Take Care of Yourself!
Dear Caregivers,
The holiday season can be a heartwarming time of joy with the gathering of friends and family. But it’s not without its challenges: One guest is a vegan and so has dietary restrictions; another brings a toddler who wanders underfoot; another guest needs transportation to the airport. And so on. We adapt and accommodate these challenges because they are labors of love.
Remember, however: While during this holiday season you will no doubt do much for others ― you absolutely need to do something for yourself, too!
Scientific research clearly demonstrates that if you don’t make the time and effort to take care of your own physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, it will be impossible for you to give effective care to a loved one.
Andy Puddicombe, the co-founder of Headspace, a company that provides digital meditation training, recommends that everyone should strive to do three things during the day:
Find a short bit of time to sit quietly by yourself, without distractions: You can say a prayer, meditate, or just let your mind wander.
Do something you REALLY enjoy: Find something that you feel is pure fun, just for you, and do it even if it’s only for a short while.
Find gratitude: At some point during the day, write down one or two things that you are grateful for.
Read on to learn more about how to nurture your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being over the holidays, so that you can meet all the challenges of caregiving while maintaining your own health and well-being.
Practice Gratitude:
One way to find gratitude in life is to keep a daily journal. Journaling has shown to provide relief from grief and anger, reduce depression, improve self-care, and enhance relationships. Here’s how to start.
Monitor Your Mood:
It makes sense that being a family caregiver would leave someone feeling depressed or anxious from time to time, given all the trials they are facing day to day. But it’s important to distinguish between the ordinary sadness or anxiety that can arise when a loved one is afflicted with Alzheimer's disease, and the emotionally and physically debilitating conditions of "clinical” depression or anxiety. Here’s how to better understand the conditions of depression and anxiety, and how to address them.
Rest Your Body and Mind:
There are concrete steps you can do every day to help maintain your health. For example, how well you sleep is strongly connected to your overall physical, cognitive, and emotional wellbeing. Likewise, extensive research over the past decades has shown that as little as 20 minutes of daily meditation has dramatic effects on physical health. Here are some tips on how to get better-quality sleep, and instructions on how to meditate.
Remember, if you can’t find the information you need on our website, you can always “Ask NAN” by clicking on this link.
Best,
Rosemary D Laird, MD, MHSA
Founder and Chief Medical Officer
“Love starts with self-love. Before you love others, you have to love yourself.”
— Robert Mack
