By Roz Jones
The holidays are a time for family, friends, and fun. But for caregivers, the holiday season can be a time of increased stress. If you’re providing care for an aging parent or loved one, you might be feeling overwhelmed by the thought of adding holiday parties and shopping to your already full plate.
Take a deep breath—you’re not alone. According to a survey by Home Instead Senior Care®, 64 percent of caregivers say they experience increased stress during the holidays. To help you stay sane during the next few weeks, we’ve put together a list of 10 tips for caregivers to help manage holiday stress. Here are 5 tips, to get you started on managing your holiday stress
1. Start early:
One way to reduce stress is to start your holiday preparations early. This will give you more time to take care of tasks and enjoy the season.
2. Delegate:
Don’t try to do everything yourself—delegate tasks to other family members and friends. This will help lighten your load and allow you to focus on what’s most important.
3. Simplify:
Don’t feel like you have to go all out this year. Keep things simple and focus on enjoying quality time with your loved ones.
4. Set realistic expectations:
The holidays don’t have to be perfect—set realistic expectations and make plans that you can realistically execute without feeling overwhelmed.
5. Take breaks:
Caring for a loved one can be exhausting—make sure to take breaks when you need them and don’t feel guilty about taking some time for yourself.
The holidays can be difficult for caregivers who are already feeling stressed from their day-to-day responsibilities. If you’re starting to feel overwhelmed, take some deep breaths and remember that you’re not alone—64 percent of caregivers report increased stress during the holiday season according to Home Instead Senior Care®’s annual study. And use our tips above as a reminder that there are things you can do to proactively manage your stress levels during this festive time of year!
Are you planning to care for your aging loved one or client and don’t have a spouse or children to assist you with day-to-day tasks? Check out my latest podcast to learn about the steps you can take to get the support you need when the time comes!
So how do we plan for elder care when we don’t have a spouse or children? In this episode, I share the steps one can take to get the support one need when the time comes.
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1. YOU ARE NOT ALONE: The problems you face as a caregiver are experienced by other caregivers. Knowing that you’re not alone can be comforting.
2. Tools and Resources: Find caregiver stress management tools and gain perspective from other caregiver’s experiences.
3. LEARN TO: Ask for help, accept help when it is offered, and acknowledge yourself on this caregiving journey. Hear from experts on how to balance caregiving responsibilities by taking care of your needs and involving others to help manage the natural stress and isolation of being a caregiver.
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