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I find that when everything was closed especially schools, I found myself being able to spend far more time caregiving and less time commuting to and from school and work.
I find myself relatively calm, when the pandemic started until I realized how crucial it was for me to not catch anything since I am a full-time caregiver for my grandmother who has dementia. Since she is a senior who has a weaker immune system, also living in an old care home made me extremely anxious about going outside. Constantly worried about her to the point where I would wear a mask inside and around her.
There are some good things that came out of this pandemic surprisingly, during my school year, all classes were online which gave me the ability to not leave my grandmother’s side which calmed my mind.
I find that the most challenging thing about going back to college full-time is changing your daily routines and getting back in the mindset needed for school work. Throughout the summer, your brain takes a break for constant critical thinking and is difficult to retrain your mind back into what it needs to accomplish.
Hello everyone on the discussion forum, my name is Alex. I am also a peer mentor at the Ontario Caregiver Organization! I am currently a full-time caregiver for my grandmother who has severe dementia. I am currently enrolled in a Police Foundations Program at Humber College and I graduate in April, 2023. I am very excited! Throughout the years of caregiving, I learned about how far caring for another goes. Even though they might not show how much it means to them, at the end of the day they appreciate it so much.
There are surprisingly many options! I find that when I go to any grocery store, they have pre-made meals and containers which include salad kits and snacks as well. I also love buying in bulk to save time from frequent grocery store trips. And hey, if worse comes to worst, a meal replacement drink helps a lot too! (ensure). My family member with dementia always loves those when I am just too busy during the day.
Self-care routine… I find it extremely crucial how I start my day. If I know I have a busy day ahead of me, I set my alarm 30 minutes before I get up, and focus on relaxing my mind and body. Deep breathing, stretching, and quietly thinking positive thoughts to myself.
Based on past experiences, if I am in a rush in the morning knowing I have a stressful/busy/long day ahead of me, I find that using the extra 30 minutes to focus on my well-being goes a long way. This simple task can help turn a potential bad day into a good day.
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