Caregiver stress is real and it is normal. Even though there can be many happy and good days with your loved one, you are still experiencing stress. This is one of the reasons why we have discussed the importance of creating your circle of support. These individuals will be essential in helping take care of you and providing you with love, compassion, rest, and support.
Understanding Signs & Symptoms
There are many aspects of stress-related symptoms that you may experience as part of your caregiver journey:
- Headaches, loss of appetite, overeating (emotional eating), chronic fatigue, chest discomfort
- Crying, anger, depression, frustration, feelings of hopelessness
- Isolation from others, quarreling or arguing, lack of interest in activities
- Missing work or unable to work, distracted at work
- Feeling overwhelmed, lack of information about the disease, unaware of services or who to contact for help.
Self-Care
As a caregiver, the idea of self-care may seem impossible. You can’t imagine when you could take any time out of the day for yourself; however there are ways to make time for yourself as you navigate your caregiving journey. It has been said, “All who give care need care.” Here are some ideas to help you with self-care:
- Make sure you stay up-to-date with your doctor’s appointments and annual physicals
- Incorporate exercise into the daily routine with your loved one, such as taking a walk or gardening
- Listening to soothing music can be beneficial not only for you, but for your loved one as well.
- Take advantage of having someone stay with your loved one, giving you an opportunity to get out of the house. While you may need to run errands or take care of other matters, try to do something for yourself once a week such as going for coffee, getting a message, meeting a friend for lunch. You could even use this time to take a nice, long bubble bath, knowing that your loved one is safe and in the company of someone.
- Meditation, prayer or whatever religious or spiritual ritual you may have can help calm, soothe, and center yourself.