For busy caregivers, stress can build up over time and affect our daily lives. Caregiving tasks, family responsibilities, chores and more can take up so much time that many of us forget to take care of ourselves. To practice self-care and cope with the stress involved with caring for someone with memory loss, caregivers need to take a step back, reassess, and learn how to be mindful of their own limits and needs.
Mindfulness is a popular buzzword in today’s culture, often associated with thoughts of meditation or holistic health. And while meditation is certainly one way to practice mindfulness, its applications go far beyond sitting cross-legged or focusing on your body’s energy. In fact, mindfulness is not so much what we do as how we live.