The Holiday Season, while short, can have us feeling a little overwhelmed with all there is to do. Maybe you’re hosting a big dinner? Maybe you’re seeing family you haven’t seen all year? Perhaps you have a long list of to-dos? Caregivers are champions of multi-tasking but often experience stress from the busy pace of the season.

Here are some tips on how you might navigate the holidays to preserve your energy and make sure your Care Receiver also has a low-stress experience.

1. Energy Budgeting and Knowing Your Limits

Energy budgeting is a form of self-assessment. As caregivers, the energy we have to give can change from day to day depending on a lot of factors. Try taking a couple of minutes before getting out of bed in the morning to consider how much energy you have to give to the day ahead. How did you sleep? Are you feeling physically well? Was it a busy day yesterday? These things and more can impact our energy levels. Considering this each morning can stop you from making a to-do list that is too long!

2. Consider Emailing Updates to the Family BEFORE the Family Gathering

Caregivers sometimes share “I’m so tired of telling my story over and over again”. If you’ll be meeting with friends and family who you don’t see all the time, consider sending an email a few days ahead to provide an update on you, caregiving and how your care receiver has been doing. That way, everyone is caught up and you can all enjoy visiting without having to report updates.

3. Boundaries and Limitations Can Be a Positive Thing

Knowing your boundaries and limitations is an important tool! This can look like:

– not over-committing to making a big meal; suggest the meal be a potluck to keep things simple.

– anticipating your care receiver’s limits and planning for that- for example, hosting so people come to you and your care receiver doesn’t have a long car ride or creating a ‘quiet zone’ for your care receiver where they can visit with family away from the hustle and loud conversations. This is particularly helpful for those who are living with a cognitive impairment.

-avoiding engaging in touchy subjects if you know one has the potential to come up at a gathering.

4. Don’t Over-Extend Yourself

It can be easy to get carried away trying to make the season magical and memorable but try not to over-extend yourself. This means physically, emotionally, mentally and financially!

Are you a caregiver? Are you looking for support? Community & Home Assistance to Seniors can help! The Caregiver Support and Education Program can provide caregivers with help finding community resources, healthcare system navigation, supportive counselling and caregiver support groups.

Learn more by contacting us by phone at (905) 713-6596 or by email at seniorshelp@chats.on.ca