If you’re like most caregivers, you don’t always take great care of yourself. You probably run out of time, out of energy, or out of both and then you fall of your own priority list. You need to make better self-care a priority though, and this is how you do that.

Delegate Some Responsibilities

You don’t have to do everything yourself, even if you think that you do. You really can let go of some of the tasks that are dragging you down. Once you start delegating, it gets easier to do reliably. Let other people help, especially if they’re asking how they can do things for you and for your senior.

Reach out to Elder Care Services
Elder care services can take over many more activities and tasks for you than even friends and family can take over. They can ensure that you’re able to take time away, which is a crucial piece that many caregivers are missing in their self-care plans. Give these services a try at least, even on a temporary basis.

Rest When and How You Can
If you’re not resting as often as you can, you’re missing opportunities. You might not always be able to get a nap when your senior does, but if you at least try, you might find yourself more refreshed than if you had tried to cram more tasks into that time instead. Give yourself a chance to relax whenever it becomes possible.

Look at What You Need and Develop a Plan
What else do you really need in order to be feeling and doing better? You might have your own health issues that you’re ignoring, or you might find that you need more time away. Whatever it is that you need, you need to come up with a plan to make that happen for yourself.

Take Time Just for You
One of the things that you need is some time just for yourself. You are a multifaceted person rather than just a caregiver. That means that you have your own interests and your own life completely outside of caregiving. Honor that and yourself by giving yourself time away that is just yours.
Taking better care of yourself is going to allow you to be a better caregiver. If you can allow yourself to have what you need in order to recharge yourself, that’s going to make a much bigger difference than you might expect.

Excerpt: Your self-care plan right now might not be perfect, but you can work toward making it better.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring a Caregiver in Charleston, SC, contact Heart of the Carolinas Home Care at 864-991-3116. Providing Home Care Services in Greenville, Simpsonville, Greer, Anderson, Spartanburg, Mauldin, Seneca, Laurens, Charleston, Columbia and the surrounding areas.

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Edward Harrison

Founder at Heart of the Carolinas

Edward Harrison founded the Heart of the Carolinas Homecare in 2007 when he saw there was a need for caregivers that provide non-medical home care services, at a price that most people could afford. It was standard in the industry to require hourly minimums and it was common to be assigned a caregiver, not matched with one based on your individual personal needs. Edward understood that to make a successful relationship between caregiver and client, skills were not enough, personality and compatibility plays as much a role as do skills.

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