This last weekend I finally did nothing. Absolutely nothing productive. I didn't really even leave the house, except to eat lunch. I was finding that every Sunday night, I was feeling overwhelmed and like I hadn't given myself any time to rest over the weekend.
Any job is stressful, but caregiving is particularly stressful. Not only do you have the physical stress of transferring, feeding, bathing, or dressing someone, but you also have the emotional stress.
Listening to people tell you about their pain, their family, and their life takes a lot out of you. If you don't take time to love yourself, then there will be nothing left of yourself.
So what did I do this weekend? Well there was some thought that went into nothing.
I pursued a favorite hobby of mine, which is sewing. I caught up on movies and TV shows which gave me something to think about other than my clients. I consumed good food and beverages, which I never have enough time to do during the week. I reconnected with my family and husband.
The bottom line is I did things that I wanted to do. The result was a renewed person who has passion for life. Now I have new things to talk about with people since I took time to watch new movies. I have funny stories to tell about my family who I spent time with. I have something creative to show for with my sewing. The end result is better self esteem.
Any caregiver will tell you they are exhausted, but is the good caregivers who will tell you they had a great weekend.
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