Several studies have shown that caregivers who support children with special needs often experience high levels of stress, usually higher than others who are not dealing with such needs. Besides, if the stress of caregiving has accumulated over time and left unchecked, it may lead to physically and emotionally exhausting, with many caregivers reporting personal health issues including:
- Depression
- Excessive use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs
- Failure to exercise
- Failure to stay in bed when ill
- Poor eating habits
- Digestive Distress
- Sleep deprivation
Self-care means choosing behaviours to counter emotional and physical stress, from exercise and nutritious eating to practising self-centering activities. Given the emotional stress and strains inherent in your profession, it is important that you make self-care a priority.
To combat these possible issues and live your best life possible while providing care for a loved one, consider adopting the following self-care tips for handling some of the common challenges for caregivers to recharge your batteries:
1. Self-compassion is essential to self-care
Protect yourself from the damage of chronic inflammation.
Being kind to yourself builds the foundation to self-care. Self-compassion means giving yourself credit for the tough, complex work of caregiving, stepping away from the self-critical, harsh inner voice, and allowing yourself time — even if it’s just a few minutes a day — to take care of yourself.
Some of us find it really satisfying to make lists throughout the day- what are you thankful for? What do you want for dinner? What’s the best thing that’s happened today, that you can’t wait to tell a friend or loved one about? Taking time to savour the little things gives us better appreciation for them during life’s challenges.
2. Get enough sleep!
Sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on your mental health and cause a ripple effect of negative emotions and thoughts. Adults generally need between seven and nine hours of sleep. A brief nap—up to 30 minutes—can help you feel alert again during the day. Even 15 minutes of daytime sleep is helpful. To make your nighttime sleep count more, try implementing a predictable and good “sleep hygiene,” like avoiding using computers, TV and smartphones before bed, sleeping in a cool, dark room, and wearing comfortable pyjamas.
3. Try a mind-body practice
For caregivers, breaks are not a luxury, but a necessity. However, remember to make time for relaxation or meditation into your daily routine not only to help relieve stress but also deepen the awareness and connection between the mind and body. Practise deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, or mindfulness meditation. Even a few minutes a day can help you feel more composed when things get overwhelming – you deserve to enjoy yourself too!
4. Make eating well! Drink enough water!
It’s easy to forget about your own meals and needs when trying to help others. Missing meals can lead to irritability and fatigue, and chronic stress has been linked to increased inflammation in the body, so it is helpful to avoid foods that are processed or high in refined sugars, which increase inflammation in the body. Avoid or reduce alcohol, since alcohol both increases inflammation in the body and disrupts quality of sleep.
Your body needs enough water to hydrate and function properly. There are apps such as Nanny and Waterlogged that are easy ways to remind yourself to get enough to drink.
5. Reach out for help
Don’t be afraid to reach out for and accept help, be it from family and friends, volunteers, or professional care providers! Besides providing validation and emotional support to one another, these individuals can share concrete and actionable strategies to cope with the challenges of caregiving.
HEY! You’re invited to join the Special Needs Parent Support Group by Dawn Bridge where all parents can join in conversation about special needs and supports – led by trained facilitators, they provide comfort, hope, and a sense of community.
Summing Up
It’s not just OK for you to make yourself a priority — it’s imperative. You’re the only “you” there is. By taking better care of yourself — caring for the caregiver — you’ll be able to take better care of your parents. And you’ll have a happier, healthier life while you’re doing it.
And we’d love for you to share your goals and progress with other caregivers on our Facebook page.