Are You Nurturing Yourself as a Caregiver?
April 18, 2018
As a caregiver you probably spend quite a bit of time nurturing your elderly family member, but how often are you nurturing yourself? You might find that to be too much, but it really isn't. If you nurture yourself, you'll be in a better position to be able to nurture the other people in your life, including your elderly family member.
Senior Care in Belmont CA: Nurturing Yourself as a Caregiver
Your Body Needs Food, Sleep, and Exercise.
It might seem obvious, but your body needs rest, food, and regular movement. When it doesn't get those things, it might start to tell you in subtle ways that you're not meeting its needs. If you ignore those, the subtle signals become a little more obvious and might include illnesses or other issues. One of the best ways to make sure you're ticking all of the boxes is to develop a self-care routine. That routine can help you to stay on track.
You're Not an Island.
People are not meant to completely isolate themselves on a regular basis. That doesn't mean that you never need time alone, but if you find that you're ignoring your relationships or failing to give yourself the emotional support that you need, you might need to rethink how you're going about being a caregiver. Finding ways to keep your social life going is important.
Learning Can Be Powerful Support.
The more that you know and understand about being a caregiver the more that you can accomplish along your caregiving journey. Books, websites, and your senior's doctor are all excellent sources of information. You might also want to consider joining a support group so that you can benefit from the vast array of knowledge that other caregivers have collected along their journeys, too.
Your Spiritual Health Is Important, Too
If you're neglecting yourself spiritually, that can take a toll on many areas of your life. Whether you have strong religious ties or not, it can be extremely supportive to take the time to connect with your own higher power and do what fulfills you on a spiritual level. Regular meditation, prayer, or simply attending the church services of your choice can all be helpful.
Nurturing yourself can mean different things at different times, depending on what you need. Make sure that you're regularly taking time away from caregiving so that you can focus on what you need. Hiring senior care providers allows you to ensure your senior is safe while you're taking care of you.