What Can You Do When You’re Neglecting Yourself as a Caregiver?

There are a lot of different ways to neglect yourself as a family caregiver and all of them can put you into an unfortunate situation quickly. The key to breaking free of self-neglect is to focus on what you’re lacking and give yourself what you need.

Set Healthier Boundaries

When you’re neglecting yourself, that’s a tremendous indicator that you’ve got unhealthy boundaries in place. Some examples could include that you’re saying yes to tasks and people that you don’t really want to say yes to. You might find yourself putting up with behavior from other family members that you wouldn’t normally tolerate in order to keep their help. The problem is that those boundaries put you in a bad space.

Caregivers in Shelter Island NY: What Can You Do When You’re Neglecting Yourself as a Caregiver?

Take a Break and Relax

Find a way to take a break from caregiving for at least the afternoon. When you do, make sure that you do something that allows you to relax. When your brain isn’t running to keep up any longer, you can start to focus on what you can do regularly to help yourself stop the neglect. That might mean that you start taking regular respite time, which is good for you and for your loved one.

Get What You Need to Be Healthy

Your mind, body, and emotions need certain things in order to be healthy. You need sleep, you need healthy foods, and you need to move your body. If you’re not providing any of these things or you’re providing them at a low quality, you’re depriving yourself. Start focusing on giving yourself what you need in order to function properly. If you don’t, you’re going to run into serious problems.

Start Something New

Another way that you can neglect yourself is to stifle yourself in routine activities. Try something new for a change and allow yourself to be creative. Maybe this means that you pick up a new hobby or you revisit one that you used to love. You might also decide to start a home improvement project. Anything that is new can help to jump start everything in your life and can break you free from a cycle of neglecting yourself.

Everyone has a different formula for breaking free from self-neglect. Play around with different solutions until you find the ones that work the best for you.

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