How Caregivers Can Avoid the Holiday Burnout
During the holiday season, stress can be at an all-time high for many people, especially caregivers that dedicate so much of their time to helping others. During their shifts, caregivers are dedicated to making their clients happy, content and healthy, and often forget to leave time to care for themselves at the end of the day. During the holidays, there seems to always be an event or occasion that adds on stress. We think it is important for caregivers to take time for themselves to relax, reduce stress and release tension, especially during the holiday season. Here are some tips that caregivers can follow to wind down at the end of a long day during the holidays.
• Recognize what might trigger extra stress for you during the holidays. Will it be your family coming into town that may be staying with you? Do they expect you to cook or bake for them after you return from work? Finding out what can trigger your stress ca help you recognize it, prepare for it and be proactive about those things.
• Dedicate at least 30 minutes for self-care. This can include exercise, spending time outside at a location of your choice or just sitting in silence meditating. If you know that you have at least 30 minutes a day where you can dedicate your time to make yourself happy, you have something to look forward to all day!
• Find a stress reliever that you can incorporate into your day when you are feeling stressed. We know that the feeling of stress can slowly creep its way into your holiday season. Plan ahead of time by having a stress reliever that you can use to calm yourself. For example, if you know that writing your thoughts down helps you relieve your stress and anxiety, keep a small journal in your bag that is accessible during those stressful times.
• Set clear boundaries during the holiday season. During this season, make a promise to yourself that you will set boundaries and be faithful to those! This could mean that you will only attend a total of three holiday parties that you are invited to preserve your energy and not stretch yourself too thin. You might consider only baking or cooking for your family and the official holiday you are celebrating, rather than all the little celebrations in between and leading up to that day. You will thank yourself for this later!
We are so thankful for all the selfless hard work that our caregivers give to our clients. The holiday season is a joyous and exciting time of the year and should be celebrated rather than dreaded. We hope that you can enjoy this holiday season with limited stress!