You Matter: Self-Care for Caregivers of Parents with Chronic Condition
With the overwhelming demands of caregiving, self-care for caregivers of parents with chronic conditions can sometimes feel like a sin. Guilt is deeply embedded in them which makes them feel trapped within the responsibility. One thing is true though — sometimes the right things are hard but not all the hard things are always the right thing to do.
Being a caregiver for a loved one is one of the most selfless acts of love, but don’t shy away from the fact that it’s the hardest phase every family has to go through. Around 21% of family caregivers in the US experience health decline due to prolonged exposure to stress.
It’s okay to admit that caregiving is hard. You are allowed to have bad emotions with it even if it’s a noble work. The first step towards better self-care is realizing that it’s not selfish to focus on your own well-being.
Taking care of you for them is a healthier and more sustainable mindset to have. Check out how to navigate self-care in the tough journey of caregiving.
Self-Care as the BackBone of the Caregiving Journey
When caring for a parent with a chronic conditions, it’s easy to put yourself last on the list. Truth is, caregiving can be a long-term commitment. Waiting to focus on yourself until everything else is done may mean you never get a chance to go around it.
Neglecting self-care doesn’t just affect you; it impacts your loved one too. When you’re constantly running on empty:
- Your patience wanes
- Your focus blurs
- You become more vulnerable to stress and burnout.
By prioritizing your own well-being, you’ll be in a better position and mood to care for your parents.
Signs That You Might Need a Break as A Caregiver of Parents with Chronic Condition
As caregivers of parents with chronic conditions, you might be experiencing some early signs of burnout and stress. Here are some indicators that it might be time to prioritize self-care:
- Feeling Physically and Emotionally Exhausted: You’re constantly tired. The unshakeable exhausted feeling lingers even after sleeping, and feels emotionally drained.
- Increased Irritability: You find yourself snapping at others even in smaller things.
- Neglecting Your Own Health: You start to skip meals, neglect exercise, forget hygiene, or avoid social interactions.
- Difficulty Concentrating: You find it hard to focus, make decisions, even simple ones, or have a fast train of thoughts.
- Feelings of Resentment: You might feel resentment toward your caregiving responsibilities or your loved one, even though you don’t want to feel this way. Then, feelings of guilt and self-hate creeps in creating a loop of overthinking.
These feelings are signals from your mind and body that you need a break. They should not be overlooked as they tend to pave the way to depression. Taking the time to recharge is a way to ensure you can continue showing up with love and compassion.
Self-Care for Caregivers of Parents with Chronic Condition
To help you further evaluate your situation, check out the self-care for caregivers quiz to help you see where you can begin your journey to self-care.
With your results at hand, here are some strategies that must be a part of your caregiving journey moving forward.
#1 Make Rest a Part of Your Routine
Resting doesn’t mean taking a week off to escape all your responsibilities. Sometimes it can be as simple as:
- Building small breaks into your day.
- Give yourself permission to pause and take a breather.
- Maybe that means enjoying a few minutes of peace with your morning coffee.
- Taking a walk around the block.
- Listening to your favorite music while doing chores.
Scheduling these small moments of rest throughout your day can help prevent burnout and keep your stress levels in check. It’s like accepting the reality of caregiving while sprinkling some fun stuff for yourself around it.
#2 Connect with a Support Group
Caring for a parent with a chronic conditions can be isolating since you’re navigating life differently from others. It often feels like nobody will deeply understand what you’re going through. This is why finding a support group, either in your community or online, can make a big impact on your well-being as a caregiver of parents with chronic condition.
Connecting with others who know the pain and joy of caregiving can provide all the empathy, understanding, and practical advice you’ve long been looking for. Your experiences are validated and they’ll resonate with your thoughts since they’ve been through the same journey.
Support groups offer a space to share your challenges, learn from others, and receive the validation that you’re not alone. Even just knowing that someone else “gets it” makes all the difference.
#3 Set Boundaries with Compassion
It’s natural to adult children to overextend themselves to prove that they’re trying. However, it can lead to resentment, exhaustion, and unaligned expectations over time. Setting boundaries for caregivers of parents with chronic conditions is hard especially if it’s not a norm in the family.
If your family did not have the idea of boundaries, setting one can make you look like the bad guy or rude. Anger is a natural response to boundaries. Therefore, give your family some grace to adapt the new concept of boundaries by explaining it respectfully and reassuring them of your love.
Be honest about what you can and can’t do. This can mean:
- If you need to establish specific times when you’re off-duty.
- If you need to ask other family members to step in
- If you can’t handle a specific situation or chore because it’s too hard for you.
Clear communication is crucial to help set expectations for your loved one and other family members. It helps prevent misunderstandings and ensure that everyone gets the care they need.
#4 Maintain Your Hobbies and Interests
Caregiving can consume a large part of your identity. You morph into someone who’s main priority is to meet your parent’s needs before yours. However, it’s important to hold on to the things that make you, you. Losing oneself to care for another often leads to resentment due to the time lost in caregiving.
Whether it’s reading, painting, gardening, or playing an instrument, make time for the hobbies and interests that bring you joy. These activities are more than just a distraction because they’re a way to maintain your sense of self outside of caregiving.
Engaging in activities you love will reduce the feeling that your life is robbed from you. It can help you regain some balance and remind you that your life is multifaceted. You may have a different life than others but it doesn’t mean it can’t be fun.
#5 Practice Mindfulness and Self-Compassion
Mindfulness is a powerful tool for managing the stress of caregiving. It involves taking each day as it is, rather than worrying about the future or regrets about the past. Simple practices like deep breathing, guided meditations, or even a few minutes of silence can help ground you when the emotional load feels too heavy.
It may be easier said than done but developing self-compassion can immensely help you be kinder to yourself. Recognize that it’s okay to have difficult days and you’re doing the best you can. Self-compassion can be a source of comfort during times when the burden of caregiving feels more than what you can handle.
Get Caregiving Support with Essential Wellness
It takes so much patience and selfless love to take care of parents with chronic conditions. You are admirable for the sacrifices you’re making. May you find the courage to start taking care of yourself because your health is also your parent’s lifeline.
Essential Wellness is a home health care agency in South Florida that aims to provide convenient healthcare support for caregivers of parents with chronic conditions and families with aging parents, patients in recovery from injury, children with disabilities, and those with mental health conditions. Our services include:
- Personal Support (Daily living support)
- Life Skills (Companionship)
- Respite Care / Skilled Respite
- Analysis and Behavior Assistant Services (ABA)
- Nursing and Private Duty Nurse Services
- Speech, Occupational, and Physical Therapy
- Homemaker & Companion Services
- Specialized Mental Health Support
Find out what support suits your needs to add more time for self-care with free consultation to find the right options for your situation. Always remember that you, having needs of your own, doesn’t make you less of a person and doesn’t make you fall short of being a good child to your ill parents.
May you find the courage to make space for yourself in the middle of your caregiving journey because you matter too.
