Caregiving isn’t a one-person show Tell me if this sounds familiar: your to-do lists are longer than a CVS receipt, you can’t remember the last time you got a full night’s sleep, and you haven’t had a relaxed meal in months. You’re exhausted and feeling resentful. If this sounds like your life, you’re not alone. Too many family caregivers feel like this.…
Get tips to reduce caregiver stress from Navy SEALs When caring for an older adult, learning to reduce and relieve stress is critical to your health and well-being. But managing stress is easier said than done. When The Huffington Post asked former Navy SEALs to share their stress-busting secrets, we knew their tips would be helpful for caregivers. Navy SEALs are the special…
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 it’s challenging to say no – it feels unnatural…
Holidays can be tough on caregivers Even if you’re caring for an older adult, it’s still possible to have an enjoyable and less stressful holiday season. We’ve got three tips to help you eliminate unrealistic expectations, reduce guilt and stress, and get a well-deserved break. 1. Give yourself permission to do less The holidays aren’t about fancy decorations or multi-course meals. It’s…
2 reasons caregiving is SO HARD 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 isn’t something that…
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…
Reduce stress by getting help with caregiving tasks To reduce caregiver stress and improve your health, it’s important to share the workload as much as possible. But sometimes the effort to coordinate caregiving schedules and send reminders to family, friends, or hired caregivers is too much extra work. You don’t want to chase after people on top of all your other responsibilities.…
