New Year’s resolutions for carers

As the festive season approaches, it’s time to start thinking about goals and resolutions for 2021.

2020 has been quite a year, especially if you’ve been caring for someone.

It’s easy for carers, whether they’re paid or unpaid, to forget to give themselves credit for the wonderful work that they do.

We’ve put together some ideas for resolutions for anyone who cares for someone else, to help create some positivity, ease stress and improve well-being into the New Year.

Resolutions

Be kind to yourself

Caring for someone else is very time consuming. If you’re not feeling your best, how can you look after someone adequately? Try and switch off whenever you can and get respite help, put the mobile phone or laptop away, go for a walk, treat yourself to a relaxing bath, have a nap. Find more of our stress busting tips for carers here.

See the positives

It can be difficult to see the positives when caring for an elderly person, but even spending five minutes having a chat can brighten yours and their day.

Each day write down three things that you’re grateful for. Keep a note of kind things you do for others or they do for you, and it will help lift your optimism levels. Find more top tips on remaining positive here.

Ask for help more

Caring is often a job that requires more than one person. Our service users often have two or more carers visiting, so if you’re taking on everything yourself, it’s important to ask for help.

Seeking help isn’t failure. Try speaking with relatives and close friends and see what they can do to help.