You might not be surprised to find yourself in situations that make you feel frustrated, upset, and even angry when you’re a caregiver. But it’s important for you to have a way to feel calmer very quickly if you can find one. These tricks might be just what you need.
Expend Some Energy
Frustration, agitation, and even anger all arrive with a little bit of extra energy. That’s thanks to the adrenaline that accompanies each of them. If you can find a way to expend that extra energy in a way that is healthier than responding with yelling or other unpleasant responses, that can help. Take a brisk walk or jog for a few minutes. Check in with yourself afterward and see if you need to keep going for a few minutes more.
Distract Yourself with Another Sense
When you’re experiencing extreme lack of calm, you might want to try distracting yourself. Look around for something colorful or something that is your favorite color. You might also start looking around for specific shapes. If there is music playing in the background, try to identify the song or focus on the lyrics. Use your other senses to distract you from what is causing you to feel less calm.
Practice Slowing and Deepening Your Breathing
As you’re feeling less calm, your breaths shorten and speed up. Your brain gets the signal that there’s danger afoot and it releases more chemicals like adrenaline to help you to either flee the situation or fight your way through. The problem is that you don’t need that extra adrenaline, especially if you want to calm down. So, to signal to your brain that all is well, practice gradually slowing your breathing down and making each breath a little deeper.
Count for a Bit
Parents have known this trick for decades. If you’re still not feeling calm, try counting to ten. Counting to higher numbers is optional but definitely possible. You can also make things more difficult by counting up by threes or by another digit. What this does is force your brain to concentrate on something else that requires your attention.
Some days one or more of these techniques might work better than the other ones. Keep trying ideas until you land on a solution that helps you. Add to your own list as you find answers that work. Try new ones periodically to increase your list of viable options.
If you or an aging loved one are considering caregivers in Laurel, MT, please contact the caring staff at SYNERGY HomeCare Billings today at 406-839-2390.
