Caregiving can lead to intense emotions. One of the emotions that I’ve seen lead to the most problems is caregiver anger. That’s because it’s easy to feel like you have no options when you’re caring for an aging parent or loved one. You can feel trapped. It can feel like a thankless job. All of these things are frustrating and exhausting. All of them can lead to anger if you don’t take care of yourself.
If you’re experiencing anger because of your caregiving role, check out these three tips for caregiver anger management.
Stop and Check Your Emotions
It’s important to stop throughout the day as you provide care for your loved one and check where your emotions are at. Asking whether you are tired or upset when the emotions are just beginning to show could prevent them from growing into something more serious. When you ask yourself these questions, you can remedy the situation before it becomes a bigger problem.
If you’re tired, take a minute to rest. If you’re hungry, grab a snack. For anger, simply acknowledging your emotions can do wonders to calm you down.
Talk to Someone before You Blow
Caregiving can feel pretty lonely, but you’re not alone. When you feel frustrated or upset, calling a friend or talking to a sibling is one of the best ways to let your emotions air out. Talking to someone means you’re not bottling it up, and that’s a good thing if you want to avoid a meltdown. When you talk to someone about your feelings of anger, you release tension and receive the support you need to keep going. That outside perspective can calm you down when you feel like you might fly off the handle.
Practice Forgiveness
Sometimes you can’t catch your anger in time, and you snap. It happens to everyone because everyone is human. When this happens, it’s critical that you practice forgiveness, for yourself and for your loved one. Caregiving is a demanding role—you have to be able to shake off mistakes, or you won’t be able to fill it.
If you lose your temper with your loved one or with the world in general, take a deep breath and calm down. Remove yourself from the situation and the tension. Let yourself process your emotions, and don’t beat yourself up.
Are you having trouble with caregiver anger?
Anger is a human emotion. All humans feel it. It’s important to check in with yourself, to reach out for help, and to allow yourself to feel the emotions inside of you.
Do you feel like you can’t get a handle on your caregiver anger? It might be time for a break. Talk to the professional caregivers at Granny NANNIES Miami to learn how we can take some or all of the responsibility off your hands