Caring for the caregiver

1
Personal Wellness

• Caring for the caregiver

2
Personal wellness includes

• physical
• emotional
• social
• career/occupational and
• intellectual aspects of life

3
Physical wellness

• Nourish your body with a good diet
• Balance exercise with plenty of rest
• Learn to manage stress
• Know your family medical history
• this helps you and your doctor to tailor your
  wellness plan

4
Stress is not all negative- it helps motivate us!

• But chronic stress can
• Increase blood pressure
• Increase risk of mental and physical illness
• Learn the signs of excess stress, such as
• memory problems
• irritability
• poor sleep
• depression
• tense muscles

5
Coping with stress

• Pay attention to your bodys signals (such as
  racing heartbeat, tense muscles)
• Practice slow deep breathing
• Move your body
• Make time for a pleasurable activity in your
  daily life
• Avoid overeating, smoking, alcohol, drugs
• These activities only worsen the problem

6
Make a wellness plan

• Ask yourself
• What is important to you?
• Where are you now?
• Where do you want to be?
• (in your physical health, relationships, career,
  etc.)
• Write down your goals and the steps you will take
  to get there.

7
Its about balance

• As a caregivers, you are accustomed to caring for
  others at work, and often, at home.
• Remember to also focus on what you need to stay
  healthy in all dimensions of wellness.