Too many caregivers don’t engage in proper self-care and it can do some serious harm to them in the process. If you’re noticing that you’re a bit light on the self-care yourself, you still have a chance to turn that around. The first step is to work out what’s keeping you from proper self-care practices.
Self-care Feels Selfish
For so many caregivers, focusing on taking care of themselves feels selfish, especially if a senior family member isn’t able to take care of herself any longer. You might feel as if you have to spend every available moment caring for your elderly family member or that time is wasted. This can especially be the case if you work a demanding career while also trying to be a caregiver.
Your Own Needs Feel Negative
When you think about meeting your own needs, is the overall feeling a negative one? You might feel anxious about your own needs or angry, especially if you’ve been denying yourself for a long time. It’s important to look deeper into those feelings so that you can determine what’s behind them. Negative feelings around self-care are extremely common, but if you don’t learn how to turn those feelings around, you’re going to find it very difficult to engage in proper self-care.
Asking for Help Is Difficult
It is never easy to ask for help. When you do ask for help, you’re at least tacitly acknowledging that you can’t do something or that something is too much for you. That can be a tough pill to swallow, especially if you’ve been someone who has always handled complicated situations well. There’s no shame in needing help, though. In fact, hiring experienced senior care providers can help to ensure that you’ve got not only the time but also the energy to focus on yourself more often than occasionally.
You’re Trying to Be the Best
Childhood and even adulthood all prep people to be the best that they can be, no matter what. And if you’re trying to be the best caregiver possible, you might not see that ignoring your own needs is hindering your goal. You might also feel that you have something to prove to your senior, especially if she’s been resistant to help over the years. You can still be the best caregiver in the world, but it’ll be easier if you’re taking care of yourself.
You really can balance caregiving and caring for yourself. In fact, you have to. If you try to keep going without caring for yourself you’re going to put yourself in a bad situation that will only get worse. Get honest with yourself about what’s blocking you so you can remove those blocks.
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING SENIOR CARE IN SMITHFIELD, NC, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT SENIORS HELPING SENIORS TODAY. CALL (919) 761-5346.