Being a caregiver is among the most rewarding, and at the same time, stressful occupations in the world. These people put their heart and soul into ensuring the well-being of a senior. They do anything and everything they can to put their beloved elder’s comfort and happiness above their own. Caregivers stress and burnout is the unfortunately common side-effect of this job. In the case of caregivers nursing elderly with dementia and/or Alzheimer’s, the psychological impact and stress upon them is significantly more and can seriously hamper their own mental health. If you are one of those kind and loving people who is suffering from caregivers stress and burnout, then today’s article is for you. Read on to find out how to prevent the ailment and bring happiness back into your lives.
1. Give time to yourself.
A huge part of a caregiver’s job is devoting a lot of their resources ensuring the wellbeing of others. From the daily necessities of meals and bath time, to the smaller and even more important things of making conversation with the senior, or a kind gesture like making chocolate chip cookies with them to just bring some fun and light into their day. Caregivers become so involved in someone else’s life that they forget to live their own. Not giving time to yourself is what leads to swift burnout. Therefore the first thing you need to do is simply take a day off. Assign your duties for the day to an equally competent caregiver. Spend the time by going on a trip with friends. Meet with with family, or just simply read a book in the comfort of your own home. Everyone needs some me-time; you deserve it too!
2. Research the disease.
The transformation from being cared for to giving care among parents and children can be a challenging one to say the least. Sons and daughters suddenly find themselves in the role of a caregiver nursing a parent with dementia. They feel anxiety about their parent’s future and frustration at the simple tasks the elder can no longer do. This is a key symptom of experiencing caregiver’s burnout. The caregiver needs to take a step back and at first research their elder’s disease to understand what’s happening. It will reduce unwarranted anger and frustration at the patient. As the disease gets worse, they will need to find ways to cope with the changes. Talking to other caregivers and discussing the problems with them can help immensely too.
3. Meditation – a great way to prevent caregivers stress and burnout.
Experiencing stress and anxiety are bound to the job of a caregiver. They are always anxious about their patient’s health, stressful about finances, worried about the future, exhausted from the labor… there is no way to completely remove this negativity, but there are effective ways to reduce it. Sit down in a quiet place and take some deep breaths. Put on some soothing music if you want. Relax your body and forget your mundane activities. Focus and imagine a place you wish to be in for just fifteen minutes a day and meditate. These fifteen minutes are enough to rejuvenate your mind and give it the much-needed break it needs from reality. Doing this exercise with the elder is also a nice thought; the elder may also constantly be in a state of anxiety. Meditation can do a lot of good for them too.
4. Exercise – another way to prevent caregivers stress and burnout.
Professional care giving is a full-time job that requires tons of effort and involves a lot of duties. However, even though helping the elder live their daily life is taxing, it still does not count towards your body as exercise. To make sure that your body gets the required amount of exercise it is necessary to fix a specific amount of time for the activity every day. Something as small as running in the park for a specific time every day can make a huge difference towards your health. Exercising can do wonders to clear your mind.
5. Take care of yourself
You are no use to anyone if you get sick while fulfilling your duties as a caregiver. You are definitely of no use to the elder who depends on you for their daily needs and way of living. If you don’t take care of yourself and fall sick in the process, then who will take care of them? Schedule regular visits to the doctor to make sure that your body is fine and at full strength. Eat your meals regularly, and most importantly eat healthy. Getting obese will in no way help matters. Besides having a bad diet will eventually lead to sickness like diabetes anyway. It’s better to just eat good food from the very beginning. Eat your meals on time. Exercise, and go to the monthly checkup at your doctor’s. If you take care of yourself, the caregiver stress will fade away of its own accord.
6. Take a minute to be grateful
There is no getting around the fact taking good care of a senior citizen is hard. But it is really important to remember that all of the work is worth it. You are devoting your time to improving someone else’s life and that is truly something amazing! Even though your elder is sick, you are doing your very best to make their life better. Your job has an amazing purpose in life and you should be proud of the fact every second you’re working. Whatever the condition and suffering of your elder, be grateful that you are there to help ease their pain and give them comfort in such a difficult time.
Caregivers stress and burnout summary
Caregivers play an extremely important role in the development of our society. They are the people who are in charge of taking care of the senior citizens of our society in their time of need. If you are a caregiver. Or if you know someone who is undertaking such an incredible task. Take a moment to remind yourself and/or them to take care of themselves. Avoid caregivers stress and burnout, by applying the outlined techniques. Because if you or they fall sick from caregiver stress, then who will take care of the elders?
SOURCE: https://happyseniors.care/?p=549&lang=en
