How to Feel More in Control as a Family Caregiver
March 17, 2017
Feeling out of control when you’re a family caregiver can leave you grasping at straws in order to try to get everything done. You might also feel a need to do everything as perfectly as you can, which isn’t realistic at all. Try some of these ideas to help you to regain some of your personal power when it comes to caregiving.
Focus on What You Can Manage
When you choose to be a family caregiver, there are specific tasks and responsibilities you’re taking on. Some of that you can control and manage, but other aspects are completely outside of your ability to control them. Learning how to differentiate between the two categories can help you to let go of quite a bit of stress, which can be a big reason that you feel out of control.
Look at What You Can Delegate
There are always tasks that you can delegate to other people. Some might be elderly care providers, other family members, or even friends and neighbors. Even if you don’t believe that there are tasks that you can delegate to others, there most certainly are. Start with a few little tasks and work your way down to your more complicated jobs.
Learn to Let Go of Delegated Tasks
The key to delegating effectively is to let go of those tasks when you delegate them. Even if the person you enlist to help you wouldn’t do the task exactly the same way that you do, you need to be okay with that fact. At some point, good enough has to be good enough, especially if your elderly loved one’s safety and health are not at risk.
Take Time Away
If you’re not already, you need to be taking time away from your caregiving duties. Feeling out of control can be a warning sign that you’re succumbing to stress. If you don’t do something about it now, that can lead to burnout. When you take time away regularly, you’re able to maintain a healthy perspective about what’s truly important and what really doesn’t matter.
Taking these steps slowly can help you to get yourself back into a positive manner of dealing with the stresses of being a family caregiver.