Can we please stop making self-care for caregivers a dirty word? I’m talking about the long, negative threads made in response to articles that encourage self-care. Mostly comments from overwhelmed parents of kids with special needs or time-pinched adult children looking after elderly parents. I understand where caregivers are coming from because I’ve been there, too.

For the same reason I also know self-care is essential.
Even when time is short.
Especially when caregivers are overwhelmed.

We have to stop making self-care for caregivers a dirty word. It’s not an easy task, to be sure. But these 4 strategies can help caregivers shift from blasting self-care to practicing it.

Strategy #1: Carve Out Realistic Time and Space for Self-Care

The key word here is realistic. As in a small amount of time. Perhaps only 5 minutes a day. Or 30 minutes once a week. Whatever fits into your schedule. An easily accessible place could be a corner of your bedroom or the kitchen table. Or, and I mean this sincerely, on the toilet. Which was once the only place I could get away from my very sick baby while my husband held him.

Strategy #2: Practice Self-Care that Will Feed Your Soul

Because schedules are tight and time is short, select self-care activities carefully. Stick with those that feed your soul. In other words, engage in self-care that is life-giving for you. Choose activities that give you energy and stay away from those that leave you depleted.

To read the rest of this post visit Heather Johnson’s blog, www.truelifewithgod.com.

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