You turn off the alarm clock and it is 6:30 am. Time to get ready for your day and as you think about all the things you have to do, places to go and promises to keep…
You begin to battle with choices and decisions of “Do I go for a morning walk or do I go and check on my Grandmother who did not sound very good on the phone last night? Do I go to dinner with my girlfriends (that if you still have some who have not crossed you out of their social network) or do I take my widowed Mom out for something to eat?
These questions create Caregiving Work Life Imbalance for many family caregivers especially those who hold jobs outside of the home or entrepreneurs who work from home. Every hour of every day, you make one decision over the other. It’s not that one or the other is good or bad but it’s about making conscious choices with an awareness of what’s needed or wanted at the time so that YOU live in a way that allows YOU to be present to YOURSELF, to YOUR life and to others.
The problem is that caregiving can easily consume the life of the caregiver. Also, making choices comes with guilt and the process of making choices is complicated by the multiple demands on a caregiver’s very limited time and limited support.
Could you really enjoy caregiving, your job and all your other important relationships all at the same time?
The answer is a resounding YES you can! You just have to make that choice NOW. Choose to care for you so you may become a better version of YOU.
Caregiving work-life balance takes effort. It requires paying more attention to your life than you may be accustomed to. It requires intentional thought, planning and sometimes saying no.
What’s needed is a plan for self-care and respite care for both you and your care recipient. It may feel uncomfortable at first. Some people may experience shame or guilt if they are not successful at improving their work-life balance. On the flip side, some people feel guilty for taking time for themselves or their immediate family. These are all lose-lose scenarios.
Here are 3 tips for handling caregiver guilt. When guilt comes on:
- think about this…if you wear your body out, who is going to take care of YOU?
- remember that in certain situations, the strongest thing you can do is to ask for help.
- consider that taking time for yourself is an investment in the life of the person you are caring for because when you take time to care for yourself, you will not only become a better caregiver but you will also be able be able to help out for a longer time.
Remember, achieving balance is a process and it takes time, but your health, happiness and well-being are worth it.
