Have you been paralyzed by fatigue? Are you the lone extension of your loved one and overwhelmed by the responsibility? Are you too exhausted to even look for help?
I found a program entitled "Powerful Tools for Caregivers" (caregiver@ths.com. It is a free 6 week course that focuses on YOU taking care of yourself. The difficulty was finding the time to attend the 3 hour meeting even once a week.
One of the things that ministered to me was the Action Plan provided by them to encourage me to take time for myself. It didn't have to be more than 5 minutes. The plan would give me some time just for me, to help me focus and be able to be the caregiver I needed to be.
Here is an idea of the plan:
What am I going to do?
How much am I going to do?
When am I going to do it? - time of day, etc.
How often am I going to do it?
I had to write it down and then give an idea of the confidence I had that I would actually accomplish my action plan.
At the time I was involved in the class, I was working and was able to do the plan five days a week. I said that I would walk in the warehouse for 20 minutes each day during my lunch hour. You would be surprised at how I enjoyed that exercise, as limited as it was. It was what I did for me.
I chose reading for one week. Some people chose bubble baths. Some listened to music. The goal is to relax and reconnect with something that is truly enjoyable just to you.
Take a few minutes and try it. As you accomplish something, stretch yourself with longer tine periods. Allow healing to give you and your loved one a breathe of fresh air!!
No comments:
Post a Comment