Between work, kids, spouses, parents and chores, life can seem to come at you all at once in a very overwhelming way. Add caregiving to the mix and you are in for some very tense days. It’s a good idea to take a deep breath and realize that making sure that someone else’s life is better does not mean that yours has to end.
Managing your time is the best way to keep stress down and keep your life together. However, everyone’s situation is different and not every technique is going to work for them. We found some ideas from other caregivers who are also in the journey to find balance.
- Look up any and all services that you use that might deliver. This will cut down on your driving time and might give you that extra breathing room for the day.
- Let life happen. No matter how much you plan, things will still fall apart and you are going to have to roll with the punches some days. Worrying about what you cannot change will only make it worse.
- Keep things on hand that you don’t want to make an extra trip for like birthday cards, buy non-perishables in bulk,
- Let the little things go. Letting the dusting go a couple weeks isn’t going to hurt anyone and you might need that time for something more important.
- Write it down. Seeing a solid list will get it out of your head and onto a piece of paper. This means you are going to not stress as much thinking about all the little things that you have to do. Also, crossing things off a list has been proven to make you feel better about your situation.
If these ideas and tips make it difficult to balance out what needs to get done, then it might be time to think about some respite care. Just remember that life is too precious to let yourself be overcome by the challenges of caring for someone day to day. Having someone there who can assist you with will make your life a lot easier, and the care that is received by the care recipient that much better. So if you find yourself in need of assistance please look to family members and friends for help, if you see someone that may be struggling in caring for a loved one, then know offering them your assistance will ultimately make them a better caregiver for their loved ones.
