Personal Stress

It is important to understand where specifically your stress is coming from, this way you will be more capable of planning strategies to help you cope, change and reduce your stress.

• Recognize the warning signs of stress.
  • Fatigue and irritability are two common signs of stress. If you recognize these feelings early on you have a better chance of reducing effects of the stress.
• Identify the sources of you stress.
  • Make a distinction between stress from care giving and stress in your usual routine.
• Identify what you can and cannot change.
  • The only person you can change is yourself.
  • By changing an outlook on a situation you have no control over you will be able to better manage your own feelings.
  • Accept reality
  • Educate yourself about the care receiver’s disease
  • Identify unrealistic expectations especially your own
  • Seek and accept support
  • Identify what you still have and adapt rather then focusing on what has changed
  • Let go of what cannot change or be fixed
• Take action to manage your stress
  • Manage your perceptions
  • Make sure to look at your experiences from all points of view
  • Stay positive if you think negatively your actions will follow
  • Take care of yourself
  • Take advantage of social support
  • Techniques for lowering stress
  • Diet, exercise, meditation, humor, music
  • Develop an action plan
  • Find hope and meaning