Getting Serious about Self-Care
If you haven’t started focusing on self-care and how that impacts you as a caregiver, you need to change your thinking on that topic. Self-care can be one of the most important and effective things that you do on your caregiving journey.
Caregiver in Cascade MI: Getting Serious About Self-CareMake the Conscious Decision to Take Care of You.
For so many caregivers, self-care is not even on the radar. You need to make the conscious decision that you and your needs matter. You have to decide that self-care is something that you’re going to do. This can be a really scary decision. It’s not always a popular one with other people, including your elderly family member. That alone can make you give up and start avoiding your own needs again.
Uncover What You Need.
It’s also common for caregivers to have no idea what they need at all. Start with some of the basics. Are you eating right? Getting enough sleep? If those answers are no, then that’s where you need to start. You can work your way up to bubble baths and spa days, because if you’re not practicing basic self-care, that’s a problem. If you’re still having trouble figuring out what you need, start keeping a journal.
Take Small Steps Every Day.
Every day take some small step toward taking better care of yourself. Ask yourself regularly throughout the day what you need and what will help you to better be there for your aging adult. Do what you can every single day to meet those needs in some way.
Stick with the Changes.
It’s easy to backtrack with this project. It can be exhausting focusing on what you need, making sure that you’re eating, and getting yourself into a place where you’re okay. For some people, it’s a lot easier to focus on other people. But you need to stick with these changes you’re making. They’re going to allow you to be better at caregiving as well as better at everything else that you do in your life. Self-care matters more than you think it matters.
Not everyone is going to like or understand your need for self-care. The bottom line is that self-care is absolutely necessary, though. If you’re not doing what you need to do for yourself, there’s no way you’re going to be able to keep going as a caregiver. It takes commitment to yourself as well as to your caregiving journey to make this whole thing work.
If you or someone you know needs help with caregiver services in Cascade, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information.
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