How to Change Your Lifestyle to Beat Stress

Caregiver in Amagansett NY

As a family caregiver, you have quite a lot that you’re already juggling. Add in a career, kids, and pets, and you have even more that you’re responsible for managing. Changing just a few aspects of your lifestyle can help you to beat the stress that you face daily.

Eat Nutritious, Healthy Meals Regularly

If you’re not putting the right fuel into your body, it can’t deal with environmental factors, such as stress, as well as it would if you were eating right. Don’t skip meals and make sure that you’re eating plenty of lean protein, fruits and vegetables at every meal. If you’re new to eating this way, cut yourself some slack and gradually cut out the junk, replacing it with healthy choices.

Cut Back on Sugar and Caffeine

Two items you might want to put at the top of your “cut them” list are sugar and caffeine. Both can have a rebound effect, meaning that you can crash after ingesting them. You might think that both sugar and caffeine help you keep your energy levels high, but those rebound effects prove just the opposite. You don’t have to cut them out entirely, but if you’re ingesting a lot of either, cutting back can help a lot.

Get Enough Sleep

Chances are good that when you need more time to get things done, sleep is what suffers. You might also be worried about your elderly loved one, career, and other family members, making sleep a little more difficult. Do what you can to improve both the quality and the amount of sleep that you get every night. You might need to talk to your doctor in order to get more help.

Exercise at Least a Little

If you’re not exercising, you might be surprised how well it helps you to battle stress. Add exercise to your day slowly and after talking with your doctor to make sure that you are medically able to exercise. Start out with short workouts so that your body can get used to moving more often. Before you know it, you’ll be happily exercising more often.

Avoid Other Self-medication Crutches

Sometimes you might turn to self-medication to get through a stressful time. Unfortunately, those crutches don’t really help you to relieve stress long-term. Cigarettes and alcohol can do more harm than good, particularly if you’re overindulging in either. Your doctor can help you if you’re interested in cutting out your self-medication habits, so be sure to ask.

Making even one of these changes can benefit you in your quest to beat stress.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional caregivers in Amagansett, NY, call the caring staff at Artful Home Care today at 631-685-5001.