Self-Care for the Totally Overwhelmed

Self-care is a big ol' buzzword right now. Especially in the land of caregiving.

A lot of caregivers I've talked to feel frustrated by the idea of adding self-care to their routine, because it just feels like ONE. MORE. THING. for them to take care of.

And I 100% totally get that.

Taking care of someone with dementia can completely take over your life. Your sleep. Your thoughts. You're on edge, burning the candle at both ends, dealing with new and often difficult behaviors and communication styles...there isn't one part of your life that isn't affected.

BUT. There is a "but" here. If you don't take care of yourself, you won't be able to do the caregiving that you're committed in your heart of hearts to doing. You'll become part of the 40% of caregivers that dies before the one they're caring for. Even if it doesn't go that far, you'll burnout, damage your health, make yourself susceptible to depression, anxiety, and a host of physical ailments. It's not a pretty picture.

In today's video, I describe a strategy that you should be able overlay on your frantic life, adding ways to care for yourself without actually needing any extra time or money to do so. It's all about cultivating a self-care mindset. That's step one. And you at least need to get to step one...then we can worry about adding more, to get you from surviving to thriving.

If you tried the technique discussed in the video, I'd love to hear about how it went for you. If you're struggling with it or have questions, I'd love to hear that too. You can always submit any questions or comments directly to me here.