In your role as a family caregiver, particularly as one who is in the sandwich generation caring for your children as well as your aging parents, you are used to thinking about others and ways you can fulfill their needs.
You likely spend the vast majority of your day planning for the care of others and actually caring for others. While this is a nurturing and loving way it to approach your responsibilities, it can also mean you leave yourself out. Not taking care of yourself, and not making time for your own needs, can leave you stressed, exhausted, and overwhelmed, which can be detrimental to your physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being, and even compromise the quality of care you give to your aging parents as well as your children. Making time for yourself during the busy fall season is an important step in not only protecting yourself, but also making sure all of your responsibilities are fulfilled effectively, and everyone involved can enjoy a higher quality of life together.
Use these tips to make time for yourself during the busy fall season:
Utilize elder care. Entrust some of your parent’s care needs to an elderly home care services provider who can fulfill these needs effectively, and also promote greater independence for your parent while freeing up your schedule.
Accept help. It is easy to feel like you need to do it all for yourself, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Others are often willing and happy to help. Accept the offer of carpooling from other parents. Let your partner take on more tasks around the house. Ask friends and neighbors to check in on your parent.
Schedule it. Part of being organized and in control is using a schedule. Establishing set times of when you will do things keeps you accountable, and ensures you to do not overfill your daily time. You schedule other things such as appointments and activities for your children. Give yourself the same consideration and schedule this time for yourself. Whether it is an hour every day, or a couple of hours each week, set this into your routine, and follow through with it.
Be creative. You don’t have to have large amounts of time alone or do something specific to get the benefits of some alone time. Just taking a few minutes to sit in your car before going inside and listening to a favorite song, or waking up a little early to drink your coffee out on the porch can make a huge difference.
Needing time to yourself and taking care of your own needs is not selfish, and it does not mean that you are not dedicated to your role as a family caregiver.
Instead, taking the time to manage your own personal needs, getting rest, relaxing, and doing things you enjoy is essential for your own health and well-being. This will help you to maintain a higher quality of life, but also allow you to give the best care possible to your parent.
Taking the time for yourself means being stronger, healthier, and in a better mental place to be the best caregiver for your senior, and for the others who rely on you. Starting elder care for your aging parent can be a fantastic way to accomplish this. An elderly home care services provider will take on care tasks to relieve your stress, open up your schedule, and give you the time and flexibility you need.
If you or an aging loved one is considering hiring Elder Care in San Diego, CA, or the surrounding area, please contact the caring staff at Love 2 Live Care. Call Today 1-619-291-4663
