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Caregiving Tips

Guidance on how to properly care for your loved ones as they navigate through the aging process

As caregivers, we give and give and give, and during the holidays we give even more. Add the stress and isolation of the pandemic on top of that and you've got a potential formula for burnout. That's why my 8th tip is:

Keep Up with Self-Care

Be aware of emotional ups and downs, fatigue, foggy thinking, inability to sit still or the opposite — feeling frozen and unable to get anything done. These are red flags that the stress is getting to you and you may be on your way to burnout (or already there), but when we’re busy it’s easy to let self-care slip — just when we need it most.

I look at self-care like my car - it can't run on empty and neither can I. Self-care - or filling our own tanks - is not selfish, it's just practical. So find ways to fill up - even if it's just a little bit at a time:

Stay connected - to other caregivers, friends, family, neighbors. Social isolation is detrimental to your health, so be sure to find ways to connect safely via video chat, outside etc.
Get plenty of sleep (here are some tips for how to do that).
Weather permitting, get outside for a walk (even a short walk is better than none!) If your shopping mall is open you can walk there and enjoy the decorations (be sure to follow safety precautions).
Dance to holiday music!
Stretch or do jumping jacks while watching holiday movies.
Enjoy holiday goodies, but be aware that too many sugary treats can make your energy crash later and pandemic weight gain won't help you in the long run.
Be aware of unhealthy coping skills, like drinking too much.
Get outside for some mood-elevating vitamin D from sunlight, or consider therapeutic lighting if you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Relax and combat stress with meditation, mindfulness practices and holiday-scented aromatherapy to soothe and boost your mood.