Tips to Manage Caregiver Stress

Tips to Manage Caregiver Stress

To be a caregiver for the first week or two is very normal for the stroke survivor patient. As a caregiver at first we feel very sympathy to our spouse and the times goes on  without counts, As the times go on, probably the stress start coming in the caregiver mind. This due to burden of works that caregiver has to settle and also the attitude change almost 100% of the stroke survivor patient.

Trough my experienced of taking care my stroke wife for more 15 years, as committed caregiver I did the following activities to reduced my stress. Alhamdulillah with the consent of Lord Allah, my stress able to control and it able for me to continuous give my service to my stroke wife.

You can ease your stress with a few simple techniques that don't take a lot of time. Try these methods to ratchet down the tension.

Two-minute relaxation. Switch your thoughts to yourself and your breathing. Take a few deep breaths and exhale slowly.

Then do a mental scan of your body to find which areas feel tense or cramped. Quickly loosen up these areas. Let go of as much tension as you can.

Rotate your head in a smooth, circular motion once or twice. (Stop any movements that cause pain.) Roll your shoulders forward and backward several times. Let all of your muscles completely relax. Recall a pleasant thought for a few seconds. Take another deep breath and exhale slowly. You should feel relaxed.

Mind relaxation. Close your eyes. Breathe normally through your nose. As you exhale, silently say to yourself the word "one," a short word such as "peaceful," or a short phrase such as "I feel quiet."

Continue for 10 minutes. If your mind wanders, gently remind yourself to think about your breathing and your chosen word or phrase. Let your breathing become slow and steady.

Deep breathing relaxation. Imagine a spot just below your navel. Breathe into that spot, and fill your belly with air.

Let the air fill you from the belly up, then let it out, like deflating a balloon. With every long, slow breath out, you should feel more relaxed.

Guided imagery. This is a way to let your thoughts move you to a relaxed state of mind. You use your imagination to build up peaceful images in your mind. For instance, you might reflect on all the details that are part of a comfortable place, like a beach or garden.

Biofeedback. This is a method that teaches you how to make changes in your body that let you relax. You'll need to do this with a professional who specializes in this technique.

During a biofeedback session, you'll be connected to electrodes that measure things such as your blood pressure, heart rate, or muscle tension. With help from the therapist, you'll learn how to control some of these things so you can get relaxed.

Behavioral changes. You can manage tough situations and stress by changing some of your thought patterns and habits.

For instance, you can make changes like:

• Pray to God and plead for His Pleasant.
• Share your expectations with others.
• Be more assertive.
• Exercise more.
• Eat healthier foods.
• Focus on positive relationships.
• Share your feelings.
• Listen to others

Source : WebMed.