Stop Fatigue in Its Tracks

Attending to your child's needs is a full-time job that often results in a lack of sleep and diminished energy. When your child has special needs, your time and energy demands are significant and persistent. Caring for your family can take a mental, emotional, and physical toll on your body and mind, resulting in fatigue.
 
Read on to learn how to determine if your level of tiredness is potentially harmful and discover ideas for creating a self-care treatment plan.
 
What is Parental Fatigue?
Fatigue is much more than simply feeling drained. This state involves extreme whole-body exhaustion and a consistent lack of motivation and stamina that sleep does not remedy. Research shows that chronic fatigue can lead to burnout and feelings of detachment, which can have severe consequences for you and your family.
 
Are You at Risk?
You focus primarily on your child's daily needs, making it easy to neglect your own. Take some time to identify your fatigue level by assessing specifics, such as:

• Excessive caregiving time requirements
• Behavior problems exhibited by your child
• Feelings of anxiety or depression
• Feeling trapped or idealizing escape
• Lacking social support
• Insufficient sleep

 
Can You Overdo Self-Care?
When you are approaching or experiencing caregiver burnout, shifting your focus to include your personal care has many advantages. However, it can have unwanted effects if you do not create a strategy that balances your needs with your family's. You may start to ask your support network for more help than what is appropriate or try to place most of the tasks on your partner instead of dividing them equally. You may think you can self-treat your depression instead of seeking professional help. Be mindful of potential pitfalls when developing your fatigue treatment outline.
 
What Tasks Can You Delegate?
Make a list of essential tasks for your child and your household. Consider which jobs you can obtain assistance with or give to someone else. You can get so entrenched in daily chores that you forget you do not have to do them alone. Consider accessing help managing your bills and budgeting from Turning Point Stewardship. Dealing with the finances can strain your marriage when you are already feeling worn down. Find a support group for special needs parents and swap babysitting services. Hire a house cleaning service to help around the house.
 
How Can You Achieve Your Goals?
You may have put your objectives aside to devote more time to your child. However, working toward your aims can also benefit your family. Spend time pursuing a hobby you enjoy, go back to school to earn a new degree or certification, or start a small business.
 
Look for a new job if your current position is unfulfilling or is not a good fit for your family's needs. Having a professional-looking resume helps you land the work you want. Update your resume using a fast and free resume builder. Choose a template and customize it by choosing the colors, fonts, images, and text.
 
Can Small Changes Make a Difference?
You can ease symptoms of fatigue by incorporating minor changes into your routines. Plan time to go outside each day, even if it is only ten minutes. Fresh air and sunshine help refresh your mood and energy. Get some physical activity each day. Go for a walk, run around the playground or backyard or do some yoga in the living room. Call someone to chat for a few minutes each day to avoid feeling isolated.
 
Stretching yourself too thin does not benefit your child. Remember that your care is also essential.

Lucille Rosetti ~ info@thebereaved.org │The Bereaved

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