My mother was a professional caregiver in senior care for 30 years and it took a toll on her body and sometimes emotions. I saw it firsthand. Bad knees, varicose veins, and stress. That was years ago when our society didn’t necessarily buy into the whole caring for the caregiver philosophy. But today is different. We know the damage stress can do to our bodies and emotions. Stress is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and caregivers have a higher risk for health and emotional problems, due to the nature of their work.
What’s the Problem?
Caregivers of every kind from nurses, to nursing assistants, physicians, physical and occupational therapists and social workers, seem to take better care of other people than they care for themselves. I chuckle every time I see healthcare professionals outside of their facility, smoking, or when I get health advice from overweight medical authorities. Why is this a thing? Why do caregivers focus their time, energy and attention on the people they care for but do little for their own health and well-being? It’s not a priority.
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Many caregivers report physical and emotional problems. Some have insomnia and cannot get to sleep, or once they do the quality of sleep is poor. Some have terrible eating habits and lack good nutrition. There are caregivers who say they don’t have the time to exercise on a regular basis. They come to work when they are sick. They don’t keep medical appointments or fail to schedule them in the first place.
Turning It Around
Here’s the good news – you can change your lifestyle, habits, attitude and start all over again. Engaging in self-care is the most important thing you can do for yourself. Take an honest look inside your mind and determine what barriers to good health and wellness are getting in your way. Have you ever taken good care of yourself? Have you never exercised? Have you always eaten poorly and smoked? Is it easier to take care of other people than it is to care for yourself?
Breaking old habits is not a simple tasks and it will take time, patience and commitment. The very first thing to do is identify and remove barriers getting in your way of health and wellness. Identify what causes you stress and do something about it. How are your relationships with others at work and home? Do you possess healthy coping skills like stress management, meditation or prayer, exercise, or openly talking with others people? Do you reach out for support from trusted family and friends?
Listen to your body. What is it telling you? What kinds of thoughts do you have on a regular basis? Are they positive or negative? Learn to recognize early symptoms and signs of caregiver stress, fatigue and burnout. Identify the things you can change in your life as well as those you cannot change. Afterwards, recite the Serenity Prayer:
…Grant me the serenity to
Accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
It is also important to set realistic short- and long-term goals concerning your physical and mental health. Set out to make changes within the next three months. Do you want to shed 10 pounds within that timeframe? You most likely can. Reduce a good amount of stress in your personal and work life within the next 6 months. Where do you want to be in 1 year or 5 years?
Final Words on Caring for Thyself
Caregivers seem to be good at caring for everyone else except themselves. We all know that living and working like this cannot go on for long without some price to pay, either physically or mentally. Caregivers are already at a higher risk for health and emotional problems, so turning one’s life around and getting healthier should be top on their list of things to do. Try providing yourself with the same love, care, and commitment you give to your patients, clients or residents to yourself.
(NOTE: Interested in learning more about Employee Wellness? Checkout my Employee Wellness CEUs on CEU Academy and try a FREE CEU today!)