Ever feel like you just don’t have enough time to get the things done you want or need to do? This time is especially precious as a caregiver. In order to help you reclaim some of your time in 2018, we’ve put together seven time management suggestions to help you make the most out of your days.
7 Ways to Save Time as a Family Caregiver
- Organize Your Day: Start organizing each day by making and keeping a schedule. Make a list of all of your tasks and prioritize them for the day and for the week. This will save you time so you know what actions are next and don’t spend idle time wondering what to do. Coordinating your caregiver activities with other responsibilities can help reduce your stress as well. For example, if you have to pick up a prescription and get groceries, use the pharmacy at the grocery store.
- Get Assistance from Others: Remember, you can’t do everything by yourself. Having others help you accomplish some tasks will help free up some of your time. If someone can help drive your loved one to the doctor- let them- and take the time to get other things done, or work in some “me time.” Don’t hesitate to ask and accept help from other people.
- Use Technology: Our minds can only manage and remember so much. Technology can help us communicate faster, organize our activities more efficiently, and coordinate with our caring team (or Caring Village). If you are hesitant, just give it a try and see how much relief it can bring you.
- Manage Expectations: You need to manage your expectations, as well as your loved ones. If you have plans scheduled, let your care recipient know so you leave when you are supposed to. Most importantly, you need to know when good enough is, in fact, good enough. Perfection won’t happen every day and you need to accept that – trying for absolute perfection in everything you do will end up wasting time.
- Understand Your Limitations: Have you ever done a task in a few minutes and then sometimes it may take an hour because you are tired? Don’t over-extend yourself. You need to listen to your body. If you are tired, take time to recharge. Pushing yourself too hard will only make it more difficult to fulfill your responsibilities as a caregiver.
- Be Open to Disruption: Don’t stress! Things will happen that are not on your schedule (both as a caregiver and in your personal life) and you should be open to that. All you need to do is reprioritize your day. This will allow you to stay focused on your top-priority items, leaving your lower prioritized tasks for later or even tomorrow.
- Don’t Recreate the Wheel: As a caregiver, don’t search too far when looking for a checklist, sample information, to-do lists and other helpful guides. You can use what others have done to help you save time and be on top of everything. That’s where we can help! At Caring Village, we have created the ability to share to-do lists, create schedules, communicate with ease, and create personalized plans for your loved one. Learn how Caring Village can help you by signing up for free here.
Try out our suggestions above to save time. Even if you save only a few minutes a day, it will start to add up. With better time management skills, you can gain a better sense of control, reduce your stress, and make achieving your daily goals that much easier. Have any suggestions of your own? We want to hear from you!
