Caring for a parent, family members or loved one day in and day out can take its toll on the caregiver. It’s a tough job and sometimes caregivers need a sanity break and take time for themselves and to rejuvenate their own body, mind and soul.
At FirstLight Home Care, we are caregivers and we know what caregivers go through. We support these family members and over the years we have found these 4 tips to be very helpful in keeping your sanity in check.
1. Have a Life: Yes caregiving can be a 24/7 job but you need to set time aside each month for you. Go to lunch with friends, attend a community event, get a massage, go for daily walks – do something. This will break up your day or week and allow you time to step away from your responsibilities and come back with a new outlook on your daily tasks.
2. Set goals: Goal setting is very important. Find something you want to achieve and set a goal to reach it. Learn a new language, take an art class, or learn how to sew are just a few examples. Make the goal something you’d enjoy achieving and set a realistic timeline to achieve it. Create milestones and celebrate each one that are achieved. Identifying a goal and working through the process of achieving the goal will be mentally stimulating.
3. Build your support system: Grow your network. Reach out to family, friends and others that are in the same situation as you. Join support groups (whether in person or online) so that you can share situations and get advice from others who know what you’re going through. Call on your family to help. Ask siblings and extended family for support so that you can take an afternoon (or even a weekend) off to get personal things done, to rest and take the break you deserve.
4. Take a break: No one can work 24/7. You need a break. You need to get your mind off care giving to help you keep going with your care. This is where FirstLightHomeCare can help. We offer respite care services so that you can take a break and know that your loved one you are caring for is in good, professional and caring hands. For more information on FirstLight Home Care, click here.
Remember that being a caregiver is something we are, not something we do. It can be overwhelming and all-consuming so taking a break is good for you. It may be hard for you to do, but you need to do activities outside of caring for someone else so that you can nurture yourself too.