10 Time Management Tips for Caregivers
Being a caregiver in Santa Clarita can be both rewarding and exhausting. For the benefit of both you and your senior, it is very important to take some time to keep your own life balanced.
- Schedule “me” time first – In order to have the energy to care for others, we have to fill our own tanks first. It is not selfish, it’s practical. You can find a reasonable amount of time to care for yourself if you schedule it. Arrange for backup or respite care, and then schedule activities.
- Plan ahead – This makes us much less likely to have gaps in coverage, and you can plan work around appointments and make sure extra hands are available when needed. When we don’t do this, we invariably wind up with lots of last-minute stress and wasted time.
- Define roles and responsibilities – Duplication of tasks is one of the biggest time wasters, so make sure all members of the caregiving team are clear about their duties.
- Make a list and prioritize it – A list is both a visual reminder to keep on track and help focus, and a tool for prioritization.
- Don’t procrastinate – More often than not, a task just gets more complicated with time. Our molehills become mountains. Do it now.
- Manage expectations – Adjust your expectations about what can actually be done and the degree of “perfection” you can achieve. Learn that you can do anything, but you cannot do everything.
- Be mindful – Rather than multitasking, try to focus fully on your senior when with them, on work when you’re working, and on relaxation when you’re taking care of yourself.
- Touch it once – This is where easy filing systems and scanning (or photographing) paperwork to make electronic copies come in handy. Touch receipts, bills, and other important documents once, scan them and shred them. Before you set that item down, take an extra minute to put it where it belongs so it doesn’t become another entry on your to-do list later.
- Declutter and get organized – use technology organizing options, but also consult with a professional organizer that will be incredibly helpful.
- Expect detours – Invariably, crises will come and our plans will be thrown off course. You will learn to expect this rather than dread it, so do not feel like a failure when it happens. If I fall back to my time management skills, I know I will bounce back — and resiliency is my standard of caregiving “success.”
Caregiving can be a difficult task, but you don’t have to do it alone. Comfort Keepers in Santa Clarita offers professional in-home care services that can help you to balance life and the many challenges of caring for a senior loved one. Call us or visit our website for more information.
Comfort Keepers
23900 Lyons Avenue
Santa Clarita, CA 91321
661-287-4200
