Lots of caregivers find that they’re always running out of time to do things for themselves, like sleep, or relax. But could there be more time than you think, especially if you have help?
Schedule Yourself Differently
How are you scheduling time for yourself now? Odds are very high that you’re scheduling every other responsibility in your life and then trying to find time for your own needs. That usually results in having zero time in which you can focus on yourself. If you switch things up and schedule time for yourself differently, you might be surprised at what happens. Everything else is still going to fit, but you’re going to have time for yourself, too. It sounds like it could never work, but it truly does.
Consider Carefully Before You Say Yes
Something else that you need to start doing is thinking about your answer very carefully before you agree to take on something new. No matter what the task or opportunity is, match it up with your current needs and your current schedule. If you’ve been overcommitting in the past, its tough to say no to things you’re asked to do. But it might be necessary if you’re going to keep being a healthy caregiver.
Find More Solutions for Respite and Task Management
Very often caregivers feel as if they don’t have options for delegating tasks or for taking respite time. That might be true right this moment, but there are other options. Hiring senior care providers gives you a chance to work with someone who doesn’t need a lot of time to ramp up to doing things the way your senior needs them done. You can also start to take time away from caregiving completely, simply because you know your senior is in good hands.
Take Advantage of Time for You
When someone does offer to take over something so that you have time to devote to your own needs, you need to take advantage of that opportunity. You might feel weird doing so at first, but its a vital part of giving yourself the time that you need in order to take better care of yourself. The other important thing to know about this is that when you say yes to these offers, you’re more likely to get them in the future.
Sometimes what you need to do most in order to find time for yourself is to rethink what that means and how you look at time in general.
If you or an aging loved one is considering senior care in Plymouth, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.
