Coping with Caregiver Stress
Caregiver in Bernardsville NJ
Being a family caregiver for your elderly parent can be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling decisions that you can make in your life. It can also be one of the most challenging and stressful. 
Feeling stress associated with managing the needs and challenges of an older adult is completely normal, but it can also put you mental, emotional, and physical health and wellbeing at risk. Identifying that you are going through stress and finding ways to deal with it is an important part of maintaining your own health and quality of life, and ensuring that you continue to be the best possible caregiver for your aging parent.
October 12 is International Moment of Frustration Scream Day. This is the perfect opportunity for you to take some time to yourself to acknowledge and relieve your stress so that you can have renewed focus and energy for your caregiver journey.
Use these tips to help you cope with caregiver stress on International Moment of Frustration Scream Day and any other day when you are feeling overwhelmed by your care responsibilities:
- Face your stress. For many caregivers, admitting that they are feeling stressed is the most difficult part of dealing with it. You might feel that stress is an indication that you do not want to be a caregiver or that you do not love your parent. This, however, is not the case. Stress is a natural response to additional burden and can actually be an indication that you care so much about your parent’s wellbeing that you are worrying yourself about it. Acknowledge this stress and admit to yourself that it is nothing to be ashamed of so that you can move forward.
- Scream it out. Take the name of the holiday seriously and give yourself permission to have one good scream to let out the tension. Of course, you do not want to scream at your aging parent or anyone else. Instead, scream into a pillow or in your car where you can get the benefit of this release without disturbing or disrupting others.
- Get active. Physical activity is a fantastic way to relieve stress and to keep it under control. When you are active your brain releases chemicals called endorphins that give you a calm, elevated feeling. Exercising can also be a release for tension and frustration that you have built up, giving you a healthy outlet for these emotions. Try finding a new type of physical activity that will challenge your body and your mind. This will give you the added benefit of distracting your thoughts away from the challenges and frustrations of your caregiver responsibilities so that you can give your mind a chance to heal.
- Consider respite care. Even the best caregiver sometimes needs a break. Respite care involves a home care provider stepping in to provide care on a temporary basis to ensure that care gaps are filled and that your parent’s routine is maintained as much as possible when you are unable to be there with your parent. This can mean a few hours so that you can attend a special event, or even a couple of days so that you are able to enjoy a much-deserved getaway.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional caregiver services in Bernardsville, NJ, please talk to the caring staff at Generations Home Health Care today. Providing Home Care in Somerset, Essex, Union, Morris and Hunterdon Counties. Call us today at (908) 290-0691 or (973) 241-4534.
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