SELF CARE continued...
well-being. Try to get 7-8 hours of sleep
a couple of times a week. If that is not
feasible give yourself permission to take
a short nap during the day.
3) Exercise
Even if you don’t have time for a
long class at the gym, getting out for a
walk or popping in a yoga DVD at home
can go a long way in helping you to main-
tain your emotional and physical health.
Even low intensity exercise releases en-
dorphins and offers a distraction to the
seemingly endless list of responsibilities,
which will bode well for your mood and
mental outlook in the long run.
4) Give Yourself
Permission to Leave
Go grab a latte, a cup of tea, or an ice
cream cone at Anderson’s. It doesn’t mat-
ter what you step away to do, just remem-
ber it’s okay. Every caregiver will tell you
— whether their loved one is living with
them or not — that there is a never-ending
cycle of guilt inherent to the job. Remem-
ber, it’s alright to step off the guilt tread-
mill and capture a moment to do some-
thing for yourself, just for the fun of it.
5) Integrate Prayer
and Meditation into
Your Day
Kaczmarek credits her faith and
prayer as one of the most mentally sta-
bilizing components during her time as
a full-time caregiver. The reality is that
care giving is hard, but prayer can help
you to re-center your heart and mind
even on the toughest days.
6) Stay Connected
It’s important to try to stay as con-
nected to friends as possible during this
time. Kacmarek told us that she wishes
more of her friends had continued to
call, or even just show up, while she was
taking care of her mom. Try to let your
friends know where and how they can
help — maybe it’s just stopping by for a
cup of tea or meeting you out for an hour
to run errands. Sometimes our friend’s
disengagement isn’t a lack of desire to
help, it’s just a lack of knowing how. Let
your friends know what they can do.
7) Give Yourself Grace
All of the suggestions above come
down to one thing — being kind to your-
self and acknowledging that you are still
a person with needs, even while you are
meeting someone else’s. Remember,
you’re doing the best you can, so give
yourself some grace in the process.
Lisa Littlewood is a freelance writer
who lives in Lancaster, NY, with her
three girls (11, 10, and 5), and her
very outnumbered husband. You can
read more of her writing at http://www.
lisalittlewood.com, where she writes
about faith, family, and this crazy little
thing called life.
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44 WNY Family March 2019
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www.danadee.acsiapartners.com
[email protected]
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