The new year often awakens the desire for a fresh start. January 1st symbolises a new beginning and we are greeted with the pressure to improve upon ourselves. Many of us may clamour to build better habits, better organise our time or learn new skills – all admirable desires. However, whilst toiling to widen our capacity, many caregivers may relate to the feeling of being left in the dust. Dividing your time with someone else’s can make our new year’s resolutions feel unattainable, giving rise to feelings of guilt and fast-tracking demotivation – but not because of a lack of trying.
The truth is that many of these resolutions were not designed with the reality of caregiving mind. Even if you are dedicated, adding more goals to your plate and maintaining them at a consistent rate can prove difficult when your plate is shared with another person’s needs. That isn’t to say that caregivers shouldn’t aim to do more, but reframing your new year’s goals with this in mind may be the key to making them easier later on. We’ve compiled a list of sustainable, caregiver-friendly new year’s resolution ideas to aid your motivation to grow.
Ask for Help When You Need It
Turning to support systems and community when you need help may be the foundation that makes your future goals attainable. If you wish for a better work/life balance and to be more productive as a caregiver, having a community you can rely on is crucial. This doesn’t just have to be for caregiving related things. You can have a network of people who you can rely on for emotional, financial, practical or medical support. The sooner you establish these, the better.
Community doesn’t necessarily equate to friends, but people you trust and can rely on for general help or to speak with on personal matters. Opening up to people who understand and/or share your experience, such as other caregivers, can alleviate stress and feelings of isolation. If you don’t know where to begin, charities such as Age UK, Alzheimer’s Society, and Carers UK offer support groups and online forums for caregivers. It may also be useful to discuss your feelings with a professional such as a licensed therapist.
If you feel burnout coming up, or just need a break, many care providers and agencies offer options for respite care, such as SweetTree. From as a little as a few hours or up to a couple of days, use respite care when possible to free up some time for yourself; it exists to fit and work around your needs.
Depending on the practice, you can also receive free additional support from your GP such as annual health checks, mental health check-ins and appointment flexibility. How? By simply joining your GP’s carers’ register. All GPs have one and you can speak with yours to find out more.
Furthermore, you can contact adult social services at your local council and request to take a carer’s assessment to find out if you qualify for support. If you do, you’ll receive a care plan of what that support will look like. It can range from help with housework to even having stand-in carer for when you’re away. For those who have resolutions to be more physically active in the new year, a free gym membership is also a possibility.
Share Your Workload with Assistive Technology
More than ever, technology is being used to aid and lend a hand to those with complex needs and their carers. From dementia needs to impaired sight, care technology support services, such as JC Explore, offer an array of assistive technologies that you can incorporate into the care you provide going into the new year.
For example, reader pens are intuitive devices that are used to make reading more accessible for those with any sort of visual impairment. The pens can scan text and read it back to the user. This allows more time to be dedicated to other areas of care or your own time, whilst allowing those you care for to be more independent. Similarly, ‘talking tiles’ allow you to leave audio or visual reminders for whoever you care for. These messages are activated my motion sensors, giving more independence to those with any sort of cognitive impairment such as dementia.
If you wish to access such devices, these and many more can be rented through local authorities though programs such as Medequip. Alternatively, they can be purchased at a higher price. To learn more about assistive technologies and how you can access them, visit our blog page or you can watch JC Explores full assistive technology walkthrough.
Set Boundaries and Commit to Them
A big part of being a caregiver is making yourself available for others as and when you are needed. This can sometimes at your own expense and you may not realise. This constant availability, if not managed, can lead to burnout, stress or even resentment. A good practice you can begin in the new year is identifying whether you are being committed or just biting off more than you can chew. If you can do this, setting boundaries is the next step.
Without clear boundaries, you may find yourself falling into the trap of accepting every request that arises, leaving little room to recoup and effectively rest. Remember that your energy is a finite resource, so your time must be very intentional if you want to be the best that you can. Clearly communicating your boundaries to others in a respectful manner allows them to get an idea of what your capacity is. Letting others know what you can do instead of what you can’t, also communicates that you are not running from responsibility, but rather looking out for yourself.
As circumstances change, it is normal for boundaries and expectations of yourself to readjust over time. Reflecting and reassessing is part of the journey to optimising your time, energy and maintaining your wellbeing.
Progress is not linear nor is it immediate, so be kind to yourself as you embark on change. Small intentional habits gradually lead to significant improvement over time and remembering this may make your new year’s resolutions less daunting. It’s not “all-or-nothing”. For more caregiving advice and tips, visit our blog page, Instagram or Facebook.