Caregivers rarely feel angry, resentful, or overworked… Yes, and all of us are living in a fairy tale. At the end of the day, a caregiver is only as human as the rest of us. As such, they will experience negative emotions all the time, and they shouldn’t feel guilt over it. The best thing to do would be to find ways to manage negative sentiment. This article is here to help you with that.
4 Tips for Managing Caregiving-Related Anger
Breathe
That’s as simple as it can get. When feeling angry, the first thing you should try to do is take a few deep breaths. The most natural antidote to anger is breathing exercises. All it requires is a deep breath and counting to ten. This process is ideal for calming the nerves.
Predict When Anger is Going to Take You Over
People express anger in different ways. Some are aggressive; others are passive. Neither of these two types are right for you. They are the same thing; the manifestation is just different. The aggressive type causes agitation in your loved ones, while the passive one carries the emotional burden with itself. If you get a hold of when your anger episode is going to surface and what type it is, you can find a way to control it before you lose your temper.
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Manage Your Expectations
The best way to avoid caregiver-related anger is to become aware of what your loved one can or can’t do. This is especially important if your senior has Alzheimer’s or some other type of dementia. They often won’t be able to understand the sacrifice you are making by taking care of them, which can bring forth an anger episode.
Be Assertive
This could be essential for those who feel angry all the time. When anger takes over, it’s time for a drastic change. Find the source of your anger, expel the negative emotions, and most of all, be assertive towards your needs. In certain situations, the best thing to do would be to search for help from family, friends, or even professional help.
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