This week is one of the strangest weeks of the year – while we’re cleaning up the mess of pine needles from our living rooms and finding new space for gifts, we’re working out the ‘food hangover’ and committing to exercise resolutions, and also ‘getting back in the swing’ at work. While we technically returned last week, this is really the week that our phones start ringing and people start getting back to us – in effect, we are now really busy.
So if you are going to stick to one resolution this week, be organised.
If you are a caregiver, you have so much more to organise. On top of your work, your social life, health, family, and responsibilities, you also have someone else’s needs to look after. Here are some tips for busy caregivers that are positively magic for keeping you organised!:
- Get a system – Be it Evernote, iCal, Outlook, or a real handwritten journal, make sure you have a system that goes where you go, and stores everything. Make sure you actually use it. I love online management tools because I can access them anywhere.
- Write it down – Never be without your notepad. If you say you’ll do something, write it down immediately. I often amaze myself how many times I forget my conversations in a busy day.
- Say NO to time wasting – This is difficult for most people. Sometimes you have to prioritise your time – is a commitment really going to be worth it? Do you need to be there, or can someone else fill in? A tip I recently received from a busy businessperson was if you don’t need to put your phone on silent – don’t go. Think about how many engagements you’ve been to, fidgeting the whole while thinking about all the other things you need to do. This year, don’t go to those engagements!
- Schedule your time – I find on the busiest weeks the only way I’ll ensure that I actually get those ‘other’ important things done – exercise, call my sister, do the shopping, etc. – is if I write it in my diary and schedule off that time. Too many caregivers deny the importance of these day-to-day tasks, but they are immensely important as it is in a direct link to your health and your functionality as a person! If you made one of your new year’s resolutions to start going to the yoga class you’ve signed up for, you’d better put it in your schedule and make it happen!
What are some of your favourite tips for staying on top of things?
Contact our team of experts in home health care in Victoria, BC and the surrounding areas for more tips for busy caregivers and for the assistance and support you need to achieve a healthy life balance.