Holidays, unfortunately, can be particularly challenging for a caregiver of all backgrounds. Something’s gotta give! Allow yourself a bit of a break this year, especially with everything that has taken place. Enjoy and apply some tips to help you make it through the holiday season feeling refreshed and jolly.
The holidays can be a time of renewal - renewal of friendships through visits and cards, and renewal of family relationships through shared meals. Holidays, unfortunately, can be particularly challenging for a caregiver of all backgrounds. Everything hard is harder. If your family member suffers with mobility issues or dementia, it can make everything that more painful. It is a time in one’s life where normal or additional demands can seem extremely stressful. Trying to find the "best gifts" for your loved ones, attending small gatherings, and dealing with unpleasant family members. Something’s gotta give! Allow yourself a bit of a break this year, especially with everything that has taken place. Enjoy and apply some tips to help you make it through the holiday season feeling refreshed and jolly.
Who doesn’t feel overwhelmed sometimes by the hustle of the holiday season? Let’s not forget the responsibility of caring elderly loved one, and burnout is a concept quickly becomes reality. But wait. If you’re one of the millions of households providing care for a family member or friend, there is hope. We need a plan and a pact. Here’s what we think many of us should pledge to each other and ourselves.
Preparing Your Loved One
When getting ready for the holidays, try incorporating some traditions like baking cookies and wrapping presents with your loved ones. Although it’s the holiday season, maintaining a daily routine that will help them feel normalcy works great. Let the person observe any activity and determine if they physically or mentally are beyond their capacity. Have them do a simple task, such as setting the table decor or preparing snacks, that will help keep them engaged and feel helpful.
Organize Your Time
Covid-19 has made us more creative to how we approach our holiday gatherings. Instead of having to miss out on a few holiday events, let's substitute our time for virtual events. Remember, it's the quality, not the quantity, that counts when it comes to the holidays. Watch out for holiday burnout in the person you’re caring for as well. Take heed if you start to notice in irritability, tiredness, in yourself or loved ones. Sometimes noise, stress, and chaos that is a natural part of the holidays, make sure that your loved one gets a chance to have some quiet time. You may notice some post-holiday blues with you or your loved ones. It’s best to spend some quiet time together as well, the holidays give us a time to reflect and appreciate the ones around us. It’s best to try and get them back into their daily routines as quickly as possible, but do it gradually so it helps them overall.
Shopping Alternatives
Shop online whenever possible. Many of your major retailers have cybers deals offering a variety of goods that you can get just in time for the holidays without leaving your home. Use your shopping time as efficiently as you can, by creating list of gift ideas and keeping it in your wallet or smartphone this list will help you from spending so much money. Also, it will help you not buy so many unnecessary gifts. Try thinking of something many people would enjoy that ways you don’t have to get everyone you know something different.
Gifts for You
Try letting go of perfect gatherings and unrealistic expectations, take to relax for yourself. Provide a coupon good for an entire day off from caregiving duties - do anything you want to do. Take some time to yourself to experience a few hours of real freedom. A day at the spa - a day of massages, facials, manicures, and pedicures would be a perfect gift pre pandemic. Making time to visit a spa is harder now a days, maybe you can try pampering yourself at home. Caregivers are often so busy meeting everyone else's needs that they often tend to forget their own needs.
