According to a 2004 survey by the
National Alliance for Caregiving
and
AARP
, as many as 44 million Americans — about 21 percent of the population at that time — care for an adult family member or friend. With more than 78 million baby boomers now approaching retirement age, that number will surely increase as their children, many of them with small children of their own, are called to step in. If you find yourself in this role, you'll need self-care strategies to keep your head above water. With help from our experts, we've created a checklist to ensure you don't go under while trying to rescue someone else.
Replenish the Well
For many caregivers, even the most basic self-care falls by the wayside — with potentially dire consequences. In fact, more than half of all caregivers surveyed in a 2006 study conducted by the National Alliance of Caregiving and
Evercare
reported that caring for someone else made their own health at least moderately worse.
“This extreme form of tension and self-sacrifice can be traumatizing and debilitating, and can produce symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder,” says Charles Figley, Ph.D., author of
“Treating Compassion Fatigue.”
The resulting issues — depression, insomnia, lethargy, panic attacks, headaches, and weight gain or loss — are common among health-care professionals and emergency first-responders who are overwhelmed.
In addition to the physical effects of caregiver stress, negative emotions take their toll, too. “Many people feel angry, resentful, sad, even fearful about being caregivers when they didn't choose it,” notes Babette Rothschild, author of
“Help for the Helper.”
“This is a natural reaction to any stressful event, so give yourself permission to feel whatever you feel.” The more you care for your own physical and emotional needs, the less these uncomfortable feelings will cloud your outlook and ruin your mood.
Self-Care Strategy: Do Something for Yourself Every Day
Go for a short walk around the block or commit to 20 minutes on the treadmill. Make (and keep) a dentist's appointment that's long overdue. Take five minutes alone with the phone off and the door shut so you can sit in complete and utter quiet. To ensure your caregiving demands don't sabotage your good intentions, try signing up for something that takes you out of the house at least once a week — a Pilates or yoga class, for instance.
