As a family caregiver to an aging senior receiving elderly care at home, it’s easy to get so involved in the life of your parent or loved one that you lose yourself in the process. Our lives can become so completely one-sided that it is possible to lose sight of what your wants and needs even are anymore, as you are so completely immersed in what your parent needs.
This is a slippery slope and if you find yourself on the beginning of this path, or if you can recognize that you are already well on your way, there are things that you can do now to prevent this from happening or to get back to a life that you need and deserve.
Our seniors requiring daily elder care are important, but so is stopping to take care of our own bodies and mental well-being before we have lost the traces of what makes us who we are. In fact, it’s such a vital key that when you are boarding a plane and preparing for take-off, the flight attendants will always instruct you in an emergency to place your oxygen mask on yourself before ever helping anyone around you, whether they are elderly parents or small helpless children. If you do not take the steps that you need to care for yourself, you will be unable to help anyone else, and in fact, your health is at risk as well.
Here are a few ways that you can find and create balance in your life:
Meditate
One way to help yourself stay in balance is to develop your own kind of meditation practice. Just taking several quiet moments each day may be enough to help you reset your mind and allow you to realize the importance of self-awareness and self-care. There are lots of ways to meditate and if you need help getting started, look for guided talks online to get you going.
Hire help
If you are running yourself so ragged trying to take care of a senior parent or loved one that you are losing yourself along the way, considering hiring professionals from a home care agency to take some of the tasks off your hands. It’s perfectly appropriate and normal to ask for help, and with a hired company, your senior will get the very best care from people who are trained to handle senior issues specifically.
Take a break
If at all possible, give yourself a break. Give yourself a break in the way that you treat yourself and talk to yourself, and give yourself a physical break as well. Take some time away from the daily grind of elderly care and do something that you like to do so that you can feel how good it is to put yourself first again.
4. Get physical
If you are feeling especially stressed and unbalanced in your life, try physical exercise. There are many ways you can do it, such as taking a hike, joining a group exercise class, or asking a good friend to go for a walk. Make sure that you are moving your body so you can feel like the best you that you can be.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elder Care in San Jose, CA, contact the friendly staff at Home Care Professionals today.
Call (866)-940-4855
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