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Reducing Stress – Establishing Boundaries

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Reducing Stress – Establishing Boundaries
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Reducing Stress – Establishing Boundaries

Feeling overwhelmed is common among caregivers. Setting limits can be challenging. 

First, think about your current responsibilities and how much time you can realistically devote to each area of your life:

Work. Are you a working as well as caregiving?  Take a moment to reread your job description. Are you spending time on things that are not part of your job description?  Are you spending too much time on only one part of your job?  Ask your supervisor to suggest the percentage of time they prefer for you to work on each aspect of your position.  Use your lunch break to give yourself some downtime.

Caregiving. Make a list of the needs of your care recipient. How long does each activity take?  Write down who provides for these needs.  Are you taking on more than you have time for?  Are there friends and  family or professionals who could take on some of these activities?

Personal Time. Be sure to allow yourself personal time. Are you taking time to do something relaxing?  Are you getting enough sleep?  Keep your social life as simple as possible.  Can a friend come to your place rather than going out?  Can you order in dinner one night a week so you don’t have to cook?

Second, rehearse saying “No”.  Consider recent situations when you took on something you really did not have time for. Practice a different response out loud to a friend or looking in the mirror. 

For example, “No, I am sorry but I need to give all my attention to my current assignment in order to meet the deadline.  Is there someone else available to do that?”