When you’re caring for an older adult, it can be difficult to set the boundaries and expectations you need to manage stress and prevent burnout. Lee Elliott shares 6 tips to help you keep expectations realistic and make time for your own needs. Providing care for another person can lead to burnout, stress, fatigue, and a loss of sight of your own personal life.…
Stress-reducing music improves health Caring for an older adult is stressful. Finding ways to cope with and manage stress improves your overall health and helps you avoid burning out. Music is known for its ability to influence mood and emotions. That’s why it’s such an effective way to manage stress. It can even be more effective than medication for boosting mood and…
Reduce caregiver stress with coping tips that calm you down Stress is inevitable when you’re caring for an older adult. But there are effective techniques to reduce and manage it. The more tips you have in your pocket, the better you’ll be able to cope with everyday challenges. We found 7 excellent stress relief tips in this infographic from Hubspot. It provides a…
Let’s be honest for a moment: when was the last time you did something just for your body, something that had nothing to do with caring for someone else? If you’re like most caregivers I’ve worked with, “exercise” is probably somewhere on your list of things you know you should do, right between “get eight hours of sleep” and “finally organize those…
Caregivers Have a Hard Time Saying No Caregivers care. It’s part of who you are and is an amazing quality to have. But your caring nature can also cause you to regularly take on too much. That can lead to stress, exhaustion, and poor health. Doing too much for others can happen because saying no is challenging – it feels unnatural and…
The holiday season, often pictured as a time of joy and togetherness, can feel like a marathon of added pressure for family caregivers. Between decorating, meal preparation, managing family visits, and maintaining your caregiving routine, the quest for a “perfect” holiday can quickly eclipse the peace it’s meant to bring. If you’re feeling more overwhelmed than merry, you are not alone. This…
2 Reasons Caregiving Is So Challenging We all know caregiver stress is a big problem. But WHY is caregiving so stressful? Nobody really talks about them, but we think these two reasons make caring for an older adult extra difficult. 1. You know exactly how this will end We all know how the caregiving journey ends. Serious disease plus advanced age aren’t things anyone…
Denial leads to caregiving burnout Denying that you need help is a major reason for caregiver burnout. Many caregivers are convinced that they’ve got their situation handled. No matter how difficult things get, they can manage without any help, thank you very much. The problem? Before you know it, you’ve gained 10 pounds, feel stressed all the time, and resent your older…
Music improves health, mood, and sleep Music has many therapeutic benefits for seniors and sometimes helps more than medication. In documentaries like Alive Inside, we’ve seen how music can deeply affect older adults with cognitive issues. This study showed that in stressful pre-surgery situations, patients who listened to music rather than taking anti-anxiety meds actually had less anxiety and lower cortisol (stress)…
Effective 4 minute home workout for caregivers Exercise is especially important for busy caregivers. Regular exercise keeps your body fit, combats the effects of stress, and boosts your energy. This 4 minute Tabata workout is great because it’s effective and you can squeeze it in anywhere, anytime! Start slow to stay safe Before starting any new exercise, check with your doctor…
