Five Stress-reducing tips to survive the end-of-school sprint for the sandwich generation caregivers

Spring is such a wonderful time of year, blooming flowers, the earth comes alive and suddenly your already-full to-do list just exploded with end of the school year activities.

How do you survive the field trip, bake sale and teacher appreciation gifts while caring for a parent? Use these five tips:

1.  Slow down to speed up. Allow yourself some grace and take time to breathe. Did you know taking seven deep breaths, an hour reduces your overall stress and gives your overloaded brain time to reset?A study in Frontiers in Psychology found that slow breathing reduced cortisol (stress hormone) by up to 22%. Stress hormones also contribute to weight gain. In a workplace wellness study (Aetna, 2017), employees who practiced short hourly breathing or mindfulness breaks reported: 28% less stress, 20% better sleep and a 19% increase in productivity.

   It means, sometimes you need to slow down to be able to speed up. Use these easy breathing techniques or use your favorite app like Calm.

2. Be realistic with your time. Think of your time as a pie. There is only so much pie no matter what you do. Think of the pie slices as categories of your time. During some seasons of your life, a piece of your pie can be very large, and other times a teeny tiny sliver. Pie pieces can be things like exercise, volunteering, caregiving, friendship, housework, hobbies. All the things that fill up your day oh, and maybe there’s a full-time job too. If you were to make a pie chart of your time, what would the sections look like and what should they look like? Compare your pie charts while both being kind to yourself and being realistic.Make lists. Many of us run our lives from multiple calendars and multiple email accounts. Write a list of things you need to focus on and identify the highest priorities across all your calendars. Take a realistic look at what needs to be done. Don’t put any more than 10 items on your list. Everything else can wait. According to the Carver College of Medicine, the act of crossing off completed tasks from a to-do list can release dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and motivation. This simple action provides a sense of satisfaction and encourages continued productivity. It might be the mental boost you need!
3. Creative outsourcing and one-time help. It’s always smart to outsource tasks that don’t have a high return for yourself. But how do you do that when you have to make brownies for the classroom or a pinata for field day? Can you use a grocery delivery service for brownies? Is a teenager in your neighborhood looking for an odd job – have them do it! I often take a store-bought item like brownies and add fun frosting or sprinkles to feel a little more homemade. Have your child help.Consider getting occasional help with tasks you normally do yourself. Maybe it’s or doing the laundry or having your house cleaned. These are tasks I personally do myself, but a laundry wash and fold service can be a lifesaver in a pinch.
4. Engage the person you’re caring for. Many people who are ill or have dementia love doing creative projects. Ask for their help to make thank you cards for your child’s teachers. If the person you’re caring for is nearby, bring your child and have them do it together. You can be making memories and accomplishing your goals (aka “deliverables”) at the same time.
5. Ask for a free pass/rain check in the classroom. Sometimes all you need to do is tell another parent or teacher about your situation and that you can’t contribute X, Y or Z this year. Let them know that you look forward to supporting them in the future, but you have a personal situation that doesn’t allow you to participate right now. Again, we all have seasons of life where we have more responsibilities or fewer responsibilities. The pieces of someone else’s pie might be overwhelmed next year, and you might be able to help. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.

Good luck and be well!