Selfish for Self-Care
“You can't pour from an empty cup”
We all know, you can't give what you don't have! As a family caregiver, if your physical and emotional health is depleted it's almost impossible to effectively care for a loved one. So, let's all agree going forward...nothing is a more important priority to a caregiver than their personal self-care AND there is not a chance this should ever be considered a selfish act.
Why is attention to your personal self-care so important to me? As an active family caregiver for many years, I have experienced the wonderful health benefits by putting self-care on the top of my personal needs list. However, I also know first-hand the many physical and emotional problems I have experienced when my self-care is put on the back burner. I want to help you, however I can, to choose to turn off the back burner and make self-care your top priority! According to Family Caregiver Alliance here are several important self-care thoughts you should be aware of:
Regardless of age, sex, and race and ethnicity, family caregivers report problems attending to their own health and well-being while managing caregiving responsibilities. They report sleep deprivation, poor eating habits, failure to exercise and even postponement of or failure to make medical appointments for themselves.
Family caregivers between the ages of 66 and 96, caring for a spouse and experiencing ongoing mental or emotional strain have a 63% higher risk of dying than those who are not caregivers.
Similarly, baby boomers caring for elderly parents and attempting to balance their responsibilities at work, at home and maybe even attending to their personal needs face an increased risk for depression, chronic illness and a overall decline in their quality-of-life.
Studies show an estimated 46% to 59% of family caregivers are clinically depressed.
The wonderful news is if you slip in and out (and, being honest, mostly out) of making self-care your priority, you are definitely not alone. And thankfully, it's a practice you can adjust right now...but, you have to choose to do it!
Beginning today, choose the path of self-care and:
Pay close attention to what your body is telling you
Begin dispelling barriers stopping your self-care behavior
Set personal goals for your self-care needs and desires
Accept what you can and can't do
Find resources to help reduce feeling stressed and overwhelmed
Share thoughts about this need with your loved one
Please know, I do understand when you initially begin ensuring your needs are your priority, you may experience mixed and unsettling feelings. This is very normal, especially because you may be in unfamiliar territory. However, the more you work through the process, like building muscle, the stronger you will become.
Together, let's do this and remember awareness is good but making self-care a MUST priority in your life and doing it is the game changer!!
My video (Disrupting Feeling Overwhelmed) on Instagram @victorimbimbo will give you two practices that can quickly disrupt those overwhelmed feelings and help you reset and be on a better path for physical and emotional self-care.
Help yourself. Help others.
