The content of this post is taken from an article written by author Amy Goyer called “Care for the Caregiver: Keep Filling Your Tank.”
Learn more about her book, Juggling Life, Work and Caregiving, here!
“We can’t expect our cars to run on empty tanks of gas, but we seem to expect ourselves to run on an empty tank of energy.” –Amy Goyer, Juggling Life, Work, and Caregiving.
Find yourself running out of gas? It’s awfully hard to take care of those who depend on us if we don’t take care of ourselves. Here are some ideas…
How to fill your tank:
Only you know what fills your tank! Consider…
Quick Tank Fillers: calling a friend, walk around the block, sing/dance, get a cup of coffee, pet an animal, do nothing at all.
Premium Fill-Ups: take a break from caregiving, schedule a class like yoga or zumba, golf or hike, get creative – paint, draw, scrapbook, watch a favorite TV show or a movie, experience nature, spend quality time with loved ones.
Tune-Ups: take a vacation, attend a retreat, go to a favorite, meaningful place.
Routine Maintenance: Sleep, eat healthy, exercise, get a check-up, attend counseling, get a massage, reassess your work/caregiving/life balance.