While it could have its rewards, being a caregiver is far from an easy job. In fact, it is one of the most stressful occupations today. I’ve come to see that with my mother, who assists in taking care of her ailing sister. In order to physically take care of someone else, you must make sure you are taken care of as well. Why is this so important? This article shares a few reasons why.
A caregiver’s emotional, physical and mental health is vital to the well-being of the person battling a serious illness. I came across an article on www.caregiver.org, entitled, “Take Care of YOU: Self-Care for Family Caregivers,” that brings out that if you are a caregiving spouse between the ages of 66 and 96 and are experiencing mental or emotional strain, you have a risk of dying that is 63 percent higher than that of people your age who are not caregivers. The combination of prolonged stress and the physical demands of caregiving are two common contributing factors.
A caregiver has to take steps to practice preventive healthcare and self-care. Some of the problems most caregivers develop while taking care of someone else include sleep deprivation, poor eating habits and depression. It could get so easy to consume yourself with taking of someone else over yourself. That is why the “Take Care of YOU” article lists several personal barriers that hinders caregivers from taking care of themselves. Here are just three of them:
- Feelings of selfishness by putting your needs first.
- Fear of thinking of your own needs.
- Feelings of inadequacy by asking for help.
It is vital to be honest with yourself if you ever experienced these feelings as a caregiver. This could lead in the right direction towards changing your attitude and behavior about taking care of you. So caregivers, look after the ones you love, but remember that it’s perfectly okay to look after you, too. For more information on the “Take Care of YOU” article, visit www.caregiver.org.
