3 Keys for You to Care for Yourself While Caregiving

Inside: Necessary Essentials that
will Help You Care for Yourself
while Caregiving

This past year, I lost both my parents. While I’d never wish the caregiving and grief process on anyone, it’s almost universal. So, I want to share what I learned. Because if you’re in the thick of it, you need to care for yourself while caregiving. And with so much on your plate, I get it, that part is too easy to skip.

A relaxing soak is always a good way to care for yourself while caregiving!

Thank you, Jonathan Borba, for sharing your photo!

So, first, remember, you are not alone!

There are lots of us who’ve been through this,

are going through this, and will go through this. There are people who understand your frustration, your exhaustion, and all those other crazy emotions.

And for each of us, the details are unique. But each assignment is Father-filtered.

By that, I mean that God knows exactly what’s on your plate. He didn’t put it there to punish you. And He’s right there alongside you. God will never leave you (Deuteronomy 31:8). He loves you more an anyone else (Isaiah 54:10) and He will use every single situation for your good (Romans 8:28).

You just may not see it right away.

So, go ahead, take a deep breath and let that in. Your Father in heaven is here to help you care for yourself while you’re caregiving. For that reason,

Key #1 is: Stay as closely as you can to God.

Every single time you need to, cry out to Him.

Give Him your aggravation, your angst, and everything else you can because He tells us,

“Give all your anxieties to Me,
because I care for you!”
(1 Peter 5:7)

Now, I’m not saying that I always did that!

But over and over, I learned that when I did, it was well worth it.

Of course, you’re overloaded with more things to do than you have time for, so you think you can’t make time for God.

But God is a Redeemer.

When you take a break with God, He’ll help you get all that He has for you to get done that day.

“And you can call on Him and He will answer you
and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know”
(Jeremiah 33:3, NIV).

I’m telling you, God has the best ideas and you don’t want to miss them!

A picture of a woman with a smile on her face.

Photo by Vinicius Wiesehofer.

**God can help you take things off your to do list.**

In the past, I loved helping friends in a tough time.

One would have an emergency and our whole group would jump in to help. These days, many of us are in crisis at the same time. It’s not that we don’t want to help.

But we need to be prayerful to find out exactly and only the assignments God has for us. Caregiving is exhausting and we can run out of steam before we’ve done what we need to do if we aren’t careful.

Ask me how I know.

To protect yourself against burnout,
you can ask God what He’d have you
take off your to do list.

Key #2: Like they say on the plane, put your own oxygen mask on first.

And that includes all the basics:

Stay hydrated. With each glass of water I drink, I put a few crystals of Celtic salt under my tongue. It’s loaded with minerals and takes the water straight to your cells rather than washing it out of your body.
You need not only sleep, but also rest. For me, that looks like watching a movie before bed, so I can go to sleep thinking about the movie instead of trying to solve all of my challenges.
Exercise. It probably won’t look like your regular routine. That’s to be expected. But still, it will do you a world of good to get outside, stretch your legs, and take a walk around the block.
And with all the doctors’ appointments you have for the person you’re caring for, don’t forget to take care of your own health. We are aging, too. And under all the added stress, our body needs attention.

And think about it,
what are some little things you can do
for yourself?

Even the little things can make a big difference!

A cup of coffee is another easy fix when you need to care for yourself while caregiving.

Photo by Jen P.

Key #3 We need Jesus-with-skin-on friends around us.

A support group really can help you keep your sanity.

In order to care for yourself while caregiving, how can you add this? It looks different for each of us. Some don’t like groups of people. So, maybe a social media thread would offer you a connection that would be helpful.

For me, I always find my peeps in a Bible study group of Christian women who pray (thank God!)

The added bonus, Key #4 Fun!

How did I forget this?

When we’re caregiving, we need relaxing breaks that put a smile on our faces, like this:

Occasional fun is mandatory care for yourself while caregiving!

Photo by Christian Bowen.

I don’t know what does it for you, but it’s not only okay, it’s imperative in order to care for yourself while caregiving. (I’m emboldening those words in the hopes that they sink into your mind and help you get the refreshment you need in little ways you can fit into your day.)

Caregivers burnout is a real thing and I don’t want that for you!

When you put fun on your calendar, you look forward to it. You can look back on it. And I know, you feel like you don’t even have the energy to plan something like this. But it doesn’t have to be extravagant.

A few simple plans
can take you a lot farther
than you thought possible.

What If God Gave You Three Wishes?