Stress is something that can show up for you very quickly as a caregiver. You might be rolling along, knocking out tasks on your list, and suddenly find yourself in the middle of a stressful situation. Try some of these ideas to kick the stress fast.
See What You Can See
Look around where you are and pick out an object in the room. Really look at that object. How would you describe it to someone who couldn’t see it? Can you tell what it’s made from? How heavy would it be if you picked it up? The idea here is to concentrate on that object and let your brain occupy itself with that topic rather than the one that is contributing to your stress levels.
Take Some Deep Breaths
Deep breathing is a commonly recommended stress relief technique because it works and because you don’t need special training or equipment to do this. Breathing slowly and deeply, or as slowly and as deeply as you can in that moment, can help to slow your brain and can calm your body. You’re probably breathing shallow, short breaths because you’re stressed. This helps you to focus on changing that.
Say Some Affirmations
Affirmations might feel silly at first, but they can be helpful, too. Pick a phrase that has a lot of meaning for you. Your affirmation needs to be short and something that’s easy for you to remember. It should also be positive, because that is your goal here. Lots of people like using something like “it’s all okay” because the source of your stress might be making you feel as if everything is definitely not okay right now.
Use Memory Games
Lots of times stress relief is about distraction. You’re distracting the part of your brain that is stressed so that you can get yourself to a point where you’re calm again. You can choose just about anything to test your memory with. Count backwards or try counting as high as you can by different multiples, like five. Saying the alphabet backward can help, too. If you have cards or something similar, you can try matching those if you have a space where you can spread them out.
Fast techniques are usually the best idea for a busy caregiver under stress. You also need something that doesn’t require you to use any special equipment or get too fancy. That way you can use these ideas everywhere that you go, no matter what is going on.
If you or an aging loved one is considering caregivers in Broadview, MT, please contact the caring staff at SYNERGY HomeCare Billings today at 406-839-2390.
