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Managing The Stress ~ Making The Decisions ~ Discovering The Meaning |
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Caregiving |
Solutions To Your Caregiving Situations Throughout Your Caregiving Years |
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Out of the House Quick Tips to Getting Out of the House Sometimes getting out the door to a social event can be harder than the social event itself. Some tips to make the “getting ready” experience a little less stressful: 1. Create an outfit that looks good, feels good and wears good. (We’ll call this your “Going Out Uniform”). Your uniform (pressed and ready to go) in your closet eliminates that awful question: What am I going to wear? As you become more comfortable with the idea of a uniform, feel free to create as many as you need: A Church-Going Uniform, A Friday-Night-Out Uniform, and a Book-Club Uniform. 2. Plan a strategy for the evening. Your strategy will include: --An exit strategy. If you don’t feel the evening is working for you, determine when and how you’ll leave. In this instance, your care recipient’s illness might come in handy: “Thanks, Mary, for the wonderful evening. Duty calls at home!” --How you’ll handle awkward moments. An awkward moment might be when you arrive at the event and need to find friends you’re meeting. An awkward moment might be when you find yourself standing alone. Some strategies: Head for the bathroom. Head for the buffet (try to stick with carrot or celery sticks. Operative word: Try.) or for the bar (for a soft drink or water). Or, if you’re ready: Head for the door. 3. Plan a strategy to manage the nerves. Nervousness is normal. What affirmations can you repeat to yourself to help calm your nerves? Some suggestions: * The more I like myself the more others like themselves. * I am a happy, healthy, wholesome, beautiful, positive, prosperous person. * I am a unique and priceless person, coming from a unique and perfect pattern within me. * I give myself all the permission I need to do what I know is best. * I am respected and well-liked by all people that I know. * I am highly creative, intelligent, attractive, energetic, sexy, witty, smart, healthy, wealthy, and wise. (Source: http://www.storybin.com/: An Internet Collection of Positive Thinking) 4. Consider your ultimate goal. All new social events are an experiment, to see what you enjoy and what’s a good fit for you. With that in mind, consider whether or not an event worked for you. If not, move on. If you’re not sure, consider re-visiting. And, if it was worth it, great! Stick with it! Quick Tips to Getting Out of the House Start Online, Then Hit The Sunshine |
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