How to Manage Stress as a Caregiver Caregivers fill an important role in helping the aged and/or physically disabled live in reasonable comfort, but there’s no doubt that this job can be a difficult one. Caregivers can feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities they must manage, and it’s certainly understandable that many people in this position have trouble dealing with the pressures and stresses involved with their duties. Learning how to manage stress is one of the keys to being an effective caregiver. Having said that, let’s delve into this subject in more detail, before exploring some tips and strategies that caregivers can follow to optimize their physical and mental health.
Stress and Your Health No matter what its cause, stress takes a major toll on your physical and psychological well-being. Stress can cause or aggravate a wide range of maladies, including heart disease, depression, high blood pressure, anxiety, skin disorders, and diabetes. It is also closely linked to a number of transient physical discomforts we feel on a daily basis: headaches, insomnia, stomachaches, and more. No fewer than 43% of adults report experiencing health problems that can be traced to stress.1 Beyond all doubt, stress is not a problem that we should dismiss lightly. For caregivers, it is often difficult to avoid feeling stressed out—especially when dealing with a loved one who suffers from major physical challenges, but, to be a good caregiver, it is important to cope with stressful situations when they occur. The Problem of Burnout We sometimes talk about an individual becoming “burned out” with their job, but what do we mean by this? Burnout is, in fact, a widely noted phenomenon in the caregiver field, and it has a
number of tell-tale characteristics. It commonly strikes individuals who experience uncontrolled stress over a lengthy period of time. The list of symptoms is quite long, and may include any of the following: Irritability Difficulty relaxing Chronic low energy Poor concentration Loss of interest in leisure activities Social withdrawal This tends to have a detrimental effect on caregivers, as well as the person(s) they are managing. So, what can you do to avoid this trap? Let’s look into some tips for managing stress.
Avoid Negative Coping Strategies When dealing with stress, it’s important to understand at the outset what not to do. Chronically stressed-out people often lapse into one or more negative behaviors as a way of reacting to the pressures they face. What many of these behaviors have in common is their tendency to produce short-term satisfaction at the expense of long-term health. These bad habits may include, but are not limited to, the following: Binge drinking/eating Smoking Oversleeping Withdrawing from activities normally found pleasurable Reliance on drugs or pills Chronic procrastination
Excessive TV or computer use Of course, these are not really “strategies” that people consciously select in order to cope with stress. They’re more like behaviors that you might lapse into without really thinking about them or their possible consequences. If you find yourself engaging in this sort of behavior, you must recognize that you may be reacting to stress, and you should make an effort to alter your activities. Educate Yourself A lot of caregiver stress can be linked to the pressure of being uncertain how to manage specific situations. There’s nothing quite so anxiety-producing as finding oneself unsure about the best way to handle a malfunctioning ventilator or another kind of medical emergency that arises during the course of one’s duties. No one said caregiving was easy; there are things you must learn if you are to be effective in this role—so give yourself time to learn them. Read books, watch videos, take courses. Knowledge will give you the confidence that you will be able to cope with whatever happens. This, alone, will go a long way toward reducing stress levels.
Remember: Caregivers Need Medical Attention Too As we have established, the stress that caregivers are commonly subjected to can have serious physical effects. A lot of caregivers, however, become so focused on the health of others that they neglect their own physical condition. By all means, you should make sure that you have routine checkups, and don’t delay visiting the doctor if you begin suffering from any of the physical maladies described earlier. It’s best to inform the doctor of your caregiver responsibilities, as this might give them additional insight into your particular health problems and concerns. Consider Taking a Leave from Work
Almost 60% of all caregivers have a job away from their home,2 which means they have responsibilities in addition to their caretaking duties. One way to reduce all the stress is to take some time off work. That may seem to be an impractical solution for those with limited resources, but you may be covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, which allows you to take up to twelve weeks out of a 12-month period to deal with family illness issues. There are several qualifications you must meet—for instance, you must have worked no less than 1250 hours at the job during the previous 12 months3—but it's an option that many people have taken in these circumstances. Exercise When you’re feeling stressed from your duties, a suggestion to get a little exercise may seem absurdly irrelevant. How will that help your problems? However, some exercise can do wonders when it comes to clearing your head and lifting your mood. This doesn’t have to mean spending hours lifting weights at the gym—jogging, walking, and light aerobics are all effective ways of keeping stress from spiraling out of control.
Get Some Rest Poor sleeping habits afflict many caregivers, and this contributes to problems with managing stress. Try as they might, some people have trouble drifting off into dreamland and staying there for a full eight hours. What can they do to promote a good night's sleep? One common sleep-disrupting mistake is to keep irregular hours—some nights the caregiver will turn off the lights at 10 a.m., the next night at 11 a.m., and the following night whenever they can pull themselves away from watching old episodes of Friends. Make a habit of going to bed and getting up at the same times every day. Don’t try to “catch up” on sleep during the weekends or other off-days—that’s a good way to throw off your natural cycle. Also, avoid caffeine and TV late at night, as the former is a stimulant and the latter emits artificial light that can disturb your body’s sleep rhythms. Learn Not to Worry 24/7 As a caregiver, you will naturally find yourself beset by worries about the health of the person you are responsible for. This may be unavoidable—but there’s no reason to allow your anxieties
to occupy your mind around the clock. Try to arrange a dedicated time during the day so you can think about your worries—then push the matters out of your mind until the next scheduled time.
Write It Down One way to get a grip on your worries is to keep a journal where you can express your thoughts. Writing allows you to better understand your own thoughts and feelings; it also gives you some quiet time to reflect on the day’s events. Find a Support Group Social isolation can exacerbate your emotional difficulties. As a caregiver, however, you are not alone; many people out there carry out these responsibilities on a daily basis. There are many groups, both online and off, that are dedicated to giving caregivers the emotional support they need. Many of these groups are specially intended for caregivers who must manage a loved one with a particular medical condition, such as Alzheimer’s.
Use a Wireless Nurse Call System Wireless nurse call systems combine a number of high-tech features—e.g., fall alarms, medication schedulers, assistant call capabilities—to ensure that caregivers have the help they need to safeguard those they look after. Systems Technologies’ VisionLink Wireless Nurse Call System is suitable for facilities of all sizes. Sources 1. http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/effects-of-stress-on-your-body
2. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/caregiver-stress/art20044784?pg=2 3. http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs28.pdf