GLOBAL HEALTH AGING

If you are a caregiver, then you may sometimes find that you spend more time caring for others than you do yourself. This can make it very difficult for you to put the focus back on yourself when you really need to. At times you may even think that you feel selfish. At the same time, you have to remember that self-care is not selfish, and there are things that you can do to try and turn things around for yourself.

Balance is Crucial

In the first couple of phases of caregiving, you may feel as though you are continually rushed. You may find that your family member also feels guilty about you caring for them as well. If you are caring for someone then you need to give yourself permission to have a meal uninterrupted, and you also need to try and give yourself space. If you have a family member living with you then you may find this hard to do, but that being said, there are things that you can do to try and make sure that you focus on yourself more. It may be that you recruit the help of other people when it comes to sharing the caregiving responsibilities or that you hire external help. Simple things like hiring a medication management service can really help you here too.

Focus on Love and Forgiveness

You have to remember that everything starts with yourself. You need to focus on loving and forgiving yourself because if you are not able to do this, then you may find it hard to motivate and encourage other people. Meditation can be a very good way for you to try and understand the anger and pain you are going through, not to mention that it can also help you to deal with any feelings, such as shame, fear or guilt.

Prioritize

Prioritization is super important when it comes to your health and the health of those around you. You should never feel as though you have to take care of everything around you. Try and make sure that you are managing tasks to the best of your ability by focusing on breaking them down into small chunks. Do whatever you can and make sure that you do not stress about the rest. If possible, you need to find shortcuts that work for you as well. If you know that you do not have the time to take care of the whole kitchen, then try and clear the counter and de-clutter so that tasks become easier in the future. If you can do this, then you will soon find that you can ease your mind and that you can also let go of your perfectionism.

Simplifying your efforts will also go a long way, such as making fewer trips when out and, on the go, or even grouping appointments together where possible. if you can do this, then you will soon find that things become easier for you overall. Keep this in mind, and things will become easier.