Introduction

Welcome to the premier issue of The Dementia Caregiving Encourager! We are glad to have you join us.

Each issue of The Encourager will bring you encouragement and practical tips to help make your caregiving journey easier and more fulfilling.

At DementiaCaregiving101.com we know that caregiving for a dementia patient can be a challenging, difficult, and often thankless job. As a caregiver you put in long hours on little sleep and often have no time for yourself.

Our goal in The Encourager is to provide you with a few minutes of relaxation that will also help you to improve your caregiving skills. Guilt-free rest time—Ahhhh!

So sit back, put your feet up, take a deep breath and enjoy!

Blessings!
Paula Farris & Lanette Stultz
DementiaCaregiving101.com

5 Ways to Relax When You Are Tired, Stressed, and Rushed

Here are 5 things for you to try that just may give you the rest you need:

1. Learn to breathe deeply. Our bodies need oxygen, but although we don’t ever forget to actually breathe, we do forget to breathe properly. If you are rushed or stressed you may be taking short, shallow breaths and this kind of breathing can make you tired. Learn how to breathe deeply--inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth, and to fill your lungs each time you breathe in (Hint: Your tummy will rise if you do this correctly.) Practice this kind of breathing for a few minutes each day until it becomes a habit.

2. Meditate. Choose a scripture, a poem, a song, a quote, or a short speech and recite it over and over again. Memorize the words and consider what they mean. Let them touch your soul, soothe you, and bring you peace and hope.

3. Smile. I know, you’re stressed; you have little to smile about. Do it anyway. There is a reaction inside our bodies that happens when we smile. No matter how bad things may get, a smile can calm you just a bit.

4. Sing. Remember all those songs you sang as a child? Chance are that your care recipient does too. Sing, dance, act silly, or sing hymns and worship, or sing patriotic songs and be thankful. Singing lightens any mood.

5. Do something fun! Caregiving is work. Make it fun work by doing an activity that you and your care recipient both enjoy. The house work and laundry will still be there when you’re finished. And the downtime will make them easier to face when you get back to them.

Activity Idea

If your care recipient is in the early stages of dementia let them try it too or work on it together. Challenging yourself with problems like this can help you to build the thinking skills you need to face real life caregiving problems.

There are 7 ladies on a bus with no bus driver. Each lady has 7 backpacks containing 7 large cats. Each large cat has 7 kittens. How many legs are on the bus?

No, it is not a trick question. There really is an answer. I’ll tell you what it is in the next issue of The Dementia Caregiving Encourager.

Thanks for Joining Us!

We look forward to visiting with you again soon.