Tag: #mentalhealth

Coping with Caregiver Guilt When Choosing Adult Daycare for Your Aging Loved One

By Roz Jones

As a caregiver for an aging loved one, it’s natural to feel a sense of responsibility for their well-being. You want to make sure they receive the best possible care and support. However, when the time comes to consider adult daycare as an option, many caregivers can experience feelings of guilt and uncertainty. You may feel like you’re abandoning your loved one or failing as a caregiver.

It’s important to remember that choosing adult daycare is a positive and necessary decision for both you and your loved one. Adult daycare provides a safe and stimulating environment for your loved one, where they can socialize with others, engage in activities, and receive professional care and support.

To cope with caregiver guilt, it’s important to seek support. Talk to other caregivers, friends, or family members who can offer empathy and understanding. Joining a support group can also be helpful in connecting with others who are going through similar experiences.

Practicing self-care is another important coping strategy. Caregiving can be stressful, and it’s easy to neglect your own needs. Make sure to take breaks and prioritize activities that bring you joy and relaxation.

Staying involved in your loved one’s care can also help alleviate feelings of guilt. Attend their adult daycare program with them, participate in their activities, and stay informed about their care plan. This will help you feel connected and reassured that your loved one is receiving the best possible care.

It’s important to remember that choosing adult daycare is a positive and necessary decision for both you and your loved one. Adult daycare provides a safe and supportive environment for your loved one, and it allows you to maintain your own well-being as a caregiver. Explaining the benefits and factors that led to your choice of an adult care home will provide the logical basis for your decision. This goes a long way to helping you overcome undue guilt. Coping with caregiver guilt takes time and effort, but with the right support and self-care strategies, you can overcome these feelings and focus on providing the best possible care for your loved one.

May is Mental Health Month: Take Control of Your Mental Health with 31 Daily Tips

Mental Health America is proud to announce May as Mental Health Month, a time to prioritize and take control of your well-being. This year’s theme is Take Some Time To Look Around, Look Within emphasizing the importance of creating a supportive and uplifting environment for yourself and those around you. To help you achieve this goal, MHA has created a daily calendar with 31 tips for improving your mental health for the month.

Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, stress, or simply looking for ways to maintain a healthy mindset the Mental Health Calendar has something for everyone with each day featuring a different tip or activity to promote self-care, resilience, and positive thinking.

Download the Mental Health Calendar now to learn how to cultivate a more supportive and nurturing environment for yourself and your aging loved one, while also building stronger relationships with those around you!

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Self-Care Ideas for Caregivers During the School Year

By Roz Jones

As the back-to-school year ramps up, so does the pace for caregivers. While it can be exciting to have children in school, it can also be challenging. There are new activities and schedules to juggle, and it can be tough to find time for yourself. The back-to-school season is a time when Caregivers need to focus on self-care in order to stay healthy and energized by taking care of yourself. This is essential if you want to be able to take care of others. Here are a few self-care ideas that can help you during this back-to-school season.

1. Get enough sleep: When you’re busy taking care of others, it’s easy to skimp on sleep but getting enough rest is crucial for Caregivers, who need to be alert and focused. Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep per night.

2. Eat healthy: It can be tempting to grab fast food when you’re short on time, but fueling your body with nutritious meals will help you stay energized throughout the day. Make sure to eat breakfast and pack healthy snacks and lunches for yourself.

3. Exercise: Exercise isn’t just good for your physical health – it can also help reduce stress and improve your mood. Even if you can’t squeeze in a lengthy workout, Taking a brisk walk or doing some simple stretches will do wonders for your wellbeing.

4. Take breaks: Caring for others is hard work, so make sure to give yourself regular breaks throughout the day. Take a few minutes to relax and rejuvenate, whether it’s reading a book, taking a bath or simply sitting outside in the fresh air. Putting aside some time for yourself will help you recharge and be better prepared to handle whatever comes your way.

It’s important to remember that taking care of yourself is essential if you want to stay healthy and energized throughout the school year. This means setting aside time each day for yourself, even if it’s just 10 or 15 minutes. Whether you use this time to read a book, take a walk around the block, or meditate, make sure you find something that helps you relax and rejuvenate so you can enjoy a stress-free school year.

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Subscribe to The Caregiver Cafe Weekly Newsletter!

Caregiving can be a roller coaster of ups and downs. The information that you will receive from The Caregiver Cafe Weekly Specials Newsletter will support you as a caregiver. Remember…

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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5 Ways to Live a Simpler Life

By Roz Jones

Many people dream of living a simpler life. Few achieve it once they become caregivers. The idea of leaving behind possessions and finding nirvana is tempting, but it is not an easy task. Yet, the benefits are immense. You can get your health back. You can get your family back. Your stress levels will lower. All of these add up to a life lived to its fullest. Who doesn’t want that?

5 Suggestions for Living a Simpler Life

Even taking care of an aging loved one or sick friend. Once you understand your WHY you are 90% of the way there. If you are up to the challenge of ditching a complex lifestyle full of stress in exchange for a life well-lived, then here are five suggestions to help you succeed:

  1. Determine your priorities based on your values. What is important to you and your family? What do you want to achieve? What does a simple life look like to you? Once you determine your values, decisions become more straightforward. You say yes to those things that align with your goals and no to those that don’t.
  2. Reign in the digital noise. Smartphones are wonderful tools that should be just that – tools. Ease tension in your life by turning off notifications when you are at dinner or in bed. You might even remove all social media apps from your phone. Unsubscribe from email lists that do not serve your mission and reply to emails only once per day, not as soon as one comes in.
  3. Declutter your home. By removing unnecessary stuff, you open up your home for those possessions you genuinely love or need. You can start small, like in a junk drawer, and then move on to your wardrobe. You will feel freer as possessions no longer weigh you down.
  4. Live within your means. A simple life is one free from the stress of making money to pay bills and buy more stuff. When you are in debt, your stress levels elevate. Instead, pay down debt and learn to live within your means. You will quickly learn to enjoy life without struggling with debt.
  5. Become comfortable with being alone. The constant stimulation of technology and people cause us to be uncomfortable with being alone. You do not have to head out to an isolated mountain cabin and live as a hermit. It may even be uncomfortable for a while. However, as you learn to sit in the quiet with only yourself as company, you learn to relax and listen to what your body is trying to tell you. 

Embrace the simple life by figuring out your values and then take the necessary steps to live them out. You will be reaping the benefits of this change before you know it.

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3 Emotions You Should Let Go

By Roz Jones

Emotions are part of our everyday lives when we are caring for a sick or aging loved one. None of us will go through a day without experiencing some kind of emotion, be it fear, anger, happiness, or joy. Some caregivers have a hard time navigating negative emotions instead of feeling them and letting them go. 

As a caregiver if you tend to hold onto your negative emotions, you may find that your life is affected, including your relationships. It can hinder the pursuit of goals. If left alone long enough, you may look back on your life with regret at the wasted years.

Release these 3 Emotions for Greater Personal Growth

There is a time for experiencing all of your emotions. You don’t want to get stuck in the quagmire of these three negative emotions, however: 

  1. Regret: Who hasn’t second-guessed their decisions? Maybe you are going through some financial stress, and you wish you didn’t buy that expensive new truck. You might wish you would have chosen a different career or spouse. You will regret some of your choices; however, you don’t want to get stuck looking back so much that you stop living in the present and planning for your future. It’s okay to look back and feel the emotion, but don’t stop there. Learn the lesson, and move on with your life. 
  1. Anger: Getting mad happens. You may have an off day and yell at your kids or partner for a simple mistake. Other times, you might have a good reason to be mad, but you refuse to work through it. Instead, you want to hang on and carry a grudge. Anger affects your health. It also pushes your loved ones away. Don’t let anger control your life and reduce your chances of future happiness. Learn healthy mechanisms to control your outbursts. Extend forgiveness, even if the other person doesn’t ask for it. You are releasing the pain that has been defining you. That is a huge step in personal growth.
  1. Disappointment: This close cousin to regret, disappointment is directed at other people when they don’t live up to your expectations. For example, your co-worker failed to do their part for the upcoming presentation. You may be a little mad, but you are disappointed because you have always known them to be reliable. Living in a constant state of disappointment will affect your relationships. You may come across as cynical and push people away from you. Understand that people will disappoint you, but you don’t have to turn your disappointment into distrust. It’s critical to offer some grace and move on. 

You will always have to handle your emotions. But when they threaten to overwhelm your happiness, it is time to let them go.

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Are you a Caregiver taking care of two loved ones? Did you check out Part 1? Check out Part 2 to hear more from Caregiver, Christine Psalms and how she takes care of both of her parents!

Christine Psalms continues her story with us in this episode.

As a caregiver for both her parents, Christine shares:

1. How she worked on herself to prepare to be her father’s caregiver
2. How therapy, counseling, and journaling changed her life as  a caregiver
3. Navigating relationships with loved ones without resentment.
Listen Now!

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Thank you for your patience with me as I attempted to gain access to my Instagram account @rozjonesenterprises! Unfortunately, I have been prompted to create a NEW Instagram account.

Be sure to follow my new Instagram page @rozcaregiverconsulting and check out my top business mistakes as a Business Owner!

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We’re beginning to launch into new territory with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Caregiver Connection! The Caregiver Connection is a network for family caregivers that provides care for child(ren) or elderly and Roz Jones has been invited to speak on August 3rd! We are honored to share the same space!

How to Let Go of Past Grudges

By Roz Jones

If we look back over our lives as caregivers, we can reflect on this question. Who hasn’t been hurt by someone? Maybe your spouse cheated on you. Maybe your best friend from high school stole your boyfriend. Maybe you have a co-worker who is stealing your ideas or a boss who bullies you. Worse, you might have experienced trauma from physical, mental, or other forms of abuse. As time passes, some wounds don’t heal, and when that happens, you could end up carrying a grudge. Grudges are those leftover feelings of anger and resentment that prevent you from growing as a person. It’s time we let go and move beyond our pasts.

Tips to Let Go of Grudges and Get Your Life Back

Holding a grudge is often an indication of unforgiveness. It can tear at your soul and corrode your physical and emotional health. It can affect all of your current and future relationships as a caregiver. Take the needed steps to release the grudge and gain your life back: 

  1. Establish Why You Are Holding the Grudge: You need to determine what the problem is so that it can be forgiven. Sometimes, you will find that the offense is not worth the grudge. Other times, you will know precisely what is causing the pain.
  2. Consider the Benefits of Forgiveness: Choosing to forgive does not mean you forget, nor does it mean that the other person won. Instead, it means you let go of the resentment holding you back from living your life fully.
  3. Acknowledge Your Emotions: Avoid stuffing the emotions down. Use a journal if you want, but take some time to examine your feelings about the harm you received. Also, think about how this affects your behavior and your relationships.
  4. Look at it from Their Perspective: This will not always apply depending on the harm done. However, try putting yourself in their shoes. Under similar circumstances, would you have done the same thing to them? 
  5. Talk with the Other Party: Open communication can remedy some grudges simply. If you believe it will help, approach the other party to see if they will talk with you. 
  6. Release the Victimhood: Choose to accept what happened and your feelings about it. You don’t have to wait for an apology. (HINT: You may never get one.) Instead, stop playing the ‘wounded one’ card and take back your life by healing, releasing the anger and the grudge.
  7. Avoid Dwelling: This may be the most challenging part, but it is critical. Once you choose to forgive, don’t look back. Avoid dwelling on the situation. If others want to bring it up, change the subject. Your healing is worth it.

Grudges don’t need to define you as a person. Let go of the past and spring forward to your new life by releasing resentments today.

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ATTENTION: INSTAGRAM UPDATE!!!

Thank you for your patience with me as I attempted to gain access to my Instagram account @rozjonesenterprises! Unfortunately, I have been prompted to create a NEW Instagram account.

Be sure to follow my new Instagram page @rozcaregiverconsulting!

(Click the link above to access my new Instagram page with ease!)

We’re beginning to launch into new territory with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Caregiver Connection! The Caregiver Connection is a network for family caregivers that provides care for child(ren) or elderly and Roz Jones has been invited to speak on August 3rd! We are honored to share the same space!