The following are some effective tools for self-care that can start you on your way to wellness.

Tool# 1: Reducing Personal Stress

Your level of stress is influenced by many factors, including the following:

Whether your caregiving is voluntary. Your relationship with the care recipient. Your coping abilities. The level of care your are providing. Whether or not support is available.

Steps to Managing Stress
Recognize warning signs early, know them and don’t wait until your are overwhelmed to act. These might include irritability, sleep problems, and forgetfulness.
Identify what you can and cannot change. When you try to change things over which you have no control, you will only increase your sense of frustration. Ask yourself, “What do I have some control over? What can I change?”
Taking some action to reduce stress gives us back a sense of control. Stress reducers can be simple activities like walking and other forms of exercise, gardening, meditation, or having coffee with a friend.

Tool #2: Seeking Solutions

Seeking solutions to difficult situations is, of course, one of the most important tools in caregiving. Once you have identified a problem, taking action to solve it can change the situation and also change your attitude to a more positive one, giving you more confidence in your abilities.

Steps for Seeking Solutions
Identify the problem. Look at the situation with an open mind. The real problem might not be what first comes to mind. For example, you think that the problem is simply that you are tired all the time, when the more basic difficulty is your belief that “no one can care for John like I can.” The problem? Thinking that you have to do everything yourself.
List possible solutions. One idea is to try a different perspective: “Even though someone else provides help to John in a different way than I do, it can be just as good.” Ask a friend to help. Call Expert Senior Living and ask about agencies in your area that could help provide care.

Tool #3: Asking for and Accepting Help

When people have asked if they can be of help to you, how often have you replied, “Thank you, but I’m fine.” Many caregivers donʼt know how to marshal the goodwill of others and are reluctant to ask for help. You may not wish to “burden” others or admit that you can’t handle everything yourself.
Help can come from community resources, family, friends, and professionals. Ask them. Donʼt wait until you are overwhelmed and exhausted or your health fails. Reaching out for help when you need it is a sign of personal strength.
Remember, it is not selfish to focus on your own needs and desires when you are a caregiver—itʼs an important part of the job. You are responsible for your own self-care.