How to Manage Caregiver Stress During the Holidays: Time Management

 

 

How to Manage Caregiver Stress During the Holidays-- Time Management

It’s the second week of December and now, for many, the holiday season is in full swing.

Last week, we gave you a guide to helping your aging parent eat their way through the holidays, to ensure they stay healthy for the many holiday seasons to come.

But eating isn’t the only concern on the minds of caregivers as the holiday festivities approach us. During the holiday season, we tend to take on a few extra duties, whether that’s shopping for gifts, prepping for holiday parties, or getting together travel arrangements. Combined with the duties of caregiving, this can cause quite a bit of stress.

This week, we’ll cover several ways to balance your caregiver/holiday duties to help create a stress-free holiday season.

To kick of our series, we’re going to talk about one of the most important caregiver stress reducers during the holidays: time management.

Managing your time is extremely important when it comes to juggling all of your duties during the holidays. By giving yourself adequate time to complete all of your tasks, you’ll have a better chance at reducing any unnecessary stress. Take a look below to see our tips:

Don’t bite off more than you can chew. In the past, you might’ve been the host for all of the major holiday dinner parties. But now that you’re taking care of your loved one full time, that might need to change.

Knowing your boundaries can help ease the tension of the holidays. If you feel like hosting a dinner party will be too daunting, then it’s best to leave to someone else. You probably still want to try to take on a lot, but remember how many other caregiving obligations you have, too.

It’s okay to say no. That brings us to our next point. It is completely okay to say no.

Don’t feel guilty about asking someone else to host, or even asking someone to help with the holiday shopping. Putting that stress on yourself affects both you and the loved ones you’re caring for, and falling into that kind of negative cycle can cause a lot of problems.

Ask for a helping hand. As we mentioned above, sometimes, you just have to ask others for help. Whether you need them to finish up some holiday shopping, or even just take care of your loved one while you get away and shake some of that caregiver stress, having the backup of your family and friends is another great way to help manage your time.

If there are days when your family and friends might be too busy to help, consider a respite care program–knowing that your elderly parent is in the hands of a professional can put you at ease and let you enjoy your time away from home.

Holidays can be tough, especially when our duties seem to double. Taking a moment to step back from your schedule and manage your caregiver stress can to a lot to make this holiday season great. And if you ever need advice, just give Encompass a call. We’d be more than happy to help!

Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!

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“Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit http://www.private-duty.pchhc.com.”