If you’re a caregiver, you’re in control of everything, right? Not so much, actually, but it can feel as if you should be. There’s a lot you aren’t in control of, even if it appears you are. Getting real with yourself about whether you’re taking on too much might be in order.
How Much You’re Letting Your Senior Handle
You might be trying to do too much for your senior. It’s one thing to help her with situations she genuinely needs help with, but are you doing too much? Many caregivers think it’s easier to just take over tasks or activities. But your elderly family member needs to be able to handle some challenges on her own. Offering help is one thing, taking over is another.
The Flow of Your Day
It might not feel like it, but you really can be the one in charge of how your day flows. If you’re like a lot of caregivers, you might feel as if you’re racing from one hot spot to another and putting out fires. But if you step back and find ways to flow with life and caregiving, you might find it a little bit easier. It’s also easier if you’re doing the next two things on the list.
Your Own Self-Care
Only you are going to worry about your own self-care. If you’re not taking the best care of yourself that you can, you’re going to find that everything is more difficult. You have to be eating right, getting plenty of sleep, and doing all the other things that keep you going. Setting up a self-care plan now is going to help you down the road.
Respite Time
This one can feel tricky for a lot of caregivers because they don’t truly feel in control of respite time. But the fact is that you are. Let senior care providers take over for the afternoon or for the day and then step away. You have to be able to do something besides being a caregiver and allowing respite time to happen reminds you of that fact. It also reminds you how it feels to be able to recharge yourself, which you need.
Sometimes caregivers try to control too much and it backfires. Don’t let that happen to you. If you’re feeling out of control, that might be a warning sign that you’re trying to go overboard with what you’re trying to manage.