A Caregiver’s Time Is Valuable

What's a Few Minutes? Everything!

As a family caregiver who has taken on the task of caring for a loved one, what would you do with an extra 15 minutes or more a day that you could spend on yourself? Most likely, your first response would be that you don’t have extra time, that your day is already packed with too much to do as it is. How could you even dream of adding more to the schedule?

I think it’s possible to carve out some ‘me’ time by rethinking the ‘to do’ list and I’ve read from experts that there are ways to manage your time that can result in precious moments for yourself.

Here are a few of the suggestions:

• Prioritize: Create a list of tasks and when they can best be done. Determine priorities. Look at what must be done today and what can be done later in the week. Which activities and duties can be done later in the week or can be attached to another task? For example, if you have to take your loved one for a medical visit, can you also leave a few minutes earlier to gas up the car? If not before the appointment, then perhaps on your way home?
• Be Realistic: Are your expectations reasonable? Be honest with yourself about how much time you have. Simple meal planning can help you keep enough groceries on hand so that you don’t have to try to fit in another trip to the store. Cleaning one room at a time is another way to manage your expectations so that you are not burdened with disappointments that can weigh you down and cloud your thinking.
• Flexibility: When you accept that things will not always go as planned, you’ll be better able to go with the changes that are inevitable. Caregivers and the ones they care for are human; they aren’t robots. So, expect that you’ll need to adjust your timeline and priorities on any given day. When you are - more or less - staying on track, you can better respond to unexpected changes. Your basic organized game plan also helps reduce your stress and keeps you focused.

The above suggestions may help you make the most out of the time you will spend as a caregiver. You can also avoid some of the familiar pitfalls of panic and resistance that come when feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about priorities. Along the way, you will discover a few minutes here and there to sit down and recharge. Over time those minutes may expand. This is especially the case when you feel like you are better managing the situation. On any given day, you may even find you have more time than you thought you would have. That’s when you get to do something kind for yourself: read a magazine, do some body stretches, work on a hobby, or chat with a friend. Go on, you deserve it!

J. Dietrich Stroeh is author of Three Months: A Caregiver’s Journey from Heartbreak to Healing (FolkHeart Press) and three free ebooks. For more information, click here.