Stress is unavoidable, and actually, not necessarily a bad thing. After all, as the saying goes, “A diamond is just a piece of charcoal that handled stress exceptionally well.” Nonetheless, especially for family caregivers, the level of stress can easily escalate and start to become overwhelming, and when not managed effectively, result in serious health concerns.
Try these guidelines to lessen caregiver stress and attain a healthier and much more peaceful lifestyle – both for yourself and the people you love:
- Alter your self-talk. Through the span of your day, you might find yourself entertaining thoughts such as, “I can’t do this!” or “Everything is going wrong!” Stop when negative thinking starts to intrude, and say to yourself instead, “I am able to take care of this, one step at a time,” or “Help is attainable whenever I want it.”
- Take a break. Deescalate stress through any or all of the following strategies:
- Breathe deeply (breathe in to a count of 4; hold for a count of 4; breathe out to a count of 4; hold for a count of 4; repeat as required)
- Take a walk or take part in some other types of exercise
- Pray or meditate
- Listen to favorite music
- Write in a diary
- Reach out to a friend
- Try a stress-busting activity. There are lots of gratifying activities that will distract your focus away from what was causing stress and onto something more favorable, such as creating art, reading, enjoying pets or children, working in the yard or on a do-it-yourself project – the ideas are endless, and even as little as 10 or 15 minutes allocated to the experience often helps.
There are even apps specifically created with family caregivers in mind to help eliminate stress and restore calm. Find five which can be especially effective here from DailyCaring.
Caregiver stress is very widespread for people who feel as though they have no support system, and have to look after everything alone. Thankfully, we have an option! Call Seniorcorp for an in-home consultation to learn how we can assist in your caregiving duties, providing you the important time away to destress, with services that can include:
- Planning and preparing nourishing meals
- Help with personal care and hygiene
- Taking care of housekeeping chores and laundry
- Running errands, including buying groceries and picking up prescriptions
- Accompaniment to medical appointments and enjoyable outings
- Companionship to brighten every day with stimulating conversations, games, puzzles, hobbies, etc.
- Medication reminders
- And so much more
Reach out to us at 757-640-0557 and discover how our home care services in Norfolk and the surrounding communities can make a world of difference in eliminating stress and restoring a healthy life balance for family members.
