Self-Care for Caregivers: Body, Mind & Spirit

Most of us are aware that being a caregiver comes with a lot of stress, and that stress often becomes more elevated at the holidays. In fact, according to a 2008 Health & Human Services (HHS) article, “Caregiving has all the features of chronic stress… [and] fits the formula for chronic stress so well that it is used as a model for studying the health effects of chronic stress.”

What is not always visible is how that stress can result in detrimental effects to the caregivers own physical and mental health. Caregivers are often found to neglect their own health care appointments and eat a poor quality diet. In addition, according to the Family Caregiver Alliance different studies have shown that anywhere from 40 to 70% of caregivers have clinically significant symptoms of depression with about 25 to 50% of those “…meeting the diagnostic criteria of major depression.”

So without giving up our caregiving role which also gives our lives great value, how can we, as caregivers, do more to take care of ourselves? Please join us for an hour with Maxine Wagoner, owner and operator of Golden Body & Brain Yoga & Tai Chi, who will share some simple approaches for taking care of our body, mind and spirit to help manage our stress and maintain our own health, happiness, and peace of mind for ourselves and our loved ones.