Healthy Caregiving for You

young_and_senior While some people are caregivers by profession, most take on their new role unexpectedly when something happens to a friend or family member. Caregiving is helping another person—usually someone who is ill, disabled, or elderly—with their day-to-day activities. This may involve driving them to different places, delivering food, cleaning their home, or scheduling doctor’s appointments. While helping someone is a gracious act, it can be very stressful for the caregiver, especially when the person being helped is completely dependent on the caregiver or doesn’t openly express his gratitude. It can also be heartbreaking to see a loved one in such a vulnerable state.

Luckily, there are several things caregivers can do to avoid burnout and cope with the emotional stress associated with caregiving. One of the first things you can do is talk to someone about the situation. Having a confidant who can sympathize with the situation and validate your feelings is a crucial outlet for relieving stress. This is a way for the person who is providing the caregiving to have their own source of support. By confiding in someone else, your relationship with that person will probably become stronger, and having strong relationships leads to decreased stress.

Taking time to do something you love is a great way to reenergize yourself. Perhaps this is a quiet, calming activity, such as taking a solitary walk outside or meditating. Others prefer something more active, such as going on a vigorous run. For many, spending time with family and friends is the perfect outlet. Something as simple as watching a movie or spending an evening at the local bowling alley can have great emotional benefits.

Setting boundaries with the person you are caring for is also crucial. It may initially seem unkind to set limits, but it is impossible to provide the best possible care if you are not taking care of yourself. These boundaries are often simple requests that limit the stress in your life and have little effect on the person you are providing care for. For example, you may request that the person you are caring for doesn’t call you after ten p.m. unless there is an emergency. This will enable you to get a solid night’s sleep. Another option is to enlist the support of another family member. Perhaps someone else can deliver meals once a week or be the emergency point person on a certain day of the week.

Being a caregiver is not an easy task, but it can be very rewarding if you can find a way to deal with the emotional stressors to avoid burnout. Enlisting the support of others and taking some time out of your day to do something you enjoy are both great tools to make the most out of the situation.

Healthy Caregiving for You Podcast

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