Many caregivers who valued the pre-pandemic days when they could leave their loved ones for just an hour or two to go to coffee or lunch with friends, or lose themselves in the stacks at the library, attend a support group, book club or any other activity they’ve enjoyed are struggling to find a new way to “take a break”. A key element of these activities was the ability to leave the house and just get away from the responsibility of 24/7 caregiving for a while. Many of those activities have been put on hold or simply are not safe to continue to do because of a loved one with frail health or other concerns that the pandemic has made us aware of.
I find many Caregivers are a resilient and creative lot (often out of necessity) and many have come up with ways to fill the need to “take some time away” within the structure we are currently dealing with. This might be a good time to try something new, like taking up painting! Who cares if the painting looks like something a 6 year-old did? If it allows you an opportunity to express yourself and you enjoy it, you are the only one it needs to please. This article offers more ideas to help those of you looking for a new idea to try or are just “stuck” and struggling to find a new way to take time for yourself. The most important thing is for you as a caregiver to carve out a few minutes each day to relax and refresh.
16 Ideas for Recharging Your Caregiving Energy in 15 Minutes
Interfaith Caregivers 