How to Reduce Stress and Increase Calm for Family Caregivers

Emotional stress for family caregivers is inevitable, but actually, not always a negative thing. In fact, as they say, “A diamond is just a piece of charcoal that handled stress exceptionally well.” However, specifically for family caregivers, the amount of stress can fairly quickly escalate and become overpowering, and if not managed correctly, lead to significant health problems.

Give these tips a try to reduce stress and realize a healthier and calmer lifestyle – both for yourself and those you love:

• Alter your self-talk. All through the course of your day, you might find yourself thinking negative thoughts like, “I can’t do this!” or “Every single thing is going wrong!” Pause for a moment when negative feelings begins to intrude, and say to yourself instead, “I can do this, one step at a time,” or “Help is here for me whenever I need it.”
• Take a break. Lower stress by trying any or all of the following tactics:
  • Breathe deeply (inhale while counting to four; hold while counting to four; exhale to a count of four; hold while counting to four; repeat as needed)
  • Go for a walk or take part in another type of physical exercise
  • Pray or meditate
  • Listen to calming music
  • Write in a journal
  • Call a friend
• Try a stress-busting activity. There are countless enjoyable activities to take your focus away from whatever was causing stress and onto something more positive, like arts and crafts, reading a book, spending time with pets or children, gardening, a home improvement project – even as little as 10 or 15 minutes spent on the activity can make a big difference in how you feel.

There are even apps expressly developed with family caregivers in mind to help lower stress and restore a sense of calm. You can find several that are particularly helpful here from DailyCaring.

Family caregiver stress is particularly common for those who believe they have no support system, and are required to handle everything independently. Thankfully, we can help! Call Harmony Home Health & Hospice, the leading provider of home care and hospice in Provo and the surrounding areas, to find out more about how we can partner with you in your caregiving duties, allowing you essential time away to destress, with services including:

• Balance improvement
• Medication reminders
• Wound care
• Pain management
• And many more

Contact us at 1-877-I-NEED-Care and learn how a partner in care can make all the difference in decreasing stress and restoring a healthy life balance for family caregivers.