By Maria Quiroz
Have you ever experienced a mixture of feelings and emotions as a caregiver? I believe there are times when we all experience such feelings that are hard to express and our body reacts to them. These reactions could be a sign or signal to pay closer attention to ourselves.
Cultural and personal backgrounds can sometimes lead people to suppress their emotions, causing feelings to build up over time. Understandably, not all caregivers feel comfortable discussing their experiences or emotions related to caregiving. Depending on one’s background, expressing or sharing with loved ones can be particularly challenging.
It is okay to feel a flood of feelings and emotions. Give yourself the grace to cry when needed as it can help release those emotions. Everyone copes differently. It is important to use healthy coping mechanisms, otherwise, you could enhance stress, depression, anxiety and even panic attacks.
As a caregiver, daughter, friend, mom and sister I can assure you that at one point in your life, we all have experienced such strong feelings at one point in our life.
When certain feelings arise, I find it helpful to take deep breaths, count to ten, meditate, do yoga, sing, do art or scribble on scratch paper, write in a journal, go for a walk or a run, and any other activity that will keep your mind busy.
As caregivers, taking care of ourselves is crucial. If we are not okay, we will not be able to provide care for our loved ones.
We all come from different backgrounds and maybe our coping mechanism works differently and that’s okay. Find what works best for you. Talking to a trusted friend or family member is a big help. Counseling services are a great support to help us cope with our caregiving journey.
If you are a client of Del Mar Caregiver Resource Center, call us at (800) 624-8304 to see if you qualify for free counseling sessions.
Help is available, it is just a matter of asking!