Senior Care in Elkhorn NE
Mild anxiety is nature’s way of making sure that you’re prepared to deal with threats. As a family caregiver, though, anxiety can be upsetting and can even interfere with your duties as a caregiver.
Learn to See Anxiety as an Alert of Sorts
For people who have general anxiety, it’s a constant alarm going off. If you’ve developed anxiety only about caregiving situations, you can start to see it as a smaller alert. Anxiety can help you to notice when something isn’t quite right or when you need to be aware of something. This gives you a chance to fix the problem.
Stop and Focus
When you first start to feel anxious, stop and focus for a minute or two. Look at the situation from as many angles as you can and see if you can determine what about it is making you feel anxious. Breathe and pay attention to all of the variables. Often spotting whatever has prompted the feeling can be enough to help you resolve the feeling.
Assess What You Can Actually Do
Once you know what is causing your anxiety, look next at what you can actually do to resolve the situation. In some cases, you may not have control over the situation. When that happens, your best result can often be to remind yourself that you don’t have control over the situation but you’re aware. If you can change or adjust the situation, do so.
Engage in Relaxation Techniques
If there are techniques or rituals that you find relaxing and anxiety-relieving, engage in them. This could be activities such as meditating, practicing breathing exercises, or even exercising. You might also find relief in journaling, reading, or talking to friends. Whatever works for you is important to incorporate into your daily activities.
Seek out Help
For some family caregivers, situational anxiety can grow and become a more generalized anxiety. In that case, you may need professional assistance to work through those feelings and relieve the anxiety for good. Find a therapist or counselor that you trust and do what you can to get rid of the majority of your anxious feelings.
Anxiety can be just a cue from your brain that you need to pay particular attention to something. If your anxiety is debilitating, don’t ignore it.
If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Elkhorn, NE, please contact the caring staff at Seniors Helping Seniors® Greater Omaha at (402) 215-0308 today.