Caregiving can be a rewarding journey but dealing with its demands can get stressful for many people. When one starts displaying signs of caregiver stress, it can be difficult to perform their role optimally. It may even lead to them harboring feelings of resentment, frustration, and sadness towards their responsibilities.
What Causes Caregiver Stress?
Often, caregivers are so busy managing the needs of their loved ones to the point they neglect their own needs – physically, emotionally, and mentally. While this is usually done out of love, this can potentially place the health of both parties at risk, which is why caregiver stress shouldn’t be taken lightly. Once someone is starting to show its symptoms, they likely are already suffering from many issues we don’t see on the surface – stress about changes in family dynamics, financial pressures, and general disruption in their own lives. By being able to pinpoint these signs and symptoms, you can protect yourself from burning the candle at both ends.
Signs of Caregiver Stress
While these are not definite signs you are under stress from caregiving, it’s worth visiting a doctor to verify it. Here are the most common signs of caregiver stress:
- Withdrawal from family, friends, and other loved ones
- Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Neglecting your own needs and prioritizing others’ needs in your daily life
- Difficulty coping with daily activities
- Feelings of wanting to hurt yourself or the person you’re caring for
- Having headaches, body pain, or other physical issues more frequently than usual
- Becoming uncharacteristically irritable, impatient, or argumentative with others
Preventing Signs of Caregiver Stress
The demands involved with caregiving can strain even the most resilient of us, which is why it’s more important than ever to take advantage of the resources available to assist you in caring for your loved one. Just like how you need to put on your own oxygen mask before helping others in the case of a flight emergency, you won’t have the capacity to care for others if you don’t put yourself first.
Here are a few tips for those looking to manage their caregiver stress:
- Always accept help – Once in a while, a friend or family member may offer to help you run an errand, prepare a meal for you, or even care for your loved one for a few hours. You never know the next time you’ll receive an opportunity to wind down and take a break, so keep in mind that it is not selfish to accept help whenever it’s offered.
- Join a caregiver support group – A physical or virtual support group can provide emotional support and even problem-solving strategies for the difficult situations you face.
- Set non-negotiable health goals – By setting a proper sleep routine or making time to move your body can significantly improve your quality of life so you can optimally provide for another loved one’s.
Why Choose Discovery Village At Spring Mill?
At Discovery Village At Spring Mill, we offer various programs – personal care, memory care, and even respite care for caregivers who need a break. Your loved one can expect high-quality amenities, and stimulating recreational activities designed to socially, physically, and mentally engage our residents.
If you have any inquiries about our range of services, do not hesitate to contact us today.
