If you’ve felt at all behind as a caregiver, you may not realize that you’re not alone at all.
Almost every caregiver feels as if they’re constantly running behind and it’s a feeling that can create even more stress for you. Some of these ideas can help you to feel ahead of the game again.
Your Day Starts the Night Before
Productivity and being more proactive doesn’t start in the morning. It starts the night before, especially if you’ve been feeling overwhelmed. Make sure that anything that you need the next day is laid out and try to set up anything that you can for the next day. When you do those kinds of tasks the night before, you’re less likely to be fuzzy-headed like you would be the next morning.
Routines and Rituals Help
This can become one of many routines that support you as a caregiver. Look for other ways to use routines to your advantage. If you’re looking to exercise more, for instance, build a routine that supports you exercising shortly after you get up each morning. Lay out your exercise clothes the night before and make them impossible to walk past when you get up.
“Armor up” Before You Head Out for the Day
One way you can feel more prepared for your day is to get dressed before you tackle anything else at all. Shower, get dressed, and then go about handling the rest of the tasks on your morning list. When the first crisis of the day hits you, you’re already in your “armor” and you’re ready for whatever comes next. This is especially helpful if you’re finding that it’s mid-morning before you have a chance to even take a shower.
Limit Your Bedroom for Sleep and for Relaxation
When you’re using your bedroom as your office and your room for sleep, the messages get confusing for your brain. Do what you can to start keeping your bedroom just for sleeping and for relaxing. This gives your mind the room that it needs, literally, to fully relax and know that this space is not for any activities for which it needs to be active.
You really can do a lot to take each day by the horns as a caregiver. It might feel as if you don’t have a lot of control over what happens, but you can control your mindset and your attitude toward each day.