Caregiver in Laguna Beach CA
May is National Smile Month. This is the perfect opportunity for you to bring positivity into your caregiver journey and experience the benefits that thinking positively and optimistically can bring to your life.
According to the Mayo Clinic, thinking positively is about more than just feeling better about yourself and not letting the world around you “get you down”. Making a conscious effort to live optimistically and focus your thoughts on optimism can actually provide a variety of real benefits for your mind and your body. Some of these include:
- Increased life span
- Lower levels of distress
- Reduced risk of death and other serious complications from cardiovascular disease
- Lower rates of depression
- Greater resistance to the common cold
- Improved coping skills
- Better decision-making skills
- Greater confidence
This means that if you choose to think positively you can actually improve your health and wellbeing, and be a better caregiver for your aging loved one.
Let these ideas inspire you for ways that you can bring more positivity into your caregiver journey with your aging loved one during National Smile Month:
- Read good news. It always seems like no matter where you look, there is always bad news. While it is important to be informed of the world around you, do not let these negative things be the only news that you ever read. Find a website that is dedicated only to positive news and let that be your source for morning reading. This little bit of brightness in your day can boost your mood and help you to feel better about the challenges that are ahead of you.
- Do random acts of kindness. Making somebody happy, even if they do not know that it is you who did it, can be a fantastic way to make you feel more positive about the world. Find fun random acts of kindness that you can perform with your elderly loved one. This can be slipping beautiful bookmarks into books in the local used bookstore or library, writing a note to a neighbor complimenting them on their lawn, or sending a loved one an anonymous gift. Let the happiness that you brought to someone else show you that the world is a happy and beneficial place.
- Show gratitude. No matter how challenging your care journey, you still have things in life to be grateful for. Take some time to think about those things and feel, and express, that gratitude. Just by spending time concentrating on the wonderful things in your life, whether it is your partner, your children, your career, your health, your pets, or even just a sunny day, you open yourself up to feeling more positive about other things as well.
- Just smile. The old phrase “fake it til you make it” was never more applicable than when it comes to positivity. Studies have shown that just going through the motion of smiling actually convinces your mind that you feel happy. This encourages the release of endorphins, which in turn actually does make you feel happier and more positive. When you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, put on a smile and just wait for your mind to catch up with the expression.
If you or an aging loved one are considering caregiver services in Laguna Beach, CA, please contact the caring staff at Canaan Home Care today! 1-844-CANAAN-1 (1-844-226-2261)
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/positive-thinking/art-20043950
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