You’ve been taking care of your elderly mother for months now, and seeing her smile is a huge pick-me-up every day. But lately your energy is tapped out, your spouse isn’t happy, and you never seem to have enough time for coffee with your friends. Serving as an informal caregiver for an aging in place loved one is highly rewarding, but it can also be stressful and mentally taxing. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which means it’s also the opportune time to focus on your mental health and wellbeing as a caregiver.  

Signs of Caregiver Stress

Most days family caregivers spend so much time focusing on the mental health of their loved ones that they neglect their own. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), these are the physical signs of caregiver stress:

  • Low energy 
  • Achy, painful or tense muscles
  • Persistent headaches and illnesses 
  • Upset stomach and other GI-related problems

In addition to the lingering physical effects, caregiver stress can take these mental and emotional forms:

  • Anxiety and depression
  • Irritability
  • Lack of interest in activities once enjoyed
  • Substance abuse
  • Sleeping difficulties and even insomnia 

Left unaddressed, that pent-up caregiver stress can easily morph into full-blown fatigue.

Mental Health Tips for Caregivers

Here are some caregiving tips to follow on the road to ensuring better mental health:  

Do Fun Activities Together

You’ll probably spend a lot of time with your senior, so why not participate in some fun activities that you both will enjoy? Take a cooking class with mom or go fishing with dad. If mobility isn’t an issue, spend a lot of time outside so that you can both enjoy nature’s tranquil sights and sounds. If your senior is homebound, do some puzzles or crafts together to pass the time. 

Establish a Routine

Following a set routine makes most seniors feel comfortable, so establish one for the both of you. Create a daily chart that includes meals, bath time, doctor’s appointments, medication compliance and housecleaning, and then post it on the fridge. If something comes up that interferes with that routine, make sure to let your loved one know as far in advance as possible.

Seek Emotional Support

It’s common for informal caregivers to feel walled off from others. But feeling isolated can exacerbate emotional problems, so make sure to get some much-needed mental support from sources like:

  • Clergy members 
  • Licensed therapist or counselor
  • Close friends 
  • Caregiving support groups and online forums

Get Physical

Your body’s physical and mental health are interconnected, so keep both fitter by “getting physical” in these ways: 

  • Exercise regularly (Yoga and Tai Chi are great mind/body exercises!)
  • Sleep 7 to 8 hours per day
  • Get an annual physical
  • Eat a nutritious diet 
  • Don’t abuse drugs or alcohol

Keep a Journal

Mental health professionals recommend keeping a caregiving journal to record experiences both good and bad. If you’ve had a rough day, putting down your negative thoughts on paper will help cleanse them from your mind. Recording positive events, like getting mom to take a walk with you, is also a great way to reinforce the fact that your efforts are paying off. 

Ask for Help

Don’t be afraid to seek outside caregiving assistance through other family members, adult daycare, meal services or local volunteers. Consider hiring a professional respite caregiver from a licensed home care agency. Taking a break every month or so doesn’t mean you’re weak, but not doing so could have serious health consequences for both you and your care recipient!

Affordable In-Home Respite Care for Alabama Families

Caring for an aging in place loved one is highly rewarding, but it can also be physically and emotionally exhausting. Don’t take chances. Contact Seniors Prefer Homecare and we’ll send over one of our carefully screened and highly trained respite caregivers so you can take a well-deserved “mental health” break. We are a fully licensed and insured home care agency with respite care services that are uniquely designed to keep seniors aging safely, comfortably and independently in place right where they want to be.

Our full menu of family trusted home care amenities includes personal care, companionship care, household duties, dementia care and even live-in care. To learn more about why Seniors Prefer Homecare has earned a reputation as a “cream of the crop” home care agency, or to schedule a FREE in-home consultation for a senior in Tuscaloosa or Huntsville, AL, now, please visit us at: www.seniorspreferhomecare.com!