How Do You Banish Guilt for Good as a Caregiver?
Guilt can really leave you feeling terrible. It makes you question and second guess everything that you do or don’t do as a caregiver. Because of that, it’s no wonder that so many caregivers want to banish guilt entirely from their lives forever.
Don’t Even Try
The very first step you need to take when you’re trying to get rid of guilt for good is to avoid even trying. You’re going to do this dance with guilt many more times, honestly. It’s how you handle the situation that makes the biggest difference. As you get better and better about managing the guilt as soon as it pops up, you’ll feel less obligated to completely get rid of it. You’ll be able to acknowledge it and move on.
Strive for Balance
The best thing for you to focus on as a caregiver is balancing your time and your energy as well as you can. You can only do so much, no matter how much you want to be doing. One way you can balance life more readily is to hire home care providers. They can help you to determine where you need to personally spend your energy.
Check Your Motivations
If you’re allowing your guilt to motivate you, you’re going to end up doing things that you don’t want to do or that you can’t do. Afterward, you may not be wrestling with guilt, but you’ll likely be facing resentment. Instead of trading one emotion that makes you feel awful for another, give yourself a break from the guilt. Provide help and care for your elderly family member because that’s what you want to do. Don’t allow guilt to drive the bus.
Accept Your Humanity
You’re a caregiver, but you’re first a human being. You’re going to have good days, bad days, and days that fall in between. Some days you’ll get everything right and others are going to challenge you and cause you to struggle. That is all part of life and part of being a caregiver as well. Accept your humanity and resolve to do the best that you can do.
Just because guilt is sometimes painful, that doesn’t mean that it can’t help you. Guilt can help you to examine what you’re doing as a caregiver and where you might do something different. It can also help you to see that you’re actually far more effective as a caregiver than you think you are.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering Elder Care in Glenolden, PA, please contact the friendly staff at Suma Home Care.
Call today: (484) 206-4544
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