When you’re stressed, you need a way to relieve that pressure. If you don’t already have a few different ways to do that, these ideas might help.
Write, Write, Write
Journaling or just writing out your feelings when they’re building up can help you so much. It gives you a way to work through your feelings without having to talk to someone else. Sometimes caregivers worry that someone will judge them for what they’ve written in a journal. There’s nothing that says you have to keep a journal all in one place or that you can’t destroy what you’ve written after it has helped you.
Go out and Move
Physical exercise burns off excess energy and stress is made up of excess energy. So getting out there and moving a lot more is going to help you to manage your stress in a powerful way. You might find that when you’re feeling more stressed you start to pace or you have an urge to go do something. Follow through on that urge and see what happens.
Reach Out to a Friend
People you care about can be some of the best sounding boards for what you’re going through as a caregiver. If you’re not regularly reaching out to the people that you love, stress relief might be another reason for you to make a change. The people who care about you want to know how you’re doing and they want to support you when you’re struggling.
Scream, Cry, or Shout
Some types of stress just lend themselves to screaming, crying, or shouting them out. If that’s the urge you’re experiencing, go ahead and do it. You might want to wait until you’re in a place where you can let those feelings go without scaring anyone, but don’t let that stop you completely. Loud music in the car can provide an excellent buffer.
Get to a Support Meeting
Caregiver support meetings might be a solution you haven’t tried yet. These meetings are made up of other caregivers just like you. They understand the struggles you’re facing and they can let you know how they’ve managed to cope. You can share how you’re feeling and get the support you need.
There’s no one right way to manage your stress or to give it an outlet. You might even find that some techniques don’t work for you every single time. Mix it up and try a bunch of different ideas when and where you can.