How to Overcome Stress as a Senior Caregiver

We all deal with stress from time to time, especially as a senior caregiver. If you have taken on the role of becoming a senior caregiver, you may find yourself having to take on more stress at certain times. It’s important to be able to learn to manage this stress for yourself and those you care for.

Try Relaxation Techniques

Find things like calming music or moments for meditation throughout the day. Even taking twenty minutes out of your day to listen to some calming music can help manage overall day to day stress. Moments for meditation can include things like sitting at a well lit window and focusing on nothing but nature in front of you. Many people also benefit from listening to the sounds of ocean water or rain for a few short minutes in the day.

Join or Reach out to Senior Caregiver Communities

Remember that you are not the only senior caregiver in your community. There are many people around you focusing on the same tasks and potential stress that you may facing. There are online communities where you can share what you are feeling or see how other people are managing their day to day lives. This can often be done through health care forums, or even reading more senior caregiver blogs.

Get a Pet

Animals are a great way for us to de stress at the end of the day. People often underestimate the amount of joy and relaxation a pet can bring to you at the end of your day. It’s important to make sure you have the time to take care of a pet first, of course. But, if you do, and you find you just need ways of de stressing, animals can be a great way that you can continue to manage your stress. Pets have even been recommended as stress management for the seniors you care for.

Get Out and Exercise

Whether you take twenty minutes or two hours, taking time to get moving will reduce your overall stress. Exercise produces endorphins in your body which have a multitude of benefits for stress. Endorphins help you sleep better at night and act as natural pain killers for your body. Improved sleep from the release of endorphins will act as a natural way to reduce your stress.

Conclusion: Senior Caregivers and Stress

Whatever you decide, there are a myriad of ways to manage your stress levels. Being a senior caregiver is no easy job. It’s important to take care of your health, so that you can take care of your senior’s health. Whether you are a caregiver for your parent or a general caregiver, it will be vital to manage your stress. It’s vital for both you and those you care for.

At Homecare Powered by AUAF we want all of our caregivers to be able to find ways to manage their stress. We recognize stress as a natural day to day occurrence, and hope these tips find ways to help manage whatever level of stress you may be feeling.