Caregiving can be very stressful at times. If stress isn’t managed properly, family caregivers can experience burnout or even land themselves in the hospital. However, there are steps you can take to alleviate anxiety and keep your mind in a relaxed state. Take a look at some tips to use when you feel your anxiety levels rising.
Maintain a Support Network
Isolating yourself from friends and family and only interacting with your elderly loved one could cause severe mental and emotional issues, which is why you should always have someone to talk to. A good network full of supporters allows you to vent about issues that are going on in your life. Anxiety and stress can prevent you from seeing things clearly. However, when you talk about your concerns with people other than your loved one, they may be able to help you find solutions that ease your caregiving duties.
Consider hiring a professional caregiver if you need to break to relax and unwind. Elderly home care experts are available to provide high-quality care to seniors on an as-needed basis. From assistance with mobility and exercise to providing transportation to the doctor’s office and social events, there are a variety of ways professional caregivers can help your aging loved one continue to live independently.
Stay Physically Active
Staying active is an excellent way to release endorphins that fight against the stress hormone cortisol. Endorphins are hormones that metabolize stress and restore the body and mind to a calmer state. Whenever you feel anxious, take a walk through the neighborhood or do some deep breathing exercises. Family caregivers who incorporate regular exercise into their daily routines can alleviate anxiety and block out many negative emotions.
Get Adequate Sleep
A good night of rest is exactly what you need to keep your anxiety levels down. A family caregiver’s bedroom should be a peaceful place with no stress reminders. When you sleep, your body flushes out the stress toxins that have built up throughout the day. Some of the ways to ensure your sleeping patterns aren’t disrupted include avoiding caffeine and not doing mentally demanding caregiving duties a few hours prior to bedtime. You can also hire an in-home caregiver to care for your loved one during the night, which allows you to spend more time resting and less time worrying about your loved one.
Family caregivers sometimes need a break from their caregiving responsibilities. When they need respite care, Waterloo families can rely on professional caregivers to help their senior loved ones remain safe at home.
Manage Time Effectively
Taking on too much can make family caregivers feel stressed and full of anxiety. They try to do everything and get upset when they fail to accomplish it all. Doing everything in one day isn’t possible, but if you develop a good schedule and manage your time effectively, you can still accomplish the things you need in a timely manner. List the caregiving tasks in the order they should be completed, doing the most urgent tasks first. Maintaining a manageable task list can help you alleviate stress and anxiety.
Family members can relieve anxiety and prevent burnout by hiring professional in-home caregivers. When researching agencies that provide home care, Waterloo, ON, families are usually looking for flexible care plans, compassionate and highly trained caregivers, and 24/7 availability. Whether you need respite care to take a break from your caregiving duties or your senior loved one needs around-the-clock assistance at home, you can rely on Home Care Assistance. To talk to one of our friendly Care Managers and create a customized senior care plan, call us at (519) 954-2111.