Fighting the Symptoms of Stressful Caregiving
If you are currently caring for an elderly or ill loved one, you know firsthand the difficulties that this entails.
In fact, you probably are dealing with quite a bit of stress.
There are many symptoms that caregivers face on a daily basis, stress being only one of them.
Read on, and see if these symptoms describe you and your situation.
You are frustrated.
Seeing a loved one progress into the later stages of an illness is tough because there is very little that you can do to reverse the situation.
Sleeping doesn't even help with the frustration.
You toss and turn for a good deal of the night.
When you do sleep, it is never deep.
You awaken easily because you want to be there for your loved one in case something has happened.
This leads to the next point...
You are overwhelmed.
You might want to perform a simple task around the house, but you just can't find the time or the energy.
Even simple chores become extremely difficult.
If you have a task that needs to be performed for your loved one, you can muster the strength to do so, but there is very little time that you can devote to your own wellbeing.
You are losing or gaining weight.
Different people deal with stressors in their lives differently.
Weight fluctuation is a common symptom.
Some people eat their feelings and gain weight; others have no appetite and lose weight.
Neither of these are healthy activities.
Make sure that you are eating adequately, but not overeating.
Also, be sure to include fruits and vegetables in your diet.
These are vital to maintaining your health.
You are getting sick or depressed.
Our immune systems weaken under stress.
This makes it a lot easier to feel under the weather.
Additionally, stress like care giving for an elderly relative can cause depression.
While the task we are undertaking is a noble one, it is not easy.
In order to perform at the top level, it is important to take care of our mental and physical health factors as well.
Being sick or depressed is not only not any fun; it gets in the way of our care giving duties.
Take care of yourself first, even if you find that this cuts into your time as a caregiver.
The quality of care that you provide will be higher and the job will become much more fulfilling to you just as it should be.
The symptoms that an overburdened caregiver faces are many, but by recognizing them, you can take action against them and start improving not only the quality of your own life, but you can also improve the level of care that you are providing.
In fact, you probably are dealing with quite a bit of stress.
There are many symptoms that caregivers face on a daily basis, stress being only one of them.
Read on, and see if these symptoms describe you and your situation.
You are frustrated.
Seeing a loved one progress into the later stages of an illness is tough because there is very little that you can do to reverse the situation.
Sleeping doesn't even help with the frustration.
You toss and turn for a good deal of the night.
When you do sleep, it is never deep.
You awaken easily because you want to be there for your loved one in case something has happened.
This leads to the next point...
You are overwhelmed.
You might want to perform a simple task around the house, but you just can't find the time or the energy.
Even simple chores become extremely difficult.
If you have a task that needs to be performed for your loved one, you can muster the strength to do so, but there is very little time that you can devote to your own wellbeing.
You are losing or gaining weight.
Different people deal with stressors in their lives differently.
Weight fluctuation is a common symptom.
Some people eat their feelings and gain weight; others have no appetite and lose weight.
Neither of these are healthy activities.
Make sure that you are eating adequately, but not overeating.
Also, be sure to include fruits and vegetables in your diet.
These are vital to maintaining your health.
You are getting sick or depressed.
Our immune systems weaken under stress.
This makes it a lot easier to feel under the weather.
Additionally, stress like care giving for an elderly relative can cause depression.
While the task we are undertaking is a noble one, it is not easy.
In order to perform at the top level, it is important to take care of our mental and physical health factors as well.
Being sick or depressed is not only not any fun; it gets in the way of our care giving duties.
Take care of yourself first, even if you find that this cuts into your time as a caregiver.
The quality of care that you provide will be higher and the job will become much more fulfilling to you just as it should be.
The symptoms that an overburdened caregiver faces are many, but by recognizing them, you can take action against them and start improving not only the quality of your own life, but you can also improve the level of care that you are providing.