As you are in the middle of summer, you are pulled in multiple directions with your family, friends and aging parents. How do you keep your sanity and maintain a level of calmness as a caregiver? Needless to say, it can be quite a balance to maintain. Below are quick tips to keep you in ultimate health so you can live your life, be a parent, a friend, and a caregiver to your aging parents.

5 Quick Tips for Caregivers to Keep Their Health and Sanity

• Take Time for YOU. It is important when you care for others that you do not forget yourself. You need to take breaks and time to relax and enjoy things you like to do for yourself. By no means is this selfish. Life is about balance, and as a caregiver, you need to balance the needs of the ones you care for and the needs you need for yourself to be effective, healthy and happy. Little breaks help keep you refreshed and give you stamina to do your best for your aging parents or loved one.
• Get Sleep. You have heard time and time again the importance of sleep, and it is true. You need your rest and especially when you add in the task of caregiving. You need to have patience, kindness and empathy to say the least. Those qualities can turn up empty without proper rest. In addition, rest helps you make clear decisions and feel good about your day. It used to be that everyone said you need 8 hours of sleep; however, that can vary a little from person to person. I know many caregivers who are amazing and function well on 6-7 hours of rest a night. Figure out your optimum rest needed and go for it. You will be able to enjoy caregiving without falling asleep or getting too grumpy. 
• Reach Out to Others for Help. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but a sign you want to do your best. Sometimes when you need a break or life activities get in the way, you need to ask others to step up and help you. This goes hand-in-hand with not trying to make your to-do list too much. You will get frustrated and everything becomes overwhelming. Keep the pace of what you can do effectively so you can handle each day to stay positive. Caregiving can be fun and again it is all about balance.
• Eat Healthy and Hydrate. This sounds like every pitch you hear from everyone and everything. You need to keep hydrated and you need to eat healthy to be able to function and be the best you. If you don’t then no one wins. You need to feel good,  you need to make good decisions, and finally you need to be a great caregiver to yourself, aging parents or loved ones, family and friends. Bottomline is you should always take care of yourself to be the best you can be in life. Also by practicing good eating and hydrating you model what your aging parents should be doing as well. 
• Give Yourself Credit. Being a caregiver can be rewarding, fun and also taxing. Do not be afraid to give yourself credit where credit is due. You stepped up and you are the one taking care of aging parents or loved ones so “Yay You.” It can be rewarding but not always fun. Therefore, celebrate the victories.

No one knows what it is like to be a caregiver, until they have been a caregiver. Each experience offers something new and different. Caregiving is rewarding, and it can take a toll on you too. You need to have balance, and the above tips can help you get that balance. You can also call Ann Jamison at Senior Living Options to learn more about being a caregiver for your aging parents or loved ones.

Author: Ann Jamison

Ann Jamison is an experienced senior advisor who has successfully worked with hundreds of families to help them find the best care and home-like environment for themselves or their loved ones. Prior to launching Senior Living Options, Ann was an eldercare advisor for a national placement agency and served as sales director at a senior living community. Thanks to her 25-year career in advertising sales and marketing, Ann is able to discern between hype and reality for her clients. Ann recognizes that there are objective factors that need to be weighed when making a life-changing decision, but she can also assess the important softer attributes by getting to know her clients and by using the gut instincts that can only come through extended experience.