Lots of times caregivers think about self-care in terms of taking a few minutes to read before bed. That’s a great form of self-care, but what else are you doing? If you’re not taking care of your physical health, that’s going to show in your energy levels and your ability to keep going.
Start an Exercise Program
Even if you’re overweight, exercise isn’t about losing any weight. Whether or not you want to lose weight, moving is going to help your body to work better. You’ll improve your cardiovascular health and improve how all of the other systems work together, too. You might even develop greater strength. Physical movement also releases endorphins, which you definitely need in order to keep your mood on target.
Revamp Your Approach to Food
Food is primarily fuel. It can be delicious and it can be something that you enjoy, but above all else it’s fuel for your body. You need to look closely at how you’re fueling your body. If you were putting substandard fuel in your car, you’d get bad mileage and you might run into problems with your car mechanically. Same with your body. Put fuel in your tank that makes you run at the highest possible levels.
Schedule Some Breaks
You cannot spend your time doing nothing but being a caregiver. You need time away, not just for your brain, but for your body. Start scheduling breaks throughout the day. They might be five minutes long and that’s fine. You need to become comfortable with taking a few minutes multiple times per day just for you.
Set up an Appointment with Your Doctor
If you’ve been neglecting your physical self-care for a little while, you need to see where you stand. Make an appointment with your doctor and actually go to that appointment. Figure out what you need to be doing right now in order to improve your health. You don’t have to make big changes right away. Small changes add up and can lead to bigger changes down the road. If you’re following the other self-care tips, you’re already going to be making some strides.
When you’re a caregiver, your physical health and well-being dictates how well you can do with your caregiving journey. If you’re neglecting this aspect of self-care, you’re going to be more likely to feel run down and out of energy. Take the time to look more deeply at what you’re already doing and what you can do a little differently to get the results that you want.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Caregiver Services in Westwood MA, or anywhere in Eastern Massachusetts, please call the caring staff at CARE Resolutions – (508) 906-5572.
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