Anxiety: It’s normal to worry about your senior and to hope that she’s alright.

But some family caregivers find that they experience ever-increasing amounts of anxiety and that can really take a toll on your mental and physical health and well-being, which makes caregiving that much more difficult. Here are some ideas that might help you to get a better handle on your anxiety.

Anxiety Makes Things Harder for You and for Your Senior

When you’re anxious, that makes life and caregiving more difficult for you and for your elderly family member, too. Reducing your own anxiety levels helps to ensure that you’re able to handle whatever happens next. You’re also better able to take care of your senior’s needs.

Try to Identify Exaggerations and Cognitive Distortions in Your Thoughts

Part of anxiety’s power is that it uses your own thought patterns against you, usually to create more anxiety. So, when you’re exaggerating or falling victim to other cognitive distortions like all-or-nothing thoughts and mind-reading, that just makes it all worse. Be on the lookout for these types of distortions, so that you can start nipping them in the bud.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is tremendously helpful with anxiety. By being present in the moment and using mindfulness you can ground yourself and buy yourself time to turn your thoughts around. Instead of giving into those thoughts, you’ve got a better chance of recognizing that they’re not helpful and probably not even accurate.

Journal and Use Other Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation techniques like deep breathing and meditation can help you when you’re in the midst of anxious moments. Taking just a moment to consciously deepen your breathing can change a lot for you. Journaling isn’t as instantaneous, but it helps you to work through your thoughts and feelings in a way that helps you to see what’s happening behind the scenes of your anxiety.

Get Some Extra Help

Lots of times anxiety arises because you’re overwhelmed. For a family caregiver, that’s not really news, most likely. But getting some extra help from a caregiver allows you to take time away. When you come back, you’re approaching everything from a different perspective, and that’s crucial.

Don’t rule out talking to your own doctor about your anxiety, though, especially if you’re trying everything and don’t feel any improvement. There may be medical causes for anxiety, and you shouldn’t overlook that. These techniques can help along with other necessary treatments.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elder Care in Palo Alto, CA, call the caring staff at Aviva In-Home Care.
Call today: (415) 795-2203

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Evan Loevner

CEO at Aviva In-Home Care

As a former hospital administrator, I launched Aviva with the goal of having a more focused, direct impact on the delivery of care than I could ever accomplish within a hospital setting. For me, the joy of running an organization like Aviva In-Home Care is having the ability to positively improve the lives of individuals needing customized care. As a passionate Bay Area resident, I know that many local seniors can benefit from new approaches to in-home care, that will bring them more connection to the community, and provide families with a greater sense of comfort that their loved one is indeed matched with an ideal caregiver.

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