If you’re taking care of an elderly parent or a sick friend, you know how overwhelming the task can be. The Happiness Project recommends using every other day to take care of yourself.
Photo by Christopher Meredith.
Over at the Happiness Project, they share a great tip from one of their readers:
ODD days: I do everything I can to complete business that needs to be done for Mum, shopping or doctor appointments or whatever. I don’t think I’m even going to care if I sound like a nutcase asking for appointments on calendar days with odd dates. ODD days are her days, and I have a special commitment to go the extra mile for her on those days — to make her life pleasant, as well as to take care of her business.
EVEN days: I do everything I can to complete business that needs to be done for ME. I do something special that is fun for me alone (like a manicure, or a walk at the mall). I do not have to do one single non-emergency bureaucratic task for anyone else but me.
If you don’t take care of yourself a bit first, you can’t take care of others. This gives you a bit of a breather during half of the week. Emergencies may come up on your “even” days, but this tip helps with the ongoing commitment of being there for someone else.
Before & After: “Odd Days, I Do Everything I Can for Mum. Even Days, for Me.” [The Happiness Project]
Comments
One response to “Take Care Of Yourself On Even Days, Caretake On Odd Days”
this presumes the person being cared for does not need 24 hour care. It is not even the slightest bit do-able if you are caring for a child with cancer, for example.
Great if you are lucky enough to have someone else to take care of the even days.