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Managing Caregiver Stress Part One
- 2 Comments
- Posted on May. 28th, 2009
Eldercare is a deeply fulfilling gift in my life, nourishing me with heartfelt connections and enriching my perspective. I cherish precious moments spent in the company of people nearing the end of their lives. Even so, I have challenging days when I call on effective strategies to access extra reserves of patience. If you can relate, I know you’ll appreciate these stress management tips for caregivers designed to empower your life.
- Breathe
- Exercise
- Anchor a positive emotion
Harness Your Breath
Anytime I realize I am tense, I check my breathing. Chances are good I have reverted to quick, shallow breaths in response to stress. My first step is to deepen my breaths and slow them down. Breathing in to a count of 7 and out to a count of 11 is very calming. I repeat this until I am more relaxed and ready to resume my eldercare responsibilities.
Exercise Stress Away in Just One Minute
We all know that consistent exercise is one of the healthiest choices we can make. Just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week brings proven stress reducing benefits. On hectic days when I can’t find the time to work out, I rely on this 1 minute stress relieving exercise. Instead of trying to relax, do the opposite. Tense all the muscles in your body as tightly as possible. Hold that tension for 30 seconds, then let go to trigger a relaxation response.
Anchor a Positive Emotion
I love this tool from Neuro-Linguistic Programming that helps me access positive emotions anytime.
Remember a time when you were completely happy.  Close your eyes, see that moment in your mind and step right into the event. Hear the sounds, feel your feelings, and notice the details from that event with all your senses. Right when you feel “filled up” in a very positive way; “anchor” the good feelings by firmly squeezing one of your earlobes with your thumb and forefinger. Do this each day for at least 5 days.
Afterward, you will be able to reach up, squeeze your earlobe during a stressful moment and feel better fast. I repeat this anchoring process regularly to maintain the effectiveness of this technique.
Share your favorite stress management tips for caregivers by commenting on this blog. I value your ideas and encourage your contribution to our eldercare community!
– Christy Cuellar-Wentz
- 2 Comments... Add your opinion!
Thank you for all these wonderful tips. My grandmother was my grandfather’s primary caregiver throughout the 6 years that he suffered from Alzheimer’s. There toward the end of his life when my grandfather was especially hard to handle my grandmother had lost around 30 lbs & was barely sleeping. We as family members can try our best to help out, but in the end it is the caregiver themselves who must realize that if they don’t take time to care for themselves, they will not adequately be able to care for another. Thanks again for all the great tips, especially the relaxation therapy video! Here are some additional tips I ran across on a similar post.
reply to this commentThank you for sharing such a great example of the necessity of caring for ourselves. One of my grandmothers went through a similar situation, and my heart ached to see her go through such a difficult time. I am grateful to be part of the EldercareABC community to share supportive ideas and help ease our eldercare journeys.
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