Being a family caregiver is never just one responsibility. Especially during back-to-school season, it feels like you’re being pulled in every direction: school activities, extracurriculars, caring for your friend or family member and your own needs—all made more difficult by Charlotte’s intense back-to-school traffic. It’s easy to understand why balance and self-care go right out the window.
However, it’s more important that caregivers maintain life balance when things get hectic, not less. Thankfully, Charlotte is full of resources that make handling even the most busy times of year a little easier.
How Caregivers Maintain Life Balance in Charlotte
The Charlotte area is full of resources to help you care for yourself while you’re caring for others. Whether you’re looking for practical support with day-to-day responsibilities or opportunities to blow off some steam, these are a few of our favorites:
1. Make Time to Move
Exercise is the Swiss army knife of self care; it helps you destress, improve your physical health and it’s great for your brain and emotional health as well. When you’re caring for a friend or family member, though, it’s easy to let workouts fall by the wayside.
We’ve talked before about how social exercise helps to keep seniors moving; the same is true for caregivers as well. While you may postpone a trip to the gym, you’re more likely to make the time for yourself if you know teammates are counting on you.
Recreational community sports leagues have been gaining popularity recently, and joining one is a great way to get in some physical activity while meeting new friends. Our local league also hosts movie nights and other events throughout the year for members to enjoy time together off the court.
Having a regular exercise commitment can make it easier to plan care in advance and keep your commitment to yourself.
2. Take Care of Furry Family Members
Spending time with a pet can be a big help for stress levels, but when you’re pulled in a million directions, it can be hard to give them the attention they deserve. Older kids or neighbors may be able to pitch in, though piecing together a walking schedule gets complicated quickly.
That’s why having a flexible pet sitting and dog walking service on speed dial can be such a relief for family caregivers. In the Charlotte area, we love Little Friends Pet Sitting precisely for that flexibility. Just need a regular dog walker? They have you covered. If you’re going away for longer and need someone to check in or even stay with your pet overnight, they can handle that too.
Ups and downs are easier to handle when you know your furry family member will be in trustworthy hands. Make sure to get established with services early so you know they’ll be there when you need them.
3. Spend Time with People Who Understand
Often, what family caregivers need most is practical support—you want items off of your to-do list so you can slow down for a moment without worrying. However, sometimes you just need to talk to someone who understands what you’re going through.
The Centralina Area Agency on Aging offers both. Their monthly family caregiver support group meets to spend time with other caregivers in the area, share successes and frustrations and reduce the isolation and loneliness that often come with caregiving. It’s a great opportunity to lean on and learn from others in the area who just get it.
In addition to support groups, the Agency also offers great education to help you handle questions or concerns regarding your friend or family member. They can even refer you to additional services in the area.
How Home Care Helps Caregivers Maintain Life Balance in Greater Charlotte
Charlotte is full of resources to help you take care of yourself while you care for others. One of the best things you can do for yourself as a family caregiver is to create dedicated time in your calendar where you know your friend or family member is in great hands, so you can focus on your own needs.
That’s where FirstLight Home Care of Greater Charlotte can help. Through respite care, our knowledgeable, reliable caregivers can step in so you have time to connect as a family without caregiving at the same time, handle appointments and errands or just take a moment to relax.
If you have questions about respite care or family caregiver resources in Charlotte, please reach out today.
