Kick Off the New Year by Focusing on Self-Care

Self-care. It means different things to different family caregivers. Some may have spent so many hours caring for someone else that they ignore their own needs. Others go out and socialize, but they never have time alone to decompress. Kick off the New Year and focus on the areas of self-care that you’re overlooking.

Take Time to De-Stress

Spend an hour each day de-stressing. Meditation is one way to do it. Sit, clear your mind, and focus on something positive. Keeping a journal is another way as it allows you to vent frustration to a blank page.

Some people find that reading a book and getting lost in another person’s life is a good way to ease stress. Taking a warm bubble bath, standing in the ocean, or learning a new hobby are other stress-busting activities.

Get Exercise

Exercise for at least 30 minutes each day. A walk through the forest in a state park is a good start. The warmth of the sun, the scent of pines and flowers, and the sounds of water and birds are all soothing. Mixing up types of exercise is recommended by experts to make sure all muscles get a work out each week.

You can walk three times a week, use an elliptical twice a week, and swim and take a Yoga class for the other two days. Zumba, Tai Chi, dance classes, and bicycling are other popular ways for people to get exercise.

Catch Up on Health Care Visits

Your health is just as important as your mom’s or dad’s. If it’s been years since you last saw your doctor, it’s time to make the appointment. See your eye doctor, general practitioner, and dentist. You may not love what you hear, but it’s the only way you can start taking the steps to improve or protect your health.

Spend Time With Friends and Family Members

Socialization benefits both your mental and physical health. It’s human nature to want to be social with other people, especially the people closest to you. If your role as a family caregiver has kept you from going out to dinner with a spouse, sibling, or group of friends, it’s time to change that.

One of the easiest ways to ensure you have time to do things for yourself is by hiring respite care. Take a week’s vacation after scheduling elderly care services or stay home and catch up on medical and dental appointments. All it takes to make arrangements is a chat with an elderly care representative.

If you are considering elderly care in Centerville, OH, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts At Home of Dayton today at 937-558-9394.

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