If the toll of caregiving is disrupting your peaceful home environment, you’re not alone. Many caregivers feel overwhelmed and guilty when weighing their need for a serene living space alongside the demands of caregiving.
Consider a powerful approach that can help you reclaim peace of mind: using your personal values as a guide. By identifying and honoring your core values, decisions that create a supporting home environment for you and your care recipient become less stressful.
Strategies based on values can help you establish boundaries, prioritize tasks, and design nurturing spaces, all of which lead to a more balanced and fulfilling caregiving experience for everyone involved.
It may be helpful to read the following article before continuing: Value-Driven Caregiving: A Framework for Confident Decision-Making.
Take a moment to think about what values matter most to you because they will serve as a foundation to guide your decisions.Finally, contemplate how these values intersect and which of them are non-negotiable.
With values identified, prepare to discover conflicts. For instance, your fondness for a quiet, orderly home may clash with the constant activity and potential untidiness of caregiving. Further, your desire for privacy may be incompatible with the open, accessible space needed for your care recipient.
Acknowledging the spectrum of necessity is the first step toward resolution.
If your top values are "tranquility" and "attentiveness," option “b.” might be best suited. You could maintain proximity to your care recipient while still enjoying a restful space.
Clear boundaries are essential for creating harmony. Effectively establish and communicate boundaries using the following guidance:
Define Your Limits: Based on your values, determine what is necessary to maintain a “home haven.” For example, "I need one hour uninterrupted each evening to recharge."
Communicate Clearly and Compassionately: Discuss boundaries with your care recipient and family members. For instance, "To provide the best care possible, I need some quiet time each day. Let's work together to determine what suits everyone."
Be Consistent and Aware: Abide by your established boundaries as doing so helps others understand and respect your needs. Regularly evaluate whether your boundaries require realignment based on the current situation.
Remember, honoring your values isn't selfish — it's essential for sustainable caregiving.
Creating a harmonious home while caregiving is a challenging process. Leaning on your values as a guide, decisions will honor both your needs and your caregiving responsibilities. Rather than trying to achieve perfect balance, focus efforts on fostering a home environment that supports and nurtures everyone.
The Caregiven app offers tools and resources to help you make values-based decisions during your caregiving journey. Created with input from experienced caregivers, the app can help you create a more peaceful caregiving home environment. Sign up today to get started.