You may find yourself in a season of life where the roles are reversed and you are now caring for an aging parent. Establishing a well-rounded self-care routine will be vital for your success. Just like the flight attendants instruct us to put our masks on first before helping the person next to us – caregivers must take care of themselves first so that they can take care of their loved ones in the best way possible. Here are some self-care tips:
- Put it on your calendar. Life as a caregiver can get pretty hectic. Putting ‘me time’ on your calendar is a great way to keep it as a priority, otherwise your time will get filled with something else. Choosing time for yourself isn’t selfish.
- Plan for multiple small things throughout the day. Carve out 5 minutes every few hours to breathe, drink a cup of coffee, check social media, etc. whatever you like to do to briefly disconnect and re-center. You’ll be surprised at how just 5 minutes and refresh your mind and spirit.
- Prioritize the goal above the good. Just because you have someone in your life who is depending on you for care doesn’t mean that the rest of the world will understand what that requires of you. It’s important to learn the art of saying ‘no’ so that you can keep your focus on what your top priority is in this season – caring for your loved one. Others may be used to counting on you to help them, but they will understand if you just can’t be as available as you used to be.
At Tealridge Retirement Community we understand the weight of caring for a loved one full-time. If you are interested in how your loved one might benefit from a move to our community, our talented sales counselors are available to answer all of your questions. Tealridge Retirement Community offers Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care in our Edmond, Oklahoma location. Contact us here for more information.
