When caregiving is frustrating you, sometimes the best thing to do is to shift your perspective. Reframing how you look at being a caregiver might take a little bit of time and effort.
Evaluate the Balance in Your Life
One of the big problems that caregivers run into is that they don’t have a balance between being a caregiver and the rest of their life. When that happens, it’s difficult to see the good things about caregiving in general. So take a few minutes and really look at what the balance is like in your life. Are you still spending time with friends and other family members, or is that happening less and less often? Is your life primarily about going to work and then meeting your senior’s needs? Then you’re likely feeling stretched too thin.
Make Changes to Improve Balance
Some of the problems with balance in your life might be easy to adjust. For example, maybe you need to return your friend’s call more often in order to benefit from that relationship. Or perhaps you could start telecommuting for work a few days a week. Other changes might be bigger, such as going to bed earlier in order to get the sleep that you need.
Look at Why What You Do Is Important
When you remember why you are a caregiver, it’s much easier to see why you’re making the choices you’re making. It’s important to be there for your aging adult and you might be the only one who can do so. It’s also a way for you to give back to your elderly family member after all that she has done for you. Your own list of reasons might be different, but it’s important to know why you are a caregiver and what it does for your senior.
Take Some Time to Do Other Things More Often
As important as it is for you to be available as a caregiver, it is also important for you to have time that is just your own. This can even help you to determine how you can improve the balance between the various demands in your life. Line up time you can take away and then stick with it so you can reap the benefits.
When you can look at your caregiving journey in a slightly different way, you can help yourself to avoid burning out before your journey is over. You might even find that it’s time to step away from being a caregiver for a little while and that’s okay, too. You just need to know where you stand at this moment.