Self-Care for Caregivers - 5 Caregiving Health Tips

ESSEX, Conn. - Feb. 13, 2015 - PRLog -- Taking care of a parent or spouse who has a chronic or terminal condition takes its toll on a caregiver's health.

In fact, about half of American caregivers surveyed by the National Alliance for Caregiving report that their own personal health has worsened as a result for caring for their loved one. This is because most caregivers are so focused on taking care of someone else that they begin to neglect their own health.

"It often starts with small things like not getting enough sleep, not getting out to exercise or socialize, and gaining weight, building stress. This puts the caregiver at higher risk for injury, heart disease, diabetes and depression among other conditions," said licensed counselor and transformation coach Heidi E. Kunzli, MS, LADC, who is founder and director of Essex Wellness Center in Essex, Connecticut.

"Caregiver burnout is preventable," added Kunzli. She says that most caregivers believe they don't have time for themselves, and this is an impulse that every caregiver has to fight. Maintaining a strong immune system needs to be a key priority because you can't take care of someone else if you are sick yourself.

Kunzli recalls a client who first came to Essex Wellness Center feeling tired, burned out, depressed and out of shape. Her husband's illness was taking its toll and she was feeling weak. The personal one-on-one approach through mindfulness meditation, reflexology, and gentle personal strength training appropriate for her age has helped to focus attention back on her.

Essex Wellness Center's personal approach to wellness starts with an assessment and recommendations on how to "get strong" in body, mind and spirit. Because time management is a challenge for every caregiver, this becomes a counseling priority as the client finds light at the end of the tunnel through new awareness of "family health" and available community resources.

5 Ways to Keep Caregivers Healthy from Essex Wellness Center:
1. Maintain your own schedule of healthcare appointments for routine exams and to address minor problems before they become major problems.
2. Eat well with a variety of nutritious foods.
3. Socialize. Stay connected with friends, neighbors and extended family. If it's difficult to get out of the house, invite a friend over. Nobody, except you, cares if your home isn't spotless or if you seem "less than presentable."
4. Exercise. Make time to go for walks or to a yoga class. Fresh air and a change of scenery will help you keep perspective. Staying physically and mentally strong makes it easier to keep up your role as caregiver.
5. Accept help. Allow someone to take over so you can take a break - a nap, a trip to the store or a dinner out with a friend. Seek community resources such as adult daycare, home companions and nursing, and counselors or coaches who can help you stay healthy - physically, mentally and emotionally.

About Essex Wellness Center

Essex Wellness Center, located at 28 Main Street and 8 Novelty Lane in historic Essex Village, Connecticut, was founded in 2014 to provide personalized wellness programs through a wide range of holistic and complementary therapies that help people attain long-lasting health improvement. The Center attracts visitors from the Connecticut shoreline and Connecticut River Valley areas as well as destination travelers looking for a day or weekend of self-improvement classes and one-on-one coaching. For information, visit www.essexwellnessctr.com or call 860.767.7770.