Work-life balance is one thing. Employee-caregiver balance takes it to a whole new level. Always feeling like you don’t give enough to your aging parent, and pulling up short at work, too.

The grand opportunities for promotions, extra projects, and new assignments on the job are just a no-go now. You know you have to get across town to the pharmacy before it closes to get your mom’s new prescription. And the doctor’s appointments, scheduling nightmares, calls to Medicare just suck your soul right out of you!

Apparently, caregiving is stressful, even for professionals who are not caring for family. Doctors and nurses and eldercare professionals all get special training on how to cope with the stress of dealing with sick people.

But you never even thought about it, let alone got any training. You are just a loyal son or daughter (or son-in-law or daughter-in-law or niece or nephew, among others.) Someone in your family needs help, so you do the right thing, and help them.

And it is the right thing, to see that they receive the appropriate care. What may not be right is you providing it all yourself.

The shift now for employee-caregivers is to try to find ways to spend time WITH loved ones, instead of ON projects to care for them. That’s what CareWise™ Solutions, for both employee-caregivers and their employers, is all about.

The worst part of the stress of caregiving may be stressing yourself our over the fact that you’re stressed!

It’s one thing to be anxious and stress out about feeling torn and rushed as a caregiver. It’s another thing to compound the stress by beating yourself up worrying about it.

Stress is inherent in the employee-caregiver job. It’s unavoidable. Caregiving is stressful, and that work-life balance thing is stressful. Add the two together and you have a double whammy. No wonder you’re stressed!

It does make everything worse by compounding the stress by concerning yourself over how worried you are. That level of upset can start a downward spiral that can be really hard to stop.

So, here’s a few ideas on how to short-circuit that stress tornado before it blows you away.

Some people are just more prone to stress than others. Know thyself, as they say. If you thrive on having some extra drama and stress, accept it! Learn to accept who you are, and your stress level drops.

Watch what you say to yourself. Negative self-talk will dampen your ability to give your utmost to your family member, and your employer. Any time you call yourself an “idiot”, you are not using a mindset of self-acceptance. Acceptance keeps worry from escalating into panic.

It’s stressful and annoying and frustrating and… you will survive. You have before and you will again. Breathe. A hectic schedule, especially when you are late, makes it hard to remember. But you managed before and you will manage this time.

It didn’t come to stay. Anxious feelings become overwhelming when you worry you will feel like that forever. It is hardest as an employee-caregiver when you can’t see a clear solution to the issue you face. But you will find a way. And the feelings will change. Everything is temporary.

You’ve heard the term Self-Care. This is much like that, only different. Self-Care talks of aromatic bubble baths and exotic spas. Self-Soothe is more like tubs of ice cream, Netflix comedies, lavender neck wraps and soft snuggly blankets. Healthy food is a better choice, of course. And yoga works for some. Walking around the block, or in the forest is glorious! Chatting with a friend. Whatever centers and soothes you.

The more you treat yourself with love, kindness, and compassion the more you have available for your family and employer. By saying “no” when someone asks something unreasonable, you do both of you a favor.

It would be nice if the world were full of people who respected the boundaries of others as much as you do. They would always consider you and your feelings when they asked you anything. They would never go “too far” or ask for “too much”. But that is just not the case in the world. People ask for too much all the time.

For example, doctors are asking employee-caregivers to do wound care for their patients! You are not a healthcare provider. Never should you be asked such a thing. Yet, when employee-caregivers are told to do something by their parent’s doctor, the caregiver assumes it must be the right thing to do.

CareWise™ Solutions for Employee-Caregivers helps you to draw the lines, maintain your boundaries and still make sure your loved one receives the care they need.

May your caregiving adventure be as stress-free as possible. At LifeWorkx™, we know you make this journey out of love. Remember to include yourself in that love.