If you follow our blog you definitely know by now: caregiving is hard work.
But, you’ll also know that there are ways to make that work easier. And ways to relieve the stress that comes with the job of caregiving.
So, here are 4 quick tips for caregivers when it comes to stress relief.
Get paid for your caregiving.
Let’s be honest. One of the biggest stresses for caregivers is financial insecurity.
Caregiving is basically a full-time job. And when you’re a family caregiver, you’re usually not getting paid for the time spent caring.
Which means, that you’re working a regular job on top of working regular caregiving hours. And, that equals a huge amount of stress.
But, there is a solution: get paid to caregive.
If you’re caregiving anyway, why not make money doing it? Sign up with home care agencies, like AmeriBest, where you actually get paid to be a caregiver.
At AmeriBest, we also help our caregivers with career growth, experience, and competitive pay.
Take time for yourself.
You may be tired of hearing this one, but it’s so so important that you take time for yourself to refresh and reenergize.
And, you have to actively set aside time to do so. If you just keep saying you’ll relax when you get a break, that break is never going to happen. You have to choose a specific time, let all your friends and family know, and then take that time for yourself.
Caregiving is demanding work. It requires constant focus and decision making, things that often wear a person down. And, worn down people don’t do good work. Which means, that not only are you harming yourself by not taking time to breathe, you’re also harming those you care for.
It’s okay to take a break. We give you permission.
Find meaning in the work you do.
More often than not, we get caught up in the routine of the work we do. On the one hand, this is great, because the less decisions we have to make in a day, the better. On the other hand, when we’re just going through wrote motions, we don’t challenge ourselves, and we don’t find meaning in the work we do.
As conscious beings, we need meaning. And when we don’t have it, we start to feel stressed out and down about ourselves.
Solution? Once a week, take a bit of time to process what you’re doing and why. Caregiving is important work. It’s work that matters. It’s work that makes a huge positive difference in someone else’s life.
And you need to remind yourself that, every once in a while.
Spend time with friends.
Friends make us happy.
They know what we need, and they know how to make us feel better.
But most importantly, spending time with friends means getting out of the house and focusing on something other than caregiving. So, meeting up with friends every now and then is a great way to relieve stress. Because, whether you use the time to vent or catch up, you’re giving your mind time to relax and enjoy life.
Something we all need to do.
Stay happy!