Are You Prioritizing Your Own Care?

What do you need to do to be the best caregiver you possibly can be? The answer might surprise you, because it involves taking better care of yourself.

Fuel Your Body with the Right Foods

Elder Care Nine Mile Falls, WA: Self-Care

If you’re eating foods that aren’t healthy for you to eat, you’re not getting the nutrients that you need in order to keep yourself going. You might believe that you don’t have time to worry about what you’re eating and to try to adopt new ways of eating because you’re too busy being a caregiver. But the reality is that you’re not going to be able to keep going if you keep running yourself on fumes. Check your diet and make sure you’re eating the right foods on a regular basis.

Figure out How to Exercise More

Moving more does so much for you that you don’t realize. On the purely physical level, exercise helps you to become stronger and can even help to manage health issues. You may find that you start to sleep better after you begin a regular exercise program, too. But it does more than that. It helps you to deal with your stress because of the chemicals your brain releases during and after movement. Make sure that your doctor clears you for exercise before you start.

Recognize the Importance of Sleep

Sleep is the third big part of taking better care of yourself. When you’re getting enough quality sleep, you’re going to be better prepared to deal with the demands of caregiving every single day. Some of the small signs that you’re not getting enough sleep could include that your immune system isn’t working as well as it should or you’re having trouble concentrating or regulating your emotions. If you have trouble sleeping, even when you’re doing all the right things, you may have an underlying medical issue.

Put in Time for You Before You Schedule Anything Else

The key to making time for all of these different needs is scheduling time for yourself before you schedule time for anything else. Caregivers find this to be extremely difficult because there is so much to do and so much that their senior needs. This is why having help can be so incredibly important. Working with elderly care providers is an essential part of making sure that you have the ability to take time for yourself.

Putting yourself first is not going to be easy, especially when you’re first attempting to do so. Remember, though, that you can’t take care of your senior if you’re running yourself into the ground.

If you or an aging loved-one is considering Elder Care in Nine Mile Falls, WA please contact the caring staff at Angel Senior Care today at (509) 326-4357.