Caregiver.com published a post titled “7 Emotional and Physical Well-Being Tips for Male Caregivers” in June 2017. I wouldn’t usually comment on something over a year old unless it was timeless, and I’m certainly not criticizing the author, but I was struck by the extended negative comment this post received written by “Paul”.

Here are the 7 tips quoted from the post:

1. Participate in a support group.
2. Vary the caregiving responsibilities among family members or friends.
3. Exercise on the average of three times per week and maintain a healthy diet.
4. Establish time for meditation.
5. Practice time management.
6. Prepare all necessary documents, i.e.: insurance policies, deeds, loans and funeral arrangements.
7. Stay involved in hobbies.

I am regularly advised, as I am sure you are,  by friends, family, and medical practitioners to be sure to take care of myself. This “advice”, sometimes very generic, and sometimes very specific (meditate, take these supplements, become vegan, run marathons, and so on) has become my “Sword of Damocles” hanging over my head, always reminding me that my life is at risk, and so are the lives of those I care for.

What has become an admonition is growing tiresome. I know all of the perils I face — I know them all too well. What I need are not “tips” … what I need are solutions! And for this reason, I felt Paul’s pain and frustration.

I’d also like to note, and this is a bit of a critique of the post, that the seven tips are in no way specific to men regardless of the post’s title. This tips, which are all valuable, apply equally as well to female caregivers, and that may be part of Paul’s and my reaction.

Now, if you are expecting me to offer the answer to it all right now, you will be disappointed. Afterall, that I why I started this blog so that we can discover the answers together. If I knew how, or maybe more accurately, if I were able to take care of myself, then I wouldn’t feel so stressed, exhausted, anxious, frustrated, sad, overwhelmed, and achy. I would wake up everyday with a positive attitude, well rested, full of energy and enthusiasm, and looking forward to the next problem so I can develop the next solution — well, at least that’s how I think it would go.

All of the 7 tips are on my ToDo list, and I’ll get right on them after I deal with all the other things I was expecting my part-time aide to do this morning, who unexpectedly didn’t show up. Every day is a new adventure. What’s on your ToDo list for maintaining your physical and emotional well-being?