12 Uplifting Resolutions for Family Caregivers

So many New Year’s resolutions focus on fixing supposed failings. In practice, it feels more like punishment than starting the year fresh. Resolving to go to the gym or eat better can feel impossible when you’re busy caring for a loved one. Making uplifting family caregiver resolutions can help you achieve the year you need — and live the life you deserve.

1. Join a Support Group

At times, caring for a loved one can feel isolating — it helps to know you aren’t truly alone. Since more than one in four adults are the primary caregiver for a friend or family member, numerous support groups for people just like you exist. Joining one can help you learn helpful habits and ease your emotional burden.

2. Practice Preventative Care

You know better than anyone that things don’t always go as planned and accidents happen more often than most people think. For instance, 25% of older adults fall in their homes every year. Preventative care seeks to stop these situations before they happen.

Think back to your most stressful experiences as a family caregiver in the past year and consider what you learned. If things like handrails, non-slip mats, locked doors and motion-activated lights would have helped you then, consider using them now.

3. Set Realistic Expectations

Take a step back and think about this past year. How often did things go to plan? Revisiting your expectations about caring for your loved one can help you adjust to the unexpected situations ahead. Setting realistic family caregiver resolutions in the new year lets you mentally prepare.

4. Celebrate Yourself

Resolve to take a moment every morning to remind yourself of your value. Your hard work enhances your loved one’s quality of life. As lovely as it would feel to be recognized, your opinion matters as much as anyone else’s. In other words, get comfortable celebrating yourself and bask in every small victory and accomplishment — you deserve the joy.

5. Care for Yourself

Making family caregiver resolutions gives you the perfect excuse to re-prioritize yourself. Remember to allow yourself time to breathe. Rediscover your hobbies, pick up a skincare routine or set aside a few minutes a day for some alone time. Be mindful that you need space to exist as your own person instead of a carer.

6. Get Good Sleep

When you’re a caregiver, it’s normal to struggle with sleep even if you’re tired. Research shows you are 34% more likely to need an extra 30 minutes to fall asleep. It also suggests you lose at least 45 minutes of sleep every night — meaning you miss a crucial rapid-eye-movement cycle.

Prioritizing rest will help you stay alert and keep you from feeling burnt out. If you have trouble falling and staying asleep, know that fully relaxing in a dark room with your eyes closed will still give your body and brain some much-needed restoration.

7. Find Your Voice

If you’re like most people, you don’t know how to voice your needs effectively. While 55% of all communication is nonverbal, the other half revolves around speech. Learning how to calmly and firmly express yourself can help you gain confidence and tackle challenging caring situations.

During childhood, many people learn passive, aggressive or passive-aggressive communication styles. Even though they feel natural, they’re pretty ineffective. Overcoming your instincts to shout, use sarcasm or dance around the subject helps you become a better caregiver.

8. Reinforce Your Boundaries

Making one of your family caregiver resolutions be about your boundaries is a fantastic idea since you probably don’t get to reinforce them often. While you do have to make sacrifices to be as selfless as you are, you can still set limitations. As long as your loved one is safe, know it is okay to want a moment to yourself.

9. Give Yourself Grace

Negative self-evaluation is a psychological term that describes a tendency to be self-critical. If you often describe yourself with hypercritical words or make pessimistic overgeneralizations, you probably judge yourself too harshly.

When you start to think negative thoughts, take yourself out of the moment and give yourself time to refocus. Remember that human beings make mistakes, and you are doing your best. Redirect yourself and practice positive self-evaluation — try to look on the bright side.

10. Develop Coping Mechanisms

The stress of caregiving becomes overwhelming when you have to cope with something else. If you feel like this, you’re not alone. In fact, around 50% of women and 60% of men experience traumatic events in their life. These experiences can have lasting effects on you.

Consider making one of your family caregiver resolutions about overcoming trauma. Developing everyday coping mechanisms can help you live a more fulfilling life as a caregiver. Consider meeting with a therapist or psychologist for guidance on this journey.

11. Learn New Techniques

Consider setting time aside each day to learn more about your role as a caregiver. There are thousands of books, forums and websites on the topic. Increasing your awareness and gaining new insight can help you develop more effective caring techniques, lightening your workload.

Increasing your awareness can be a tremendous motivator. Even though 36% of family caregivers experience stress, 51% believe their responsibilities give them a sense of purpose. Turn your commitment into ambition and dedicate yourself to daily improvement.

12. Prioritize Your Progress

Prioritize making progress over achieving perfection. After all, even well-trained professionals slip up sometimes. Remember, you’re on a journey and will make self-discoveries along the way. If you make this the year you pay attention to your personal growth, you can improve as an individual while learning how to handle caregiving problems.

This Year Is Full of Possibility

Try to make this the year of accomplishments and self-discovery. More often than not, setting family caregiver resolutions means caring for yourself. After all, it’s easier to be present when you’re happy and feel fulfilled.