Module 2: Taking Care of Yourself

Transcription

1 Module 2: Taking Care of Yourself This section is about how to take care of your mind and body though self-care and by working toward a healthy lifestyle (sleep, diet, and exercise, etc.)

2 Mental Health and You What Is Mental Health? Mental health includes how we feel, think, and socialize. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health problems are common during a person s lifetime. These problems may be more common for caregivers because of the caregiving challenges discussed earlier in this module.

3 Early Signs Your Mental Health Might Be Declining Eating or sleeping too much or too little Pulling away from people and usual activities Having low to no energy Feeling numb or like nothing matters Feeling helpless or hopeless Smoking, drinking or using drugs in larger amounts Yelling or fighting with family and friends Experiencing extreme mood swings that cause problems in relationships Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, anxious, angry, upset, worried, or scared Thinking of harming yourself or others Constantly thinking about bad memories you can t forget Hearing voices MentalHealth.gov

4 Taking Care of Your Mind and Body The responsibility of caring for others can be stressful and exhausting. Family caregivers are at a higher risk of depression and are more likely to have a long-lasting illness compared to people who are not caregivers. You may be so focused on caring for others that you may forget that your own health is at risk!

5 Self Care Self-Care is when you do certain activities to take care of your body and mind. The following slides will help you develop a healthy self-care routine that can help improve your mood, increase your sense of control, and reduce stress from caregiving. A well-cared you can also help the person that you are caring for!

6 Sleep Are you getting enough sleep? Do you have trouble getting up in the morning? Do you have trouble focusing during the day? Do you doze off during the day? If you answered yes to these three questions, you may want to focus on ways to improve your sleep pattern. Adults need 7-8 hours of quality sleep per day. NIH MedlinePlus

7 Sleep - The Free Medicine For Your Mind and Body Importance of getting the right amount of quality sleep: Helps the body fight infections Builds muscle and repairs damaged to cells Improves mood (leading to more happy moments) Increases productivity (helps you to get more done during the day) NIH MedlinePlus

8 Tips for Getting Better Sleep First, make sure that you allow yourself enough time to sleep. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Avoid drinking coffee, tea, or sodas containing caffeine, especially in the afternoon and evening. Avoid drinking beer, wine, or other alcoholic drinks. Although drinking might help you fall asleep, you might wake up during the middle of the night. If you get hungry at night, eat light foods such as cherries, bananas, hot soup, or drink warm milk. Avoid taking naps after 3:00 pm. Take a warm bath, read, or listen to relaxing music before bed. If you have trouble falling asleep, get out of bed and do something to relax. NIH MedlinePlus

9 Tips for Additional Self-Care Activities Identify and acknowledge your feelings Have someone you trust such as a counselor, pastor, friend who you can discuss your feelings with. Ask for and accept help from others Find family members, friends, or neighbors who can help you with caregiving. They can give you a break from your caregiving responsibilities. Regular Exercise Walking 10 minutes at a time is an easy way to get started! Take a break from caregiving Spend time alone, close friends, family, or do something you personally enjoy.

10 Free Webinars for Caregivers How You Take Care Setting Boundaries During Caregiving Finding Time for What You Love An Army of One: 5 Survival Tips When Battling Caregiver Alone Ending the Guilt Trip Three Healing Meditations

11 Healthy Eating: 5 Things Everyone Should Know 1. Healthy eating has many benefits that include more energy, better concentration, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, a reduced risk of many illnesses, and it is much better for the environment. 2. A healthy diet consists mainly of plant foods such as fruit, vegetables, legumes (e.g. beans, lentils, chickpeas), whole grains, nuts and seeds. 3. Foods are more nutritious when they are closer to their natural state (e.g. whole grains as compared to refined grains); 4. There are practical guidelines to help people make healthy food choices, including Canada s Food Guide, My Plate, the Vegetarian and Vegan Diet Pyramid and the Healthy Eating Plate. 5. Tasty, healthy meals and snacks can be prepared in little time and at low cost

12 How to Eat Well on a Budget One of the most cited barriers to healthy eating is that eating healthfully costs too much. Eating well does not necessarily require that you have a lot of money. Here are some tips on how to get the most for your food dollar: 1. Make a budget: Determine how much money you have for food each month and divide it by 4 for your weekly food budget. 2. Track your food spending: Documenting your spending lets you know where you spend your food dollars and helps you determine where you can make changes to save money. 3. Plan your meals. Look at what you already have at home and examine the specials in stores to plan your meals for the next few days or for the next week.

13 How to Eat Well on a Budget 4. Discover low cost recipes: There are plenty of ideas on the web including: Good and Cheap, Budget Byte$, and Low cost menu planner 5. Make a grocery list and stick to it: It is easy to buy more than you planned when you are in the store. Making a list and sticking to it helps to avoid buying on impulse. Use pen and paper, the notes feature on your phone, or an app (The Flipp, Out of Milk, Grocery IQ, etc.) 6. Focus on plant-based foods: Not only is this the best way to enhance the quality of your diet, but animal foods such as meat, fish and cheese are typically more expensive, kilo per kilo, than plant-based foods.

14 How to Eat Well on a Budget 7. Avoid junk food: Cakes, candies, cookies, chocolate bars and other junk foods are packed with unhealthy ingredients, are associated with weight gain, have no nutritional value and add unnecessary cost to your food budget. 8. Avoid alcohol: Alcohol is expensive and adds unnecessary cost to a tight budget. 9. Avoid bottled drinks: These drinks (e.g. soda, energy drinks, iced tea etc.) are typically loaded with sugar and add unnecessary cost. 10. Avoid buying foods at convenience stores or vending machines. The prices at these places are usually higher and the selection is often less healthy.

15 Other Tips for Healthy Eating Eat breakfast and choose Canadian bacon or ham instead of regular bacon or sausage and whole wheat bread instead of white bread. Eat lower calorie foods, like soups and salads first, followed by a light main course. Use condiments, such as ketchup and mayonnaise sparingly. Keep snack foods like peanut butter, crackers, granola bars, fresh fruit, trail mix available handy to eat when you are busy. Limit drinking alcohol (beer, wine, liquor) one regular size drink per day for women two regular size drinks per day for men Buy small sizes of muffins, bagels, croissants, and biscuits. When eating out, avoid ordering jumbo or super-size.

16 Caring for Your Body - Physical Activities Get moving and improve your overall mental and physical health. Benefits of regular physical activities include: boosts energy promotes better sleep helps in reducing feelings of depression & anxiety promote overall psychological well-being prevents extra weight gain lowers risk of developing long-lasting conditions, such as high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, and osteoporosis (a bone disease that occurs when the body loses calcium) What happens to your body when you start exercising regularly

17 Tips for Adding Exercise to Daily Activities When at home, walk in and out of different rooms several times to get moving. Walk around the perimeter of the house or apartment building a few times. If you drive, use parking spots away from the entrance so you have to walk a further distance to get to the door of stores or buildings. While inside, walk around the outside aisle and up and down every aisle. If you take the bus, get off the bus at one stop further away from your destination so that you can get some exercise (only if you feel safe). If there is a store in the neighborhood, walk instead of driving (only if you feel safe). While sitting in a chair, raise your arms up towards the ceiling and back down to your sides a few times.

18 Physical Activities Physical activity is also important to healthy aging. The National Institutes of Health recommends 4 types of exercises for older adults to keep active as they age: STRENGTH Muscle strength can make a difference in function FLEXIBILITY (stretching) Gives you more freedom of movement BALANCE Can help prevent falls and avoid fall-related disability ENDURANCE (aerobic) Helps to increase breathing and heart rate

19 Physical Activities With all the benefits of regular physical activities, many people still feel they do not have time or are too tired to exercise. The National Institute on Aging created a Go4Life campaign to help older adults fit exercise into their daily lives. Caregivers can exercise in small spaces and for short periods of time using these videos produced by the Go4Life program.

20 Balancing Physical Activity and Food Choices Eating right and exercising on a regular basis are the keys to staying active, independent, managing chronic diseases and lowering the risk of heart disease, certain types of cancer, diabetes, obesity, anxiety, and depression, arthritis and osteoporosis.

21 How Much You Need to Exercise to Burn Off Calories?

22 Are You Drinking Enough Water? Many sources recommend that adults should drink 6-8 (8 ounces) glasses of water per day; however, the amount of water intake you need depends on the weather conditions, type of clothing you wear, and the intensity and duration of your workout. If you have medical problems, such as diabetes or heart disease, you might need to drink more water.

23 What is available to assist me when I need a break? Respite Care is temporary non-medical care to give caregivers a break Delivered in home or at a facility May prevent caregiver burnout, depression and health problems Provides caregivers with an opportunity to enjoy time alone, enjoy a night out, or engage in a hobby without feeling guilty

24 How You Might Use This Information Review ALL of the modules and information provided. Take note of the most relevant information and/or references for YOU. Start small, practice makes perfect.

25 References Alzheimer s Association, 2017 Alzheimer s Disease Facts and Figures. Retrieved at American Psychological Association (a). Retrieved px American Psychological Association (b). Retrieved: mon-problems/index.aspx Ho, A., Collins, S., Davis, K. & Doty, M. (2005). A Look at Working-Age Caregivers Roles, Health Concerns, and Need for Support (Issue Brief). New York, NY: The Commonwealth Fund. National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP Public Policy Institute (2015). Caregiving in the U.S. 2015

26 References MedlinePlus Healthy Sleep, Retrieved at: MentalHealth.gov, Retrieved at: National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP Public Policy Institute (2015). Caregiving in the U.S National Alliance for Caregiving (2005). Young Caregivers in the U.S. National Opinion Research Center, Younger Adults Experiences and Views on Long-Term Care Caregiving.com Webinar Archives

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