Tending to Your Own Mental Health as a Caregiver

Thrive • Feb 18, 2022

By Thrive Reno Therapist Casey Rollins, MSW, LSW, CSW-Intern

If you have an aging parent, child with special needs, sick spouse, or any loved one unable to fully care for themselves, you may find yourself in the role of a caregiver. Caregivers can also be paid professionals.

Depending on the needs of the person in their care, caregivers help individuals with many daily tasks, such as grocery shopping, medication monitoring, and housekeeping. As a caregiver’s life can be heavily centered around the needs of others, both professional and family caregivers commonly neglect to nurture their own mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

Caregivers may experience mental and emotional health struggles brought on by:

Isolation : Consumed by their role, caregivers may feel isolated from their family, friends, and peers, especially if others are not sharing in the responsibilities.
Financial strain: Many unpaid caregivers channel their financial resources into caring for their loved ones.
Sacrifice of self-care: Caregiving is generally a constant, on-demand obligation. As such, many caregivers aren’t able to spend ample time alone, engage in activities they enjoy as often as desired, or practice sufficient self-care .
Emotional distress: Facing worry over their loved one’s well-being and pressure to ease their loved one’s discomfort, caregivers commonly experience emotional distress.

THREE TIPS FOR PROTECTING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AS A CAREGIVER

1. Check in with yourself.

Instead of suppressing your thoughts and emotions, take time to honestly consider how you feel, what you’re thinking, and what your needs might be. By acknowledging your physical, mental and emotional states, you can take strides to nourish your well-being.

2. Ask for help.

Reach out to other loved ones for support when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes, a little delegation can go a long way in lightening your load and feeling less alone in caregiving endeavors. You may also consider taking advantage of community and national resources for caregivers. The National Alliance for Caregiving provides an extensive list of support dedicated to caregivers here .

3. Rest.

By prioritizing sleep and relaxation, you can feel recharged, energized, and even inspired in your role as a caregiver.

INVEST IN YOUR WELL-BEING

As a caregiver, keep in mind that you’re human and you can only handle so much. You too, have real and valid physical, mental, and emotional needs. Just as you give to others, you should also give to yourself. Taking time to invest in your well-being may mean allowing yourself the time and space to attend therapy, which can provide you with an opportunity to process and better understand your experiences, and develop strategies for overcoming challenges. If you’d like to learn more about Thrive’s therapeutic services , reach out .

About the Author

Thrive Reno Therapist Casey Rollins, MSW, LSW, CSW-Intern

Casey Rollins, LSW, CSW-Intern, received her bachelor’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in addiction treatment services at the University of Nevada, Reno. She went on to receive her master’s degree from Simmons University in Social Work. Casey has experience working with veterans, children with neuro developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and behavioral issues. Casey is passionate about working with individuals in helping them to understand that rewriting their story is possible. She believes that we, whether individually, or collectively, are allowed to begin anew at any point along our journey in life. Casey is also dedicated to the treatment and advocacy of the impacts of systemic and interpersonal trauma for Black youth as well as all People of Color. She believes this journey of healing is yours, whenever you are ready, you are welcomed with fierce compassion. Casey sets forth interactions with others with the phenomenal and late Maya Angelou in mind, “just like moons and like suns, with the certainty of tides, just like hopes springing high, still I rise.”

In her free time, Casey enjoys spending time with family and friends, creating artwork, writing poetry, jamming out to music at any given moment, spending time connecting in nature, and is a self proclaimed movie buff.

The post Tending to Your Own Mental Health as a Caregiver first appeared on Thrive Wellness.

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Clean House, Healthy Mind: Spring Cleaning Benefits for Mental Health

By Sage Tippie • 23 Apr, 2024

Spring Cleaning Benefits for Mental Health Spring is a time of new beginnings, change, and transitions, including in our homes. With the warmer weather kicking motivation into high gear, Spring can be a prime time to do a deep clean. Not only is a clean space aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, but it can also help to improve your mental health. Learn about how tidying up your space can also tidy up your thoughts below along with tips for cleaning when you’re struggling with your mental health. 4 Reasons Why Cleaning is Beneficial to Mental health 1.Decreased Stress Not only does an uncluttered space provide a sense of calm, but the physical act of cleaning can release feel-good endorphins, reducing feelings of stress and anxiety. As you cross tasks off your checklist, your body also releases Dopamine. Also known as the “happy hormone”, Dopamine provides a sense of accomplishment and pride that can promote motivation in other areas of our lives. 2. Improved Focus Studies have shown that an uncluttered space can also lead to an uncluttered mind. Your focus can be drawn away from important tasks by a chaotic, messy space. Research has also shown a connection between procrastination and clutter, as an unwillingness to tackle larger chores like cleaning can translate over into various areas of our lives. By keeping your space tidy, it can inspire you to stay on top of other major tasks like work and school assignments. 3. Regulated Emotions According to this 2015 study , cleaning can function as a practice in mindfulness, providing an increased sense of calm and inspiration. Slowing down while cleaning gives you room to relax and free your mind of burdens, stressors, and irritants that can affect your mental health. Cleaning can even be considered a practice of self-care as the action helps you to connect with yourself and the outcome allows you to better enjoy your own space. 4. Sense of Order and Control When experiencing mental health struggles, people may feel a lack of control over their lives and emotions. Cleaning even small areas of the home can provide an increased sense of order and control as you cross tasks off your to-do list. Through realizing your own power by simply completing minor tasks like cleaning, it can reaffirm your ability to do more. 10 Tips for Cleaning When Struggling with Mental Health Mental health struggles and disorders commonly create barriers to one’s ability to clean and properly practice personal hygiene. Although these behaviors are normal side effects of mental health disorders, we want to work to aid our clients in cleaning to the best of their ability even in difficult times. Below, Thrive Wellness occupational therapist Meadow Deason shares some helpful tips she gives to clients when they struggle with cleaning due to mental health conditions: 1.Ask For Help Having support to clean can make a huge difference. Do the cleaning with the person helping you and have them hold you accountable. 2. Don't Wait for Motivation Motivation might not come before action, but it can build as you begin to see the results of your efforts. 3. Start Small Start with one area or one task and go from there. For example, concentrate on your bedroom first and then move on to the living room and bathroom. 4. Do Something Daily Even if you do only one small cleaning task a day, doing that one task creates momentum and prevents small tasks from building up and becoming overwhelming. 5. Use Sensory Modulation Change your environment by playing music, adjusting the lighting, or using aromatherapy. This can help to put you in a new headspace for cleaning. 6. Start with "High Impact" Tasks Start with more intensive or all-over cleaning tasks such as picking up clutter or doing the dishes. The visual "noise" of some tasks makes a large impact on the entire space, building motivation to continue cleaning. 7. Make a To-Do List Write a detailed to-do list of tasks and cross them off as you go. Physically marking down what you’ve accomplished can promote increased motivation. 8. Reward Yourself Set up a reward system where you reward yourself with a favorite activity or item when you complete a task as an incentive to clean. 9. Use the Rocket Method Don't think about it, just choose a task, countdown from five or ten and then start. This can help you to avoid potential anxiety and dread that can prevent you from cleaning. 10. Gamify Tasks Make up a game for your tasks or time yourself to promote increased engagement in cleaning. Your ability to complete tasks can be affected by a multitude of different factors and conditions including OCD , anxiety, depression , ADHD , and more. If you are struggling with motivation due to your mental health, help is here at Thrive Wellness.

child getting bandaid from doctor while mother smiles

The Importance of Whole Family Primary Care: A Q&A with Dr. Stephanie Wright

26 Mar, 2024

By serving the whole family, physicians are able to have a better understanding of family dynamics, family health care goals, and history of disease in the family.