A Guide For Caregivers: 6 Tips To Reduce Stress

As caregivers, we may find the balance between caring for the needs of our loved ones, and ourselves difficult. There are several things we can do, however, to reduce our stress and maintain (or regain!) our sense of balance, in the midst of caregiving challenges.

A Guide For Caregivers will provide you with six tips to nourish your body, mind and sprit and serve to prevent burnout.

Transcript

As caregivers,

We may find the balance between caring for the needs of our loved ones and ourselves stressful and difficult.

We may wrestle with guilt,

Remorse,

Anger,

Frustration,

And resentment,

And then judge or berate ourselves for feeling that way.

And over the long haul,

Our own health and well-being may suffer in the process.

Having been my father's primary caregiver for seven years,

I speak from both personal and professional experience.

There are several things we can do as caregivers,

However,

To reduce stress and maintain or regain our sense of balance.

The following six tips will help to nourish your body,

Mind,

And spirit and serve to prevent burnout.

Ready?

Here we go.

Tip number one,

Take a breath break.

Our breathing often becomes shallow,

And we may even hold our breath without knowing it when under stress.

Taking time during the day for a breath break will help to reduce your stress by activating the parasympathetic nervous system and lead you to feeling calmer and more relaxed.

To practice,

Stop and tune in to your body a few times a day and notice if you're holding your breath or if your breathing is shallow.

If so,

Take a few moments to consciously breathe.

A practice you might find helpful is to breathe in through your nose for the count of three and breathe out through your mouth for the count of six so that you're exhaling twice as long as you're inhaling,

Completely emptying your lungs as you breathe out,

And then repeat the exercise two or three times.

I like setting the alarm on my phone a few times a day to help me remember to breathe.

When done as a regular practice over time,

Breathing more fully will become a habit and you will feel more relaxed and centered.

If you're not used to doing breathing exercises like this,

Just a note to be mindful that you may feel a little dizzy the first few times you do it,

So if you can,

Find a safe place where you can sit and relax while breathing.

Tip number two is so important.

Guess what?

It's self-care.

Self-care is a word we're all familiar with but may not implement on a regular basis.

Providing care for others can be taxing and overwhelming,

Making it essential to take care of ourselves on a daily basis.

Doing something that nurtures and inspires us is good for mind,

Body,

And spirit.

Begin by taking 10 to 15 minutes a couple of times a day to carve out time and replenish yourself.

Simple practices like meditation,

Stretching your muscles with yoga,

Reading something inspiring,

Or listening to soothing music can have a positive effect on your nervous system and create a more relaxed and satisfying day.

For instance,

I notice that when I take time to meditate for even 5 or 10 minutes in the morning,

My day flows much more smoothly.

And you know what?

There are 1,

440 minutes in a day,

So rather than rushing out the door in the morning or before beginning your evening activities,

Set time aside for yourself.

You'll feel better and your loved ones will too.

Tip number three,

Take yourself on a dream date.

Make a list of things you love to do and that enhances your happiness.

Then begin by choosing something on your list to do.

If you need to start slow,

Even an hour or two once or twice a month can be enough to reduce your stress,

Lift your mood,

And enhance your sense of balance and well-being.

Get your nails done,

Visit your favorite museum,

Or take yourself out to lunch.

In other words,

Take some time to enjoy yourself.

As caregivers,

It's something that many of us have a hard time doing.

So don't think you have time or the financial resources?

No worries.

Make a list of things you like to do that are low-cost or free.

Walks in nature,

Going to a bookstore to browse the shelves,

Or visiting a friend can be equally as satisfying.

Block out the time in your calendar as you would a real date and commit to it.

You are important and deserve to treat yourself as you would your loved one or a friend.

Tip number four,

Healthy boundaries.

Minimizing stress and maintaining balance requires that we are clear with ourselves and others about what we can and cannot do.

Although it may be difficult,

We sometimes need to say no.

Disappointing the people we love and care about or fearing their disapproval may stand in the way of taking care of ourselves and setting a healthy boundary.

Or we may believe that we can do whatever needs to be done better than anyone else,

Thereby overextending ourselves,

Which can lead to resentment and burnout.

Believe it or not,

There are capable people who would be happy to help with or without a fee when we reach out for support and ask them.

For instance,

I was concerned about my elderly father spending so much time alone and not having enough stimulation or company.

Although I loved my father dearly,

It was neither healthy nor possible for me to be the only one to visit him.

So I asked a few close friends to stop by and visit him when they had time.

They were more than happy to do so.

I also did a little research and found a community organization that offered a free home visitation program and voila!

They set up weekly visits and provided a host of other services I hadn't even known about.

While my father was reluctant initially,

He came to value the volunteer's company and the organization's services.

It may take a little ingenuity,

But if I was able to do it,

You could do it too.

Asking for support doesn't make us weak.

Rather,

It demonstrates our strength and courage.

Family members,

Friends,

Neighbors,

Churches,

And community organizations are there to help.

One important caveat,

However,

Don't get attached to who or who does not respond.

Sometimes the help we need comes from the most unlikely places.

Be open and willing to receive.

Tip number five,

Laugh.

Along with your weekly or bi-weekly dream dates,

Have a little fun and do things that make you laugh.

Laughing increases the endorphins that lifts our spirit and increases our feelings of strength and health.

In his book,

Anatomy of an Illness,

Norman Cousins talks about combating a life-threatening illness through humor and participation in his own health care.

Watching funny films like the Marx Brothers,

Candid Camera,

And Three Stooges,

Cousins was able to reduce his pain and mobilize his body's natural resources.

Laughter relieves our stress response,

Increases circulation,

Stimulates the body's organs,

Improves our immune system,

Enhances life satisfaction,

And can decrease heart rate and blood pressure.

Laughter heals.

Ever hear of laughing yoga?

If you'd like to check it out,

You can find a laughing yoga video online.

And finally,

Tip number six,

Connect with others.

Being a caregiver can sometimes feel very isolating,

So feeling a sense of connection is one of our most important needs.

Coffee with a friend or a chat on the phone is like medicine for the soul.

And even a short conversation with a neighbor or a word exchange with the checker at the market can minimize isolation and help you feel connected.

Don't be afraid to reach out.

You'll likely find the people you contact are delighted to hear from you.

Implement one step at a time,

Then build your self-care muscles.

You will feel so much better and your loved ones will be grateful as well.

If you found today's podcast helpful,

I'd so appreciate your leaving a review and letting me and other members know what was most important to you.

Thanks so much.

Wishing you a most wonderful,

Healthy day.