Excerpt from an article Written by Candy Sagon, AARP Magazine December 2012
Caring for a sick loved one can take a huge toll on your health. Try these six new ways to take better care of you.
- Make the freezer your friend
Make a big pot of hearty, all-in-one meal like a soup with meat, beans and vegetables, or a stew. Batch cooking lets you freeze individual portions that you can eat during the week.
- Mix in Meditation
Twelve minutes of daily meditation can dramatically improve the mental health of caregivers, report UCLA researchers.
- Stockpile Healthy Snacks
Nutritious foods you can grab on the run help keep bloodsugar levels on an even keel and energy levels from flagging, says Katherine Tallmadge a Washington, D.C., dietitian.
- Slow Down
Don't rush.
- Volunteer
Helping out in a different way, in a different setting , can be gratifying and therapeutic, says Barry J. Jacobs, PSy.D., author of The Emotional Survival Guide for Caregivers.
- Improve your sleep habits
Disrupted sleep saps your energy for dealing with the demands of caregiving, says Cleveland Clinic geriatrician Ronan Factora, M.D.
