Don’t ignore stress.
Excessive stress can impact your immune system, increase the risk of anxiety, and make you moody. When you’re a family caregiver, it’s easy to help others so much that you forget about your own needs.
If you’re feeling stressed, it’s time to focus on yourself. Here are three effective ways to ease stress and take care of your own needs.
Engage in a New Hobby
Find something you love doing that helps you relax. You might find that knitting soothes you. You might find that writing a journal helps you vent and feel better.
Popular hobbies that have helped other family caregivers include painting, baking, and gardening. Find your favorite and engage in it each day.
Let Others Know
Your brothers and sisters can’t help you if they don’t know you’re feeling overwhelmed. Talk to them about all of the things you do each week to help your parents age at home. See if they have time on certain days to take over.
You may have siblings who simply don’t help out. It happens. You should expand to aunts/uncles, cousins, and close family friends to see if they’re willing to help. If not, you may need to hire professional caregivers.
Join a Support Group
Surround yourself with people who understand all you do and how frustrating it can be from time to time. A support group for family caregivers is important if you’re feeling stressed. Join a group online or go to one in a nearby church, community center, or library.
When you have others who’ve been there, you don’t feel alone. You also may learn tips to make some aspects of caregiving easier to manage.
Go on Vacation
One of the greatest ways to ease stress is to get away for a few days. If you feel refreshed while hiking in the mountains, rent a cabin, and surround yourself with nature. If the beach soothes you, rent an oceanfront or lakefront condo and escape for a long weekend.
You don’t have to travel far. Pick a location that’s a short drive from where you are and offers the amenities you want. Lock yourself away from others for that long weekend and simply unwind and enjoy the sights and sounds while you do nothing but relax and unwind.
How do you take a vacation when your parents need you to help out every day? Call an agency and make arrangements for respite care. When you’re away, caregivers help your parents with housework, meals, laundry, medication reminders, personal care, and other important tasks.
You may find your parents like having someone else with them during the week. Don’t be surprised if they ask to have companionship visits from caregivers regularly.
For more information about hiring Home Care in San Diego, CA, call the friendly caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare who can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, at 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in La Jolla, CA, and the surrounding communities.
Today we are the oldest and most experienced private duty agency in San Diego County.She saw a need for quality private duty home health care and she worked diligently to build an agency that filled that need.I am proud to say, her vision is carried on today with our dedicated staff.
I believe our tenure in the community speaks well for us.We have had the opportunity to be of service to countless interesting individuals, including local and worldwide celebrities.It is the people we care for that makes this a fascinating industry.Whether high profile or a more ordinary citizen, we are proud that thousands have entrusted us with their care or the care of their loved ones.Our Mission is to provide high quality, very secure and the most compassionate home health care.We believe that patients heal faster and are happiest when they can stay in their homes.”
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