Give Yourself a Do-Over and Let Go of Caregiver Guilt

365 Messages of Hope, Humor & Heart for Caregivers – #2

Have you ever done or said something that you wish you could take back? Guess what? You’re human!

Caregivers get tired and frustrated. Sometimes the pressure and the monotony gets to us, and we say something that hurts others and makes us feel lousy about ourselves.

It would be great if we could hit a “rewind” button and change what happened, but since that isn’t possible, we can give ourselves a “do-over” and choose to do better next time.

Start with acknowledging what you did. Apologize. Make amends, and then let it go. Rather than spending energy berating yourself, or allowing others to heap guilt and shame on you, find an opportunity to say or do something kind and positive. It won’t change what happened, but it will help set things right.

Caring for those who can no longer care for themselves is challenging. You won’t always react to situations the way you wish you could. But here’s the thing – when you’re a caregiver you will never run out of opportunities to respond to a difficult situation in a positive manner.

So when you fall a little short of perfection, give you a “do-over”, and then consider doing something that will help relieve your emotional stress. Taking care of yourself could reduce your feelings of resentment and help break the cycle of getting angry and then feeling guilty about it for the rest of the day.

For more help understanding coping with caregiver guilt click here: Caregiver Help – Coping with Guilt