Family Caregiving Stress Reducers to Try Anytime
So, you are caring for a loved one that has Alzheimer’s and you are feeling stressed out. Don’t feel alone. Stress not only makes for a bad day but it can cause health problems. Stress can do a lot of damage if you don’t learn ways to avoid it or handle it. During the holiday seasons you may experience more stress than usual, especially if you have company coming over or are saddened by times gone by. Take charge of your health and try to de-stress your life.
Being a Family Caregiver can stress you out. It is a blessing to be one but it can cause you the most stress. Caring for other members while being the caregiver for a parent with Alzheimer’s can double the stress. Sometimes children can feel neglect or not understand why you spend so much time with mom or dad. Be sure to talk to your children about your caregiving responsibilities for mom or dad. Depending on how old they are, you can explain to them about the disease grandma or grandpa has. Also, don’t forget to remind your children how much you love them.
In order to make things easier and less stressful on you, learn to alter things a little bit to avoid any confrontations or to keep them down to minimal. Ask for help from family or friends. If they do not know you are feeling stressed or down, they cannot help you. So, reach out to them for relief in your caregiving duties. Or, just reach out to them for some friendly companionship to lend an ear. Don’t keep your feelings and frustrations bottled up until it blows up.
Create a relaxation area in your home. This space is where you go to relax. It could be your bedroom, den, etc. It is a place to escape the stress when it starts to become a headache. In your private relaxation space you can read a book, light a candle with your favorite aroma, look at pictures, listen to some soothing music or sounds, watch a comedy on television, or anything else that may help you relieve your tension and calm your nerves.
Some people can find relief by exercising and walking. This is a great form of relaxation and when you are done you will have a different perspective on everything. Allow yourself 30 minutes to walk and another 15 minutes to shower or bath. How relaxing is that? When you get back, your problems will seem smaller.
Eat right. Have you noticed that when you have too much caffeine or sugar your heart beats fast and then slows down, you feel nervous, jittery or you can’t think right? This can cause you to feel bad for the rest of the day, so save yourself this feeling and go easy on junk foods and drinks that contain too much sugar, caffeine, and fat.
Lastly, try joining a support group. You’re not the only one who gets stressed out so find a group and join it. Share your story and know that you are not alone. You may even learn new techniques on how to handle your stress and when to let it go. You may even find new friends that you can share some time with.
Alzheimer’s disease can affect the whole family…take care of yourself!
