{"id":1401,"date":"2020-12-04T11:08:13","date_gmt":"2020-12-04T16:08:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/volunteer.circleofcare.com\/?p=1401"},"modified":"2022-01-21T11:11:02","modified_gmt":"2022-01-21T16:11:02","slug":"11-tips-for-making-the-most-of-this-holiday-season-as-a-caregiver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/volunteer.circleofcare.com\/index.php\/2020\/12\/04\/11-tips-for-making-the-most-of-this-holiday-season-as-a-caregiver\/","title":{"rendered":"11 Tips for Making the Most of this Holiday Season as a Caregiver"},"content":{"rendered":"

Being a family caregiver can be challenging at the best of times, and between the regular pressures of the holiday season along with the compounding stress of the pandemic, this year is looking unlike any other.<\/p>\n

Here are 11 tips for making the most of this holiday season, whether you\u2019re celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas, or another holiday:<\/p>\n

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  1. Have compassion for yourself.\u00a0<\/strong>There is a lot of pressure we put on ourselves during the holidays, and this year we\u2019re trying to figure out all the logistics during a pandemic no less. You are doing the best you can. Treat yourself with kindness. What would you say to a friend who is a caregiver at this time? Make sure you apply this advice to yourself as well.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    1. \u00a0Make time for virtual celebrations.<\/strong>\u00a0Just because you can\u2019t physically be with extended family this holiday season doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t connect.\u00a0Learn how to use ZOOM or Skype<\/a>, or send an e-card. Do virtual activities such as sharing a meal, or watching a movie together. If you\u2019re caring for someone living with dementia,\u00a0here\u2019s a helpful video from the Alzheimer\u2019s Society on how to make the most of a virtual visit\/video chat.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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      1. It\u2019s never too late to start a new holiday tradition.<\/strong>\u00a0Instead of focusing on what you and your loved one can no longer do due to pandemic restrictions (or because of your loved one\u2019s physical\/cognitive restrictions) \u2013 think of what new activities you CAN do. Build on each other\u2019s strengths, and discover new activities to do together. You could sing holiday songs, go for a walk around the neighbourhood (or look out the window) at decorated houses, or cook a traditional dish together.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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        1. Give yourself permission to feel.<\/strong>\u00a0Holiday perfectionism is part of our culture \u2013 just think of every holiday movie out there. We put a lot of pressure on trying to put on the perfect holiday for our loved ones, and if we feel terrible if we don\u2019t \u201csucceed\u201d at this. Identify the perfectionist thoughts when they come up, pause, and replace them with a counter-thought such as \u201cthe holidays are never perfect for anyone!\u201d Don\u2019t stuff down your feelings \u2013 it\u2019s okay to have a lot of different feelings this time of year \u2013 everything from sadness, fear, and pain, to joy and laughter. These are all perfectly normal and permissible during the holidays.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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          1. Help your family members manage their holiday expectations.<\/strong>\u00a0Letting family members know how you and your loved one are doing before a virtual event allows everyone to prepare and minimizes stress on everyone\u2019s part. This is particularly important if your loved one has dementia and their symptoms have changed. This will reduce the shock they may feel, and help the virtual event go more smoothly.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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            1. Don\u2019t forget what matters most to YOU about the holidays.<\/strong>\u00a0Reflect on what it is you enjoy about the holidays and take part in that in some way! Often times we try to make everyone else happy during the holidays, but what also brings YOU joy at this time? Brainstorming a list can help. If you enjoy the reaction on people\u2019s faces when you give them a gift, make sure they record themselves as they open your gift and send the video to you \u2013 or have everyone open their presents on a video call. And if you need help with online shopping, ask a family member or friend to help you \u2013 you can even have gifts shipped directly to your family members\u2019 homes!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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              1. Be in the moment.<\/strong>\u00a0Sometimes we have idealized visions of previous holidays. Try to put those where they are \u2013 in the past. This may be a holiday unlike any other, so try to focus on the joys of the holiday no matter how small they may be THIS year rather than thinking back to previous holidays, or thinking ahead to future holidays.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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                1. Practice mindfulness with a holiday twist to stay grounded this season.<\/strong>\u00a0Use your senses to stay in the moment: Enjoy holiday lights or decorations? Spend time intentionally admiring them in detail. Enjoy holiday food? Focus on savoring each bite of your favorite dish and identify the different flavours you taste. Enjoy the sounds of holiday music? Listen to holiday music and try to hear all the different instrumentals. Focus on \u201csimple pleasures.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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                  1. Intentionally practice gratitude.<\/strong>\u00a0Small moments of appreciation, and particularly practicing gratitude through activities such as writing gratitude letters, lists, or keeping a gratitude journal can\u00a0re-wire your brain in a positive way<\/a>. It can actually increase your determination, attention, enthusiasm, and energy. Try a small practice of gratitude related to the holidays to help you feel less stressed at this time. Starting with ACCEPTANCE of the here and now can lead to feelings of gratitude.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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                    1. Give yourself a gift \u2013 the gift of self-care.<\/strong>\u00a0This could be anything you enjoy \u2013 a movie, a piece of chocolate, a day where you wear your favourite outfit, anything that would be a \u201ctreat\u201d for you.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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                      1. Keep a regular routine.\u00a0<\/strong>The holidays can sometimes throw off routine due to the activities or excitement, and lead to less sleep for your or your loved one, which can affect mood. You many try actually\u00a0scheduling<\/em>\u00a0in rest time. And if your loved one has dementia, try to schedule any activities or video calls for earlier in the day to\u00a0avoid sundowning behaviours<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                        Being a family caregiver can be challenging at the best of times, and between the regular pressures of the holiday season along with the compounding stress of the pandemic, this year is looking unlike any other. Here are 11 tips for making the most of this holiday season, whether you\u2019re celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas, or another holiday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1402,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1401","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-updates"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/volunteer.circleofcare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1401","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/volunteer.circleofcare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/volunteer.circleofcare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/volunteer.circleofcare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/volunteer.circleofcare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1401"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/volunteer.circleofcare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1401\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1403,"href":"https:\/\/volunteer.circleofcare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1401\/revisions\/1403"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/volunteer.circleofcare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/volunteer.circleofcare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1401"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/volunteer.circleofcare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1401"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/volunteer.circleofcare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1401"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}