Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Giving Back: How to Practice Self-Care as a Caregiver
I don't personally know Jason Lewis, the author of this guest post, but he astounded me with his intuitiveness. Thank you Jason, this article is personally touching. I cared for my husband during his double lung transplant on October 7, 2020. Lung transplant was/is an incredibly difficult yet amazingly miraculous journey. Today, we enjoy 17 months post transplant. My husband, Steve, is doing well. I'm still learning to care for myself...
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| Caregivers are extraordinary |
It’s crucial, even after a long day at work, to push through the exhaustion barrier and get out to do some exercise. The mental health benefits of exercise are innumerable, but beyond the improved confidence, decreased stress hormones and distraction from stressors, exercise will also help to provide you with the long-term energy you need to cope with day-to-day caregiving grievances. Even a short jog can be enough to break a negative cycle and release some of those ever-important endorphins.
Diet
If you can partner a positive exercise regime with a nutritious diet, you’ll be well on your way towards a healthier work/life balance. Changing your diet is often less complicated than you might think - a good first step is to wean yourself off junk foods high in salt, carbs, and trans/saturated fats. You can do this using replacement methods - by trading sugary foods or fruit and healthy alternatives and gradually lowering its demands.
Social Life
Like anything else, it takes time and effort to maintain a healthy social life. Although it can be difficult to find that time away from work, diverting your attention to spend with friends and family is crucial if you want to stay emotionally stable as a caregiver. The main key for unlocking a fulfilled social life is to organize and plan ahead - make sure you’re using apps and calendars to write down any plans and try to agree on dates well ahead of time to ensure that everyone can make it.
Music
The importance of music as a tool in battling stress, anxiety, and depression is too often overlooked. Studies cited on Pulse TMS show that music therapy leads to reduced muscle tension, increased self-esteem, and self-expression. Live music has even been linked to the release of oxytocin (the love or trust neurotransmitter). If the stresses of caregiving feel overwhelming, try finding some music that complements your mood and spending an hour just listening.
Art
The arts have long been an outlet for those who are troubled by mental maladies. If the weight of caregiving feels too heavy, try off-loading some of it via painting, sculpture, or physical crafts. Art and colors are shown to improve mood and, oftentimes, provide a more pleasurable way to explore and confront internal issues.
Time Management
It’s difficult to engage with any of the above if you haven’t got the time to do so. That’s why it’s important to bring in help to free up some of your own time. Some services will help you to keep things orderly in your life as you’re dedicating your time to others’ - for example, lawn care maintenance tends to cost between $30 to $80 (although this can go up if irrigation, fertilizing, pruning and hardscaping are included) but can save you hours on the weekend for you to spend on yourself. If in doubt, just Google: lawn care companies near me.
The value of caregivers is incalculable. By sacrificing your own time, you’re making the time of the receiver and people around them far more enjoyable. Just remember that if you’re not in a good mental or physical state, your ability to help others will always be impeded.
Caring365,
The Tammy365 blog shares faith, recipes, humor, and encouragement. Reach out to Tammy today! tammy.stafford@hotmail.com