Promote a more peaceful lifestyle and manage stress by following these tips for family caregivers.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.” Yet particularly for family caregivers, the amount of stress can very quickly intensify and be frustrating, and when not handled well, bring about challenging health issues.
Try these tips to manage caregiving related stress and achieve a healthier and much more peaceful lifestyle – both for yourself and those you love:
- Change your self-talk. Over the course of your day, you will probably find yourself entertaining thoughts such as, “I can’t do this!” or “Everything is going wrong!” Stop when negative thinking begins to intrude, and say to yourself instead, “I am able to manage this, one step at a time,” or “Help is accessible whenever I want it.”
- Take a break. Deescalate stress through any or all the following 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)
- Take a walk or participate in some other types of physical activity
- Pray or meditate
- Play favorite music
- Write in a journal
- Call a relative
- Try a stress-busting pursuit. There are a number of gratifying activities that can divert your focus away from what was causing stress and onto something more favorable, such as creating art, reading, playing with pets or children, working in the garden or on a DIY project – the options are unlimited, and even as little as 10 or 15 minutes allocated to the activity will help.
There are even apps specifically developed with family caregivers in mind to help minimize stress and regain calm. Find five that are very beneficial here from DailyCaring.
Caregiving related stress is very typical for people who feel as though they have no support system, and have to handle everything alone. Fortunately, we have an option! Call JFS Care for an in-home assessment to learn how we can assist in your caregiving duties, giving you valuable time away to destress, with services that include:
- Planning and cooking healthy 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 interesting outings
- Companionship to brighten each day with stimulating conversations, games, puzzles, hobbies, etc.
- Medication reminders
- And much more
Contact us JFS Care, a top-rated home care agency serving Los Angeles and the surrounding areas, at 213-383-2273 to learn how our professional in-home senior care makes a world of difference in minimizing stress and restoring a healthy life balance for family care providers.