Stress is bound to happen; it isn’t always a bad thing. After all, as the saying goes, “A diamond is just a piece of charcoal that handled stress exceptionally well.” However, specifically for family caregivers, stress can very quickly accumulate and become overwhelming and, when not handled well, may cause serious health issues.
Try these suggestions for managing stress for caregivers and achieving a healthier and much more peaceful lifestyle – both for yourself and the ones you cherish:
Alter your self-talk. Throughout every day, you might find yourself entertaining thoughts such as, “I cannot do this!” or “Everything is going wrong!” Pause when negative thinking starts to intrude and say to yourself instead, “I’m able to manage this, one step at a time,” or “Help is available whenever I require it.”
Take a break. Deescalate stress through any or all of these techniques:
Breathe deeply (breath into a count of 4; hold for a count of 4; breath out to a count of 4; hold for a count of 4; repeat as required)
Take a stroll or participate in some other type of regular exercise.
Pray or meditate
Play favorite music
Write in a journal
Phone a good friend
Try a stress-busting activity. There are a lot of pleasant actions that will take your focus away from whatever was generating stress. Onto things more positive, such as creating art, reading, spending time with pets or children, doing work in the yard or on a DIY project – the possibilities are endless, and even as few as 10 or 15 minutes allocated to the activity can help.
There are even apps specially engineered with family caregivers in mind to help with managing stress and restoring calm. Find five which can be especially effective here from Daily Caring.
Caregiver stress is prevalent for those who feel they have no support system and have to manage almost everything alone. Thankfully, we have an option! Call Modern Health Home Care for an in-home assessment to find out more about how we can assist in your caregiving duties, providing you the necessary time away to destress with services that can include:
Planning and preparing healthful meals
Help with personal care and hygiene
Taking care of housekeeping chores and laundry
Running errands, for example, grocery shopping 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 much more
Call us at 215.995.2012 and discover how our in-home care in Philadelphia and the surrounding communities make a difference in managing caregiver stress and restoring a healthy life balance for family members.
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