Lots of caregivers already know that taking breaks is a good thing to do, but that doesn’t make it magically easier to do. These tips can help you to get a handle on setting up some respite time and actually following through.

You Don’t Need Someone’s Permission
Lots of times caregivers feel as if they need someone else’s permission in order to take time away, even for just a couple of hours. But you don’t need anyone else’s permission. If you still feel like you do, give yourself permission. You have to take care of yourself in order to be of any assistance to the people you love in your life. That means that you absolutely need to be taking time away from your regular duties as a caregiver. There’s no permission necessary in that.

You’re Going to Feel Some Feels
You’re going to have some serious feelings about all of this. The lingering doubts about permission have a lot to do with this, but there are going to be other feelings, too. The trick to dealing with these emotions is to acknowledge them and to look them right in the eye. If you try to ignore them or you try to stuff them down deep inside, they’re just going to gain strength. Look at what you’re feeling and call it by name.

Get Help Now, Before You Take a Break
If you don’t already have some help to take over for you while you’re away, go ahead and line that up now. In fact, it might be a good idea to do that before you actually take your break. Working with elder care providers in advance of actually taking any time away can be reassuring for you and for your senior. You’ll get a chance to see how they interact with your senior and you might feel more confident about taking time away.

You’re Going to Want to Back Out. Don’t.
A few days in advance or the minute before you walk out the door you’re going to want to call a halt to this whole thing. Don’t do it. You really do need to be able to take time just for you and you’ve done all the work to schedule a break, get backup in place, and make sure you’re ready. Don’t give up on all of that now. This is something that will give you incredible benefits, but you have to actually do it.

You don’t have to rush yourself through this process. If you can only start out taking short breaks that are an hour or so long, that’s fine. You’ll start to reap benefits and you’ll realize that everything really is okay when you step aside for a little while.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring a Home Health Care in Berkeley, 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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