Caregiving in and of itself is stressful for some people, so minimizing stress in other areas, when possible, can be a helpful strategy. You can talk or read about the economy to the point of extreme stress or more anxiety. Caregivers often face economic stress along with the daily stress of caregiving. Doing three things will go a long way toward having a positive influence on your relationships and help you deal with your economic situation. They are:
- Keep friends close.
- Express gratitude.
- Channel anxiety and stress in healthy ways.
Keep Friends Close
Keeping friends close is essential. It is part of every person's nature to need to stay connected to other people. People need friendships and confidants, which require effort and time to maintain. For some this is easy; for others it requires planning to keep those connections with people in whom they can confide their feelings with trust.
Friendships by nature are mutual. Friendships should have a natural ebb and flow of sharing. At times one friend will need to listen and give more support. Listening does not mean giving advice unless it is asked for. With a confidant you can acknowledge that you are “stressed out,” and talk about solutions. Spouse and family members can be friends and sounding boards, but do try to maintain at least a few friendships.
Find ways to maintain friendships. Consider hosting meals or gathering friends for a potluck. Start or join a book club, invite a friend to attend a community concert or play with you, or connect with other caregivers through support groups. There are lots of possibilities to choose from.
Express Gratitude
Expressing gratitude is a tried and true way to deal with stress. When people are able to think about the things they are grateful for and then express that gratitude, they remain positive and can better recognize opportunity. In challenging times seeing what is good in life helps people cope with economic, health, relationship, or other difficulties.
There are many ways to express gratitude. You may keep a journal, briefly noting what you have to be thankful for. Schedule 5 minutes in your day to write in your “Gratitude Journal.” Writing a thank you note to others is another powerful tool for expressing gratitude. Spread your gratitude in the form of appreciation for what others have done or who they are!
Showing appreciation is one of the characteristics of a healthy family. Every person no matter how young or old, near or far, likes to be appreciated and acknowledged…at work, in the community, and most especially, at home.
Channel Anxiety and Stress in Healthy Ways
Channeling anxiety and stress in healthy ways needs to be done deliberately with right action steps. Eat well, get regular exercise, and try sleeping the recommended seven to eight hours. Eat fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans/legumes and lower-fat proteins like fish, lean meat, and poultry. At meal time fill half your plate with vegetables and the other half with whole grains and lean protein. Snack on fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. Drink water, low-fat milk, and natural juices.
Walking, swimming or other exercise is a way of taking control of your health. It begins with getting moving and keeping the habit, which has an added benefit of slowing the aging process.
You and your children can sleep soundly by winding down in the hour before bedtime. Beauty Sleep author Michael Breuss suggests splitting the hour before bedtime into three segments. The first is prepping for the next day, the second for personal care such as a bath and good teeth hygiene (brushing and flossing are also important to health) and the third for stretching or reading.
Keeping friends close, expressing gratitude, and channeling anxiety and stress in healthy ways will have a positive influence on your relationships and will help you deal with economic stress.
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