Boundaries give you a way to know and to understand what you can do and what you can’t do while you’re taking care of your senior. If you don’t already have strong boundaries, you might find that you’re feeling overwhelmed more often. You might also feel as if you’re not doing what you could as a caregiver, simply because you’re putting too much on yourself.
Examine Your Feelings
The best way to know what your boundaries are and whether something is infringing on them is to look at how you’re feeling. This is especially true when you’re first learning about boundaries and setting healthy ones. If you’re feeling angry, hurt, or resentful, those are big signs that a boundary has been crossed. Pay close attention to when you’re having those feelings so that you can start determining the borders of your boundaries.
Approach Conversations Honestly
The more honest that you are while you’re exploring your boundaries, the better for everyone involved. You need to be able to sit down with your senior or with other family members and express what you’re feeling and why. That’s going to help everyone involved to understand how things need to go from here on out.
Do What You Can Do
Where most caregivers get into trouble is that they try to do what they believe they should be doing in a given situation. For instance, you may work full time and have your own family at home, but you feel as if you should be up all night with your senior. That doesn’t serve you and keeps you from sleeping, but you still feel obligated to try.
Find Solutions for What You Can’t Do
Respecting your own boundaries means that you find alternate solutions, like home care providers who can stay with your senior at night, rather than trying to do it all yourself. As you start to respect your own boundaries more, you can get a better appreciation for what you do. Other people will start to respect your boundaries, too, which goes a long way toward helping you to feel heard as a caregiver.
It can take some time to learn and to explore your own boundaries. Your boundaries don’t have to be perfect right out of the gate. Give yourself the time and the grace to learn what you need to know about being a caregiver and what that means for you. You can always move your boundaries as you learn more about them.
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED-ONE ARE CONSIDERING CAREGIVERS IN ZEBULON, NC, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT SENIORS HELPING SENIORS TODAY. CALL (919) 761-5346.