How to Become a More Patient Caregiver

Find the tips you need here to learn how to become a more patient caregiver.

Does your blood pressure soar once you finally finish filling your cart with groceries, simply to find only one checkout lane open and a line of aggravated shoppers in front of you? Or when you arrive 5 minutes early for a doctor’s appointment, but have to wait 40 minutes to be seen? Many people just seem to exude an innate sense of patience, regardless of the circumstances. Wouldn’t you like to know their secret, particularly when it comes to knowing how to become a more patient caregiver for someone you love?

Thankfully, it is possible to increase your level of patience in much the same way that you grow your endurance in exercising – through practice. Try these tips to strengthen your caregiving patience muscles:

How Do I Become More Patient?

• Resist the desire to automatically fix or problem-solve. Allow something that is broken to remain broken for some time instead of pressuring yourself to instantly take care of it.
• Accept your current circumstances. Perhaps the person you are providing care for is taking a lot longer to get dressed than you would like. Remind yourself that your job is not only to provide care but to also enable the individual to remain as autonomous as possible. Often that will necessitate allowing some additional time and a good measure of patience.
• Purposely put yourself in circumstances that call for patience. Let someone go ahead of you the next time you are standing in line. Make yourself wait a few minutes (or more!) prior to checking your phone. Initiate a conversation with someone who tests your patience.
• Try to channel your inner child. Let yourself laugh more, be silly, and remind yourself not to let the small things that aggravate you become big things. A little lightening up and letting go can go a considerable way towards eliminating stress.
• Take time to simply concentrate on your breathing and to be in the moment. As soon as your thoughts start to wander, recognize the distraction, but gently guide your thinking back to your breathing.
• Make a concerted effort to really listen when others are talking. It’s very easy to begin formulating your response before the person has finished, but strive to place all of your attention instead on everything they are saying.

When time is of the essence, however, it becomes all the harder to stay patient. Let a caregiver from Hired Hands Homecare help. We can provide a comprehensive range of in-home care services in Novato, Santa Rosa, Napa, and throughout the Bay Area that will help you free up the time you need. Contact us at (866) 940-4343 to learn more and to ask about a complimentary in-home consultation.