What do you imagine when you think of spring cleaning? Do you imagine going through your closets and dusting your baseboards? How about weeding and clearing out our yards for the gardening season? Most of us imagine taking care of physical clutter – cleaning, tossing, organizing and the like. But have you ever considered cleaning out your emotional and mental state?
“There’s a real freedom and joy that comes from cleaning out our possessions, and that can naturally extend to our inner selves as well,” says Trish McKay, Executive Director of Bridges® by EPOCH at Trumbull, a memory care assisted living community in Trumbull, CT. “This is especially true for caregivers, who often carry a lot of emotional and mental ‘clutter’ due to the overwhelming nature of their various roles.”
These ‘mind weeds,’ according to Trish, can be everything from stress to depression to anger to simple disorganization – really, anything that causes havoc in your life and isn’t adding joy. “Since springtime is all about airing things out, growing and renewing our surroundings, this is the perfect time for you to take stock of your emotional health, nourish positive thoughts and feelings and weed out the negative things that may be harming your overall well-being,” Trish says.
According to many experts (and those who’ve lived through stressful times in their lives), stress doesn’t just wreak havoc on your emotional state – it can actually have real, physical effects, too. Stress can cause a variety of ailments including high blood pressure, depression, a weakened immune system, diabetes, poor sleeping habits and a slew of other issues that can leave caregivers feeling less than great. Left unchecked, stress can quickly blossom into caregiver burnout, which can seriously incapacitate a caregiver (and affect their ability to care for their senior loved one).
“As you’re getting your home ready for spring this year, take some time to ‘spring clean’ the mental dirt that’s accumulated in your thoughts and feelings,” says Trish. “By taking the time to focus efforts inward and ‘declutter’ the negativity in your life, you’ll emerge feeling more refreshed, restored and ready to tackle the rest of the year with cheer and positivity.”
As you’re writing out your spring-cleaning to-dos (don’t forget about changing the batteries in the fire alarm or changing the furnace filter), here are some mental items to add to your checklist.
Organize your priorities. What is most important to you in your life? (Besides caring for your senior loved one – that’s a given.) We encourage you to think beyond the “task” aspect of your priorities and instead focus on the things in life that fill you up and bring you joy. Is it spending time with friends and family? Doing a hobby you love? Volunteering your time? These priorities will help you figure out where you should be spending your time and energy – and taking a hard look at the things that are keeping you from accomplishing those priorities. Obviously, caregiving is an all-encompassing role, but you don’t need to (and can’t) be a caregiver 24/7. You need some time for yourself in order to recharge your batteries, take care of yourself and provide you with the peace and joy you need to be the best caregiver possible.
Polish the relationships that bring you joy. Most of us have someone in our lives who inherently brings drama to our world, causes more emotional work for us or simply brings us down. On the other hand, we have those people we know we can rely on – people who lift us up, support us and make us feel good about ourselves. We can’t change people, but we can change how we react to them (or how much we allow them to affect us). Take stock of your relationships, determine who in your life is adding to your emotional weight (and who’s helping remove it), and focus your efforts on spending time with those people who lift you up. By surrounding yourself with supporters and positive people, you’ll gain a sense of peace, calm and self-worth – and reduce your stress at the same time.
Clean self-criticism from your thoughts. We are our own worst critics, and that self-doubt and criticism can pile up in our thoughts until our self-esteem is dusty and dirty. Tackle those dark corners to brush away the gloom and shine some light and fresh positivity into your mind, and you’ll be amazed at how brightly you can sparkle. Yes, this takes some practice, because it requires you to retrain yourself and your brain to react in a different way. However, it’s totally doable. Start small – when you notice that you’re beating yourself up by thinking I’m not good enough or I am the worst caregiver ever, pause and take stock of what you’re saying to yourself. Then, flip your inner script and say I’m doing my best. I am doing x, y and z and doing them well. The goal is to remind yourself of all the good you do – and brush away the unrealistic standards you may be holding yourself to.
Declutter poor physical habits. Our minds and bodies are linked in very integral ways. So it should come as no surprise that taking care of your body by eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and getting enough sleep are essential building blocks for maintaining a healthy emotional and mental state. This spring, take steps to improve and maintain your physical wellness. Be sure to start small – trying to accomplish too much at once can easily leave you burned out. Instead, focus on things you know you can accomplish. For example, start your day with a 20-minute brisk walk around the neighborhood. Swap your soda for a glass of iced tea or water. Add one more vegetable to your plate at dinner. Little habits add up quickly.
Find a little “om” in your life. Taking a moment each day to cleanse your mind through yoga, prayer or meditation is a wonderful way to refresh your soul, reduce your negative energy and allow you to focus on the present – and all the good that comes with it. A few minutes of yoga, meditation, prayer or deep breathing is great for mental cleansing. These relaxation strategies can help you unwind, stay in the present, ignite your inner spirit and reduce the negative energy and thoughts consuming your day.
Dedicated Memory Care
Bridges® by EPOCH at Trumbull delivers highly specialized memory care assisted living for those with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Our resident-centered approach focuses on providing dignity, purpose and moments of joy in daily life for those in all stages of the disease. We offer a wellness-focused lifestyle that centers around a resident’s current skills and abilities, not those that have been lost to dementia.
Life-Enriching Programs
Our team members take an active role in getting to know each resident on a personal level to deliver programming that is meaningful to them. We account for the preferences, interests, needs and abilities of our residents to connect with them and encourage their involvement in daily life and boost self-esteem.
Warm, Residential Atmosphere
Featuring a stunning residential design, every inch of our community has been designed to benefit those with memory loss. Attributes such as soft colors, directional cues, aromatherapy and interactive life stations create a soothing and secure environment where residents feel comfortable, safe and at home.
Contact us today to learn more.