I am not coordinated enough to walk on a four-inch beam even carrying a pole like a Flying Wallenda would during a highwire act. When you think about it, the balancing act of life is not about highwires or balance beams. When our lives are out of balance, we are setting ourselves up for an awkward, potentially life-changing fall.
We have
to balance:
1. Work with Recreation. A person who
never takes a break, a vacation, or relaxes with a hobby, endangers both
physical and mental health. Our minds and bodies need some downtime to
rejuvenate our spirits. Caregiving is intense and all-consuming and respite is
imperative to remain healthy.
2. Sadness with Joy. It’s hard to stay
upbeat when a loved one has dementia, but being sad all the time is wearing on
everyone that has to interact with you. One of the sad realities I noticed was
that Jim lost his sense of humor. I read humorous books, watched the funniest
sitcoms and late night shows, and spent time with friends and family who shared
common interests with me.
3. Alone time with Social Interactions. Alone
time is the time we need for introspection. It’s too easy for a caregiver to be
caught up in the busyness of everyday tasks, and fall into bed at the end of an
exhausting day without any personal time. Caregiving can be a lonely time
especially when your loved one cannot communicate with you. It is important to
have friends and family for support and conversation. Friends are good
companions for outings to movies, plays, concerts, or other activities of mutual
interest.
4. Rest with Physical Activity. It is hard
for a caregiver to get enough rest. Jim only slept about four hours a night,
which meant I had four hours sleep too. Rest involves more than sleep, and that
was in short supply too. My balance of rest and physical activity were not in
sync and it showed. Running all day on four hours sleep made me pretty cranky
at times. What did help was when the physical activity involved a leisurely
walk.
Bringing
life back into balance is a long-term goal that needs to be approached one day
at a time. Once we realize that we will fall off the balance beam occasionally,
we can pick ourselves up, climb back on, and move forward. We are less likely
to fall if we stick to the basics and keep the “tricks” to a minimum.
Copyright
© August 2021 by L.S. Fisher
http://earlyonset.blogspot.com
#ENDALZ
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