps instead of the elevator, and pedaling on a stationary bike while visiting with your senior loved one.
- Find a care partner. Above all, keep in mind that no one can manage caregiving tasks all alone. Working with a reliable in-home care agency, like Home With You, allows family caregivers time away to rest and recharge, while being assured their senior loved one is receiving high quality care.
Are you ready to enjoy a life of decreased stress and enhanced peace of mind? As one of the highest quality providers of senior care in Manchester and the surrounding communities, you can feel confident in contacting Home With You for more tips and resources for relieving caregiver stress. We’re here to be your partner in care and walk beside you every step of the way with our professional in-home care services for seniors! Contact us online by clicking here or call us at 410-756-0959 to learn more about our care services and the communities that we serve.