Exhausted!

“I’m exhausted!!”

Seems I’ve been hearing these words a lot recently from family and professional caregivers.  The statement isn’t anything new; I’ve heard it a countless number of times in my 35 years as a caregiver.  And I wish I had a dollar for every time I said it myself over those 35 years.

My plan is to keep this post brief today because I am going to do an entire series of posts on Self-Care for the Caregiver.  So, look for future posts which will cover this in greater detail.

Basically, there is an up-side and a down-side if you are a caregiver who is feeling exhausted.

The up-side is that you are probably very attentive to the needs of your patient.  Your thoughts are that the patient comes first – he/she is comfortable, clean, well-fed, keeps all appointments, is given medications right on schedule, and is well-rested.

The down-side is that probably you, as the caregiver, are not meeting your own needs adequately.  It may be likely that you are either skipping meals or not eating a regular balanced diet.  It also may be likely that you are not resting/sleeping an adequate number of hours per day for what your body needs.  If you were, you would not be exhausted.  So, as the days lacking in self-care add up, you may soon hear yourself say, “I’m exhausted!”

The longer you, as the caregiver, neglect your own care, you may find that you are not caring for your patient as efficiently as you had before.  And that, then, becomes the down-side for both of you.

I will continue this topic in greater detail when I begin my series on self-care for the caregiver.

For now, if you are a caregiver who is exhausted, I will offer some sage advice, “Get some rest!  And eat a good meal!”  You are worth it!

Sleep well tonight…. And sweet dreams!