Holiday Cheer for Caregivers

Can You Keep Your Holiday Cheer Alive?

The holidays are fast approaching and with them comes a lot of expectations about keeping holiday cheer alive for yourself and the loved ones you are taking care of. Efforts to meet expectations can create a great deal of stress during a time that is supposed to be uplifting and filled with loving moments.

There are some tools and techniques to help you handle some of the concerns that might otherwise rob you of the season’s cheer. Here are a few of them:

Keeping track of medicines. Developed by the National Alzheimer Center, the Balance iPhone app offers a range of useful features, including medication tracking schedules and calendar sharing among family members.

Smart phone users can check out the iBiomed app that does many of the same things.

Dedicated space. Create a location for all of the small items, such as keys and phone, that you need on a regular basis. Such a spot can help you avoid the mayhem of “where did I leave it?” searches that can create extra chaos.

Avoid meal-related stresses. Eating well is an important way to keep your wits about you, even when tensions are high. Food, such as those with high Vitamin C content can help reduce stress levels. Check with your local nutritionist for more food-related ideas.

Relax the body, relax the mind. Sometimes it takes only a few minutes to let go of stress build up in the body. Today there are now easy to follow 10 min. yoga-like exercises available on YouTube, Netflix and other online sources that you can download and play as needed. Some of them include poses that can be done while seated in a chair.

These are just the start for caregivers who want to help themselves have a holiday season worth remembering.

J. Dietrich Stroeh is author of Three Months: A Caregiving Journey from Heartbreak to Healing (FolkHeart Press) and three free e-books. For more information, click here.