Recently, I was speaking with some caregivers about taking care of themselves and how critical that is in the caregiving process. One caregiver that I had the opportunity to speak with was a dual-caregiver. By “dual-caregiver”, I mean helping care for her father and her mothering-in-law at the same time, not to mention her family and a holding down a job. So I thought this was a good person to hear from.

This caregiver’s immediate advice was, “Don’t let anyone steal your swimming.” She went on to explain that her release valve and “calming time” was swimming laps. She used swimming as a way to work out the stress, release the frustration and sometimes just a quiet time to think through the situation. Another caregiver we talked to who was also a dual-caregiver said something surprisingly similar, “Don’t take away my bath time.” She used some quiet-time soaking in a hot bath as a way to wash the stress away.

This made me reflect on one of my last caregiving events. It was a 24/7 hospice caregiving situation that lasted about 4 weeks. I guess I didn’t realize it but the 30 min. a day I left the house and went for a run did keep me much more “centered” during this traumatic time and helped me be a better caregiver.

Caregivering sometimes can be extremely mentally and physically demanding and often our schedule doesn’t seem to really be our own. As caregivers, we naturally base our schedule around another person. However, taking that time even 30 minutes a day or several times each week can keep us better able to continue the journey of caregiving. Please for yourself and the person you are caring for DON’T LET ANYONE STEAL YOUR SWIMMING! And if you are or think you might be a caregiver and you don’t have a stress-release or quiet-time activity, GET ONE!

 

Resources from AGIS.com:

Caregiver Self Assessment
Help for the Caregiver
Caregiver Kit

Filed under: Caregiving