For some caregivers, the caregiving journey is an incredibly serious path. But does that mean that you’re never allowed to find the humor in some situations? If you’re feeling guilty for laughing at any point as a caregiver, you may need to give yourself some grace and embrace the opportunities you find to share a laugh with your aging adult.
Senior Care in Bellmore NY: Finding Humor in Caregiving
Caregiving Has Some Funny Moments.
If you’re honest with yourself, it’s easy to admit that caregiving has some funny moments. No matter what your aging adult’s health is like, there are going to be some moments when you’re sad, but you’re going to have just as many moments that make you laugh. The trick is to enjoy those moments for what they are when they crop up.
Finding Some Humor Is a Coping Mechanism.
There are some pretty dangerous coping mechanisms out there, but humor is a great coping mechanism without negative side effects. You’re going to experience some painful emotions as a caregiver and being able to find some humor can really help you to get through those feelings. You may even find that allowing yourself to embrace humor allows you to heal.
Nothing Says that Life Has to Be Dark.
Just because a situation is a little dark at times, that doesn’t mean that your whole life needs to be dark, too. You deserve a bit of lightness and levity now and again. Giving yourself the freedom to take each moment as it comes can free you up to seek out the humorous parts of your experience a little more often.
Humor That Lacks Respect or Is Mean Isn’t Humor.
It’s really important to note that there is humor and then there’s making fun of someone or something. Chances are that you don’t want to deliberately hurt your senior’s feelings, but it’s easy sometimes to wonder if you’re doing the wrong thing by finding something funny. As a quick test, always ask yourself if you’re laughing at the situation or at the person. If you’re laughing at the person, that’s a sign that this isn’t humor.
You should be able to find the humor in every situation in your life, even caregiving. If you’re having a tough time with that, you might need a bit of a break. Consider hiring senior care providers to give you respite time that allows you to recover a bit. You deserve to have that time to yourself.
If you or an aging family member are considering professional senior care in Bellmore, NY, please call the caring staff at A Gentle Touch Senior Home and Health Care at 631-647-7622 today.