Speaking on the phone with a family caregiver the other day talking about their overwhelm and exhaustion, they were telling me that their self-sacrifice was draining.
I asked them one of my favorite questions: “How much of your time is spent taking care of you?”
They said, “Typically, none of my time is spent on me?”
The result? They told me that their loved one wasn’t improving, their own health and wellbeing were deteriorating and they were becoming bitter and angry. And they felt like a failure.
There was no plan for self-care.
Has this happened to you before?
Here’s why this is a challenge . . .
Without a plan, the needs of the loved one with the eating disorder take precedence…
… and everything looks like a crisis and is treated like one.
Lack of a plan is not good… even when you’re dealing with a life-threatening illness.
So, I want to share with you a solution so that you can be a calm, compassionate, confident caregiver.
Create a plan for taking care of your needs daily.
This may sound obvious, but I’ve spoken with enough family caregivers to know that this is one of the easiest things to forget.
At the beginning of your week, create a list of what you will do each day for YOU just to fill your cup up and make a plan for celebrating these wins at the end of the week.
If you’re a parent, one of those things might be spending time alone in nature or with a friend.
If you’re a partner it might be creating time to do a hobby you’ve neglected.
Whatever it is, put it on your list and on your daily calendar and you’ll quickly see a turnaround in your feelings of overwhelm and frustration! And, I’m sure your loved one will appreciate it even more!
I hope this is helpful, and if you have any questions, email or call me and ask me any questions you have about your challenges as a family caregiver!
