Being in a care giving situation can be a very tough experience, because it often seems like there isn't enough time in one day to accomplish everything we need to. The lucky caregivers of the world are the ones who have other family or close friends who can help with all of the responsibilities that come with caring for someone, but sometimes, and more often than not, the weight is put on one person's shoulders and that person is the one who steps up to the plate and takes care of most of what needs to be done. Daily activities such as bathing, eating, getting dressed, and going to the bathroom require assistance for someone who has become unable to care for themselves, and that's only where it begins.
Take into account managing the bills and money for this person, helping maintain their residence, making appointments and transporting that person to those appointments. Also keep in mind, most caregivers have to do these things for their own home and family members as well. At the end of the day, it's not often that there's a good amount of free time to unwind, reflect, calm your nerves or just plain take care of yourself. However, these things are incredibly important and although it may not seem like there's a whole lot of time to accomplish them, that time needs to be discovered or created somewhere in order to make sure we maintain our own health and well being.
It doesn't take long to exhaust yourself when you're a caregiver, because care giving isn't the type of job that you go to from 9:00 until 5:00, and then leave your work behind for another day when you head home at the end of your shift. Care giving is truly a 24-hour, 7-days a-week type of profession. There's absolutely nothing wrong with caring tremendously about someone you love, and attempting to do all you can to help this person, but you're not going to be much help if you only got 4 hours of sleep the night before, you haven't eaten in 2 days, and you haven't taken any time to unwind and reflect on what's going on. The great uncertainty of what each day is going to bring makes it tough to arrange time for you, but it's absolutely necessary, even if that means starting small like taking a nice relaxing bubble bath before bed.
Everyone has their favorite way of relieving stress at the end of a long day, like heading to the gym, going for a walk, or even cleaning your house. However, if your day ends and you feel too tired to do anything overly physical, there are countless ways to unwind. Why not sign up for a yoga class in your area? Treating yourself to a professional massage wouldn't be so bad, and some health care providers even offer discounts at reputable massage places in the area where you live. Picking up a new book and setting aside 20 minutes each night to read before bed can force your body to slow down, as can sitting at your kitchen table with a warm cup of tea and just thinking about what happened that day. Talking with a spouse or friend who cares about you and just allowing them to listen to how you feel can do wonders as well.
If you're the kind of care giver that feels guilty each time you think of doing something for yourself, realize, you don't have to go on a 2-week vacation in order to unwind and recuperate from your care giving duties. Setting aside 20 minutes each night is all you need to keep yourself and your body in check, and to make sure your own health is a priority. Take some time on the weekends to sleep in a bit if you know your loved one will have someone else to help them for a bit, and also keep in mind if you need help but have no other family members available- a trusted medical professional, or your family member's insurance company can almost always point you in the right direction of a place in your area that can provide respite care so you can take some time off from care giving. Never be afraid to ask for help, because that's why so many resources are now available, and are continuing to grow.
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