How caregivers can make the most of National Wellness Month
August marks National Wellness Month, and it's a great time to reflect on how caregiving fits into life and work balance.
As caregivers, we do the best we can, and it's important to think about how we manage stress, how we care for ourselves, and how we can figure out healthy routines. National Wellness Month can allow caregivers to find time and space to care for their bodies and minds while caring for others.
Caregiving and wellness may realistically require defining our self-care in more "doable" doses in our daily lives and routines. Even minor changes can improve the quality of our lives and caregiving. Reflecting on wellness can help us prioritize what is essential to us in many realms, like physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.
Eileen Lawless, dependent care specialist, Life & Work Connections
We often hear terms like self-care, stress, burnout and compassion fatigue with caregiving. We may identify with some emotions that come with caregiving, like guilt, anger, and grief.
National Wellness Month is an opportunity to recognize our resilience and our fears. Perhaps August can be the month to utilize tools in our mental health caregiving toolbox and seek support through platforms like Credible Mind or ComPsych Employee Assistance Counseling, or participate in a caregiving support group.
Wellness reflections may also include calling upon our community, friends or family for help, making new connections, or reestablishing ones with whom we have lost touch. Social and spiritual wellness may include finding activities that normalize our caregiving experiences or connect us to others. Maybe wellness is about finding a simple, enjoyable routine, such as taking a yoga class, meditating for five minutes, volunteering or connecting with our spiritual communities.
Caregiving wellness also may be about respite, or the opportunity to take some time (and maybe distance) to regenerate and refresh. These are just a few opportunities, but it's important to decide your wellness priority and define the space and time you want in order to make these actions part of your wellness and life.
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Eileen Lawless, a dependent care specialist in Life & Work Connections, holds a master's degree in social work from Hunter College School of Social Work, and a graduate certificate in Innovations in Aging from the University of Arizona. She has more than 20 years of experience working in hospice, skilled nursing and assisted living communities, specializing in program development, support in memory and behavioral care, and training and quality care for personal and professional caregivers.
The original version of this article can be read on the Life & Work Connections website.