Blog > 4 Ways Family Caregivers Can Cope With Holiday Stress

4 Ways Family Caregivers Can Cope With Holiday Stress

Caring for a senior loved one is usually stressful even though it’s very rewarding. If you have other responsibilities on top of that like working and taking care of kids it can be difficult to get everything done. And when holiday stress of buying presents, cooking, shopping, and decorating for you and for your senior parent is added into that mix it can be very overwhelming. If you are overwhelmed by the additional stress of the holidays, here are some of the things you can do to make sure that you don’t get swamped:

Get Help

One of the best gifts you can give yourself this year is some help. A companion care at home provider can help take care of your senior loved one and help them get their home ready for the holidays. You and your senior loved one will enjoy the holidays a lot more when a companion care at home provider has taken some of those responsibilities off of your plate. A companion care at home provider can also help your parent shop for special ingredients for holiday dishes and do their usual holiday baking which will give you the chance to take a breath and then take care of some of your other responsibilities.

Scale Back

You don’t need to go over the top to make a holiday memorable. Your loved ones will just enjoy being able to spend time with you during the holidays. If you don’t have the best holiday light show in the neighborhood or if you don’t bake dozens of cookies for the neighbors that is ok. Create a realistic plan for the things that you can accomplish in the time that you have and stick to that plan. Don’t make more stress for yourself by trying to put on elaborate holiday parties or outdo everyone else on the block when it comes to holiday decorations.

Remember What Matters

Don’t put additional stress on yourself during the holidays trying to make them perfect. There is no such thing as a perfect holiday. What really matters during the holiday season is getting to spend time with your family and the people that matter the most to you. Spend extra time with your senior loved ones instead of doing extra shopping. Go for a walk or just spend some time talking and remembering the holidays when you were little. Stay focused on the love of family and friends and not gifts or parties or other things.

Give Yourself Breaks

Schedule yourself some down time when you’re doing your holiday planning. If you don’t block off periods to rest you may become so overwhelmed that you get sick and that really will ruin the holidays. Schedule some periods where you can get your hair cut, get a massage, or even just take a nap. Remember that you have a responsibility to take care of yourself as well as well as caring for your senior loved one and other members of your family.