Practicing Self-Care while Caring for Others
Caregivers play a vital role in supporting individuals with chronic illnesses such as lung cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, in their commitment to addressing their loved one’s needs and well-being, caregivers often neglect their own physical and emotional health. Balancing personal needs with caregiving responsibilities can be challenging, particularly when the patient’s condition appears more urgent or demanding. Prioritizing self-care is essential, not only for maintaining one’s own health and resilience but also for ensuring the ability to provide sustained, effective care. By taking proactive steps to preserve their own well-being, caregivers can enhance their capacity to support their loved one over the long term. This article focuses on the caregiver’s experience and offers practical strategies for incorporating self-care into daily life while providing care for others.
Stay Health
Self-care is often overlooked, but it is very important to our overall well-being. No one can advocate for yourself better than you can. As a caregiver you might feel guilty or selfish for taking some time to yourself, but remember that to be strong enough to care for a sick loved one, you must first be in good health yourself.
Exercise: Make time for a daily work out. Exercise improves mood, helps combat health conditions, and even promotes better sleep. Join a class that will allow you to work out and stay social. If you don’t have the time to leave home for too long, start a small home gym, or opt for a lengthy walk around the neighborhood.
Eat Healthy: To ensure you get proper nutrition and have the energy levels you need for caregiving, eat healthy. A good nutritious diet will help maintain your immune system, give you energy, and reduce your risk of getting a chronic disease.
Lean on Others: Don’t try to do it all alone. Friends, family members, neighbors probably want to help but may not be sure how to. Lean on others when you need a break from caregiving. Ask people willing to help to drop off meals, help you run errands, or sit in with your loved one while you take some time to yourself. Even if you just lean on others for moral support. Find support groups that work for you. Being a caregiver can be very emotionally draining. Speaking to someone about how you are feeling can really help.
Acknowledge Your Feelings
There is an emotional side to caregiving that most caregivers fear discussing or even acknowledging themselves. According to caregiver.org, not paying attention to your feelings can lead to poor sleep, illness, trouble coping, stress eating, substance abuse, and more.
Guilt is a common emotion for caregivers. You feel as if you could have done more to prevent your loved one from this pain. Or you might feel guilty for becoming impatient with your care receiver. You might even feel guilty for feeling disgust towards your loved one. Helping someone go to the bathroom can be too intimate for some or cleaning up vomit can cause your stomach to turn as well. You might feel resentment towards the situation or other family members that you feel aren’t doing enough to help. Mainly, you might feel exhausted, and scared to leave your loved one’s sight! All these feelings that you might brush off at first will persist the longer you are a caregiver, and these little things can become big when you start to feel unappreciated for everything you do. It is ok and perfectly normal to have these feelings and acknowledge them in order to better cope.
Caring for a loved one can be a taxing situation. It is important to balance your needs and well-being along with your loved one’s care. You cannot take care of them if you do not take care of yourself first. Accept offers of help and utilize resources to achieve the ideal balance between self-care and caregiver.
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