June 12, 2020
Learn how to manage and reduce caregiver stress in a healthy, effective manner.
Caregiver stress is bound to happen, and in fact, is not necessarily a negative thing. After all, as the saying goes, “A diamond is just a piece of charcoal that handled stress exceptionally well.” Nonetheless specifically for family caregivers, the level of stress can rapidly escalate and be frustrating, and if not handled effectively, lead to big health concerns.
Try the following tips for managing caregiver stress and realize a healthier and more relaxed lifestyle – both for yourself and the ones you adore:
- Change your self-talk. Through the span of every day, you’ll find yourself entertaining thoughts such as for example, “I can’t accomplish this!” or “Everything is going wrong!” Stop when negative thinking starts to intrude, and say to yourself instead, “I’m able to take care of this, one step at a time,” or “Help is readily available when I require it.”
- Take a break. Deescalate stress through any or all the preceding techniques:
- Breathe deeply (inhale 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 necessary)
- Go for a walk or participate in some other types of physical activity
- Pray or meditate
- Listen to favorite music
- Write in a journal
- Reach out to a friend
- Try a stress-busting activity. There are a lot of rewarding activities that can divert your focus away from whatever was causing stress and onto things more positive, such as creating art, reading, having fun with pets or children, working in the garden or on a DIY project – the ideas are endless, and even as little as 10 or 15 minutes invested in the activity can really help.
There are even apps developed with family caregivers in mind to help lessen caregiver stress and restore calm. Find five which are especially effective here from DailyCaring.
Caregiver stress is particularly common for people who feel as though they have no support system, and have to manage almost everything independently. Thankfully, we have an answer! Call Continuum, providers of senior home care in Ladue and the surrounding area, for an in-home assessment to learn how we can assist in your caregiving duties, enabling you to gain the necessary time away to destress, with services such as:
- Planning and preparing healthy meals
- Help with personal care and hygiene
- Taking care of housekeeping chores and laundry
- Running errands, grocery shopping and picking up prescriptions
- Accompaniment to medical appointments and interesting outings
- Companionship to brighten each day with stimulating conversations, games, puzzles, hobbies, etc.
- Medication reminders
- And much more
For expert home care in Ladue and nearby areas, reach out to us at (314) 863-9912 and find out how a partner in care makes a world of difference in managing caregiver stress and restoring a healthy life balance for family caregivers.