Insider Secret of a Calm Caregiver
Not often are “calm” and “caregiver” put in
the same sentence. Overwhelm, fatigue, numbness, depression and shock are some
of the things that may appear as calmness.
They are common disguises that mask the inner turmoil, anxiety, pain and
fear felt by many caregivers. They have great poker faces, enough so that we
are confident they are doing as great as they tell us. Sometimes caregivers fool themselves.
There’s an “insider secret” that’s good to
know for both caregivers, and those supporting caregivers. It is prioritize and delegate. Friends, family, co-workers, even strangers,
like to help. The secret is to be ready for the ask.
First of all, take a look at the to do list
and see what things other people can do for you. Take those off of your to-do list and put
them on the “helpers” list. You can even
go one step further and divide the list into “boy “ jobs and “girl” jobs. When
someone says “Let me know if you need anything.” Answer them by saying, “Well, this is what’s
on my list. Is there something here you
can help with?”
The beauty of this is that it’s a win-win
situation. You find out quickly you are
not alone, you learn to prioritize, and your to-do list gets done. The person helping you feels a sense of
accomplishment, is glad to help and feels a deep sense of gratitude that they
could make a difference for you.
There are some other “insider secrets” to
making this work even better. Practicing
prioritizing and delegating your to-do list is a start. I used an excellent website for planning and
organizing help. I highly recommend you
take a look at Lotsa Helping Hands
Lorna M. Scott is the author of the best
selling book Walking the Journey Together Alone
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