Caregivers need regular breaks
Taking regular breaks is essential for caregiver health.
As people often say, caregiving is a marathon, so it’s essential to pace yourself for the long haul.
One helpful habit is to take micro breaks during the day.
Tiny breaks will fit into your busy schedule and still benefit your physical and emotional health.
We explain how even a 5 minute break can reduce stress and share 10 ways to take a quick break right now.
Keep this list on hand and use these ideas whenever you have a few minutes to relax.
5 minute breaks reduce stress and help you think clearly
You might think that you have to spend a week vacationing at the beach to de-stress, but that’s not true at all.
Taking short breaks throughout the day gives your brain and body a break.
These much-needed breaks relieve stress, keep you focused on important tasks, and help you think more clearly.
When your schedule is packed and your To Do list keeps growing, it’s more important than ever to find bits of time for breaks.
Even 5 minute breaks can reduce stress and improve your overall well-being.
10 ways to take a quick break right now
We rounded up 10 great ways to take a quick break. The next time you have a few minutes, give one of these a try.
- Close your eyes, slow your breathing, and count slowly to 10 and then back down to 1. Repeat.
- Drink a glass of water. Dehydration makes you tired, headachy, and cranky.
- Do a 2 or 5 minute guided meditation at the free website Calm.com (or see our guide to the free Calm.com mobile app).
- Follow this 4 minute relaxing stretch video you can do at your desk or chair.
- Listen to some upbeat music.
- Take a 5 min walk outside. If you can’t leave your older adult alone, just step outside the door and breathe some fresh air, leaving it open so you can still keep an eye on them.
- Do a brain dump. Get all your thoughts out on paper. Don’t worry about being organized, neat, or even making sense. Just start writing things down on paper and don’t stop until your brain is clear.
- Do some exercise – do 10 squats, 10 jumping jacks, and 10 lunges. Repeat until your body feels energized.
- Start planning a fun activity for yourself. Decide what you want to do, figure out how much time you’ll need, and ask family or friends to help with your senior while you’re doing your fun activity. You might want to plan to have a massage, take a long walk, eat a nice meal out, see a friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with, etc. The planning and arrangements may take several 5 minute breaks to finish, but it will be worth it!
- Watch a funny video like the best of the TV show Wipeout (an obstacle game show) with hilarious commentary.
Recommended for you:
- Manage Caregiver Stress with the Virtual Hope Box App
- 6 Ways to Make It Easier for Caregivers to Take a Break
- Caregiver Emotions: 2 Tips for Managing Tough Feelings
By DailyCaring Editorial Team
This article wasn’t sponsored and doesn’t contain affiliate links. For more information, see How We Make Money.
cherie
I’m dealing with father that moves his bed pads which makes for a wet morning and to urinate he moves diapar down and leaves it there. pees on urinal or whatever is near. bowels are a whole other gross topic
DailyCaring
Incontinence is definitely a challenge in caregiving. We’ve got some suggestions for how to improve the situation here – Incontinence Care: 9 Tips for Caregivers https://dailycaring.com/incontinence-care-9-tips-for-caregivers/
If your father has dementia or another cognitive impairment, this article may also be helpful – 7 Tips for Managing Alzheimer’s and Incontinence https://dailycaring.com/northshore-7-smart-solutions-how-to-manage-incontinence-with-alzheimers/
Myrna
I want solutions that are practical and help make things easier, like my mother will tear her dry diaper off and soil her bed, I’ve bought the professional mitts and she got them off,it’s not a good way to start the day….
DailyCaring
Incontinence can be tough to manage when someone has dementia. It can take some experimenting to find a solution that works well for the situations that come up.
You could try getting a one-piece back-fastening outfit for sleeping. That makes it difficult to access the incontinence brief since she won’t be able to reach inside the jumpsuit. Here are a couple of suggestions for where to find comfortable, stylish adult jumpsuit:
— Buck & Buck Specialized Clothing Solves Senior Dressing Problems https://dailycaring.com/buck-and-buck-specialized-senior-clothing-solves-dressing-problems/
— Silvert’s women’s jumpsuits https://www.silverts.com/show.php/list?search=woman+jumpsuit
Or, the incontinence brief that she’s wearing could be uncomfortable. Perhaps trying a different brand or style could help.
Denise BM
Hi,
I use these bed pads for mom from Medline, MSC282070LB Heavy Absorbency Underpads, 36″ x 36″ Quilted Fluff. These are great quality. They are big enough to cover wide area. I tell my mom the pad is for her back support.
During the day I take my mom to the bathroom 4 or 5 times at regular scheduled times. She is used to it. She doesn’t urinate or poop every time. But she does know it’s her time to go.
I always try a last before bed time bathroom trip.
I use Depends and I refer to them as the new style underwear. I tell her she has the best fashion sense!
When I put mom to bed, I give her a facecloth, towel, or stuffed animal to hold. She is too busy hanging on to those items to think about grabbing anything else.
Caregiving a parent is challenging, I find consistency and a regular schedule helps us both!
Good luck.
DailyCaring
Thanks for sharing the products and routine that works well for you and your mom! These are great suggestions.
Cay James
Myrna,
I took care of my Grandmother when she had dementia and when she started taking her clothes off, I bought those Buck & Buck full bodied back or side fastening outfits and it DEFINITELY helped to keep her from stripping out of her clothes or soiling everything because she was feeling uncomfortable or thought she was in the bathroom. They are a little expensive but if you can, you should definitely give them a try.