Caregiver near Marana, AZ – Getting More Organized
Have you ever wondered how some people get everything done in a day? Life is just busy by nature it seems, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. If you’re thinking you need to be more organized in your daily schedule, keep reading. Most caregivers feel that they have too much to do for their own family, let alone their senior parent on top of that. There are ways to do everything you need to do and still hang onto your sanity.
Start Small: Organizing Mealtimes
If you still have kids at home, planning and cooking food is probably one of your biggest stressors. In order to streamline dinnertime, you may need to have some flexibility and creativity. Here are some ideas for making meals for both children and elderly parents:
- Plan your meals around flyers and sales
- Take one day where you make double of something (like a casserole) and freeze the extras. Then on a day when you don’t have time to cook, get it out and reheat in the oven for a quick meal
- For kids, have precut veggies ready for easy-to-grab snacks
- For seniors, use baggies to put a date on food and make sure it’s eaten before it expires
- Try having one meal a week that’s vegetarian, or at least, with only lean and health proteins such as organic chicken
- Have dinner always at a set time, unless other commitments need adjusting
- Hire a home care provider to prepare and cook a homemade meal for your senior parent each day
How to Do More in a Day
None of us are superhuman. We do have to have time to ourselves, away from both family and parents. Allowing yourself some “me” time is crucial to being energized for the rest of your day. Caregivers do different things to help them balance their day, so you should pick what works for you. Here are some ideas of ways to relax (and therefore get more done later):
- Meditate
- Read a book
- Have lunch with a friend
- Write a journal
- Listen to peaceful music
- Get a massage
- Get a pedicure or manicure
The things above all help because when your mind is more rested (from both sleeping and doing relaxing activities) because you’re more aware and able. Try taking some time for yourself this week and see how it affects your caregiving and your day. You really can’t care for anybody else, children or seniors, unless you take care of yourself first. Organization starts with you, and saving your mental and physical energy for what really matters will make a huge difference. You can schedule and plan tasks all you want, but without the motivation or ability to do those tasks, it won’t mean much.
If you or an aging loved on are considering caregiving services in the home, please contact the caring staff at Total Care Connections (520) 447-4711. We provide quality Home Care & Assisted Living Placement Serving Tucson, Green Valley, Oro Valley, and Surrounding Areas!
