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Knowing time management tips to help caregivers is important because those who provide care are also humans who have a life to live.
Eleanor Gaccetta, author of One Caregiver’s Journey, appreciates the wonderful journey of caring for a loved one. For caregivers, the time they spend for themselves is just as valuable as the time they spend for those they’re caring for. Without balance, they’ll find themselves getting burnt out and end up losing the passion they hold for their chosen profession.
Caregivers and everyone else don’t want to reach this point, so today, we’re here to offer tips to help caregivers manage their time better!
Tip #1: Setting Goals and Planning How to Follow Through Them
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Planning and setting goals can be challenging and stressful for caregivers because they already have a limited amount of time. But with practice and frequent planning/goal setting, caregivers can adjust and eventually find the habit to be beneficial. It’ll eventually make caregivers feel as though they’ve been freed from being in an infinite loop of crisis management.
Whenever possible, caregivers can practice planning for the long term and then break it down into more manageable objectives. They can receive help to get the ball rolling by getting a mentoring program, coaching session, or training day. Along with jobs, these should cover other aspects of life, such as family and personal objectives.
By utilizing SMART, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely, caregivers can guarantee that all their goals will come to fruition.
Tip #2: Practice Mindfulness All the Time
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Since our phones incessantly alert us to incoming emails, texts, and calls, it is incredibly simple to become sidetracked throughout the day.
When engaged in a specific activity, caregivers should, if feasible and safe, shut off or mute their mobile devices and give their full attention to that task. For example, they should be present with a client, for instance, if they’re engaging with one. In addition, they ought to give their entire attention to their own needs and well-being while they are taking a break.
This is one of the time management tips to help caregivers live in the present moment. It’s not unusual for caregivers to always think about their past mistakes and worry about their future performance. They’re in desperate need to be grounded in the present, giving them a chance to enjoy and appreciate what’s in front of them.
Learning effective time management for caregivers helps slow things down and lets caregivers tackle things one thing at a time. Focusing on the wonderful journey of caring for a loved one a day at a time is very helpful for caregivers.
Tip #3: Make a Time Audit
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Changing behaviors rather than time is the primary goal of time management. The easiest way to achieve this is to observe our daily behavioral patterns and how we spend our time.
It’s vital for caregivers to prepare a time audit, which can be done in writing or using an app that tracks time (many businesses offer free versions). Our perception of what is occupying our time is often not aligned with reality. For instance, it could seem harmless to spend an hour a day on social media for distraction.
But over the course of a year, those discrete hours add up to almost 336 hours or 42 eight-hour workdays. Caregivers will be better able to see how much time they spend on different everyday tasks if they track their actions for a week. They will be able to see what occupies their time and how they devote their days using this data.
Another benefit is that they can determine whether they have an excessive amount to do in the allotted time. It’ll also help identify if they must adopt specific behaviors to utilize their time more effectively.
Take Advantage of These Time Management Tips to Help Caregivers
Not many people realize that time is their most valuable asset. It’s something that, once spent, can no longer be taken back. So, let’s help our caregivers spend their time better so that they can continue the wonderful journey of caring for a loved one they’re in.
We encourage you to purchase a copy of One Caregiver’s Journey today by clicking here to learn more about Eleanor Gaccetta’s personal experience as a caregiver for her mother.
Don’t forget to check out our other blogs, too, and learn four caregiving tips every aspiring caregiver should know!
The Happy Hammock 