Kim Blaufuss

Caregivers Survival Guide Kim Blaufuss

HOW CAN YOU MANAGE THE STRESS OF BECOMING A CAREGIVER?Have you suddenly found yourself thrust into the role of caregiver? Years after raising your own children, you thought you were moving into a quiet time in your life where you could start to relax and reap the benefits of a life well lived. Although the data shows becoming a caregiver is happening more and more later in life, it doesn't just happen in our later years. Becoming a caregiver can happen at any time. Unlike a paid professional, you don't get a break when taking on the informal caregiver role for a family member or friend. Not only do you not get a break, but you take on more responsibility and so many more tasks. Being a caretaker will change your life in ways that are difficult to comprehend until you are in it. The role can require a 24 hour a day commitment and is filled with high levels of unpredictability and uncontrollability. It can become an emotional rollercoaster. Finding time to help yourself when all your time is focused on helping someone else can feel impractical and absurd. For the busy working professional who doesn't have time to breath let alone find time to take care of themselves, here are some easy toolsets and one especially easy toolset I found with the help of Chinese Medicine that you can use in your backyard or anywhere you go to help you decompress and start reconnecting with yourself.