Four Factors that Affect Your Ability to Manage Stress
Whether you’re managing your stress well or not can come down to a few different factors. Learning to master these factors can help you take a big leap forward in managing your stress effectively. If you continue to ignore them, however, you may find that your stress quickly leads to burnout and keeps you from being a caregiver at all.
Your Attitude Toward Your Situation
If you’re approaching caregiving from the perspective that it’s horrible and that you don’t want to do it, that’s going to have a big impact on your stress levels. Choosing to be a caregiver makes a huge difference in how you feel about what you’re facing. Look for ways to improve your attitude about caregiving and to feel more positive overall about what’s going on.
How Confident You Are in Your Own Abilities
No caregiver is thrust into the experience knowing everything there is to know about being a caregiver. But when you learn from experiences you’ve had and continue to educate yourself as much as you can, that’s going to build your confidence. Your belief in your own ability to handle anything that caregiving throws your way is going to be a huge part of helping you to manage your stress.
Whether You’re Dealing with Your Emotions
Too many caregivers find themselves ignoring their emotions or pushing them aside. This is especially a problem when the emotions in question are considered “negative” or “bad.” The thing is, you’re going to experience a wide range of emotions as a caregiver and if you’re not dealing with them in a healthy way that’s going to have an effect on your own mental and emotional health.
Your Support System
When you feel as if you’re all alone in this caregiver situation, you’re going to experience it differently than someone who has a support system and knows that those supporters will be there. Your support system might be made up of friends, other family members, and even other caregivers you’ve met over time. There’s no right composition for a support system. The only requirement is that they help you when you need additional emotional or practical support.
If you’re finding it difficult to manage the stress you’re experiencing as a caregiver, one of these main factors may be the problem. Look objectively at what isn’t working for you and put solutions in place. Ignoring the problem won’t make it go away but being honest about what’s creating the problem can.
If you or an aging loved one are considering caregivers in Old Bridge, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Care Street Home Care Serving Somerset and Middlesex/Union Counties today. Call (732) 607-8870.
The Care Street mission is straightforward and compelling: to provide a comprehensive range of the highest quality home health services in a professional and efficient manner that will enhance our clients' quality of life and empower families to keep their loved one at home.
Care Street has earned a reputation of excellence among hundreds of families, and is recommended by medical professionals and hospital discharge planners throughout the State.
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