According to figures compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, over 3.4 million professional caregivers are currently employed in the home care industry. Although it’s a joyful and rewarding career, caregiving can be a complicated job that’s exhausting and frustrating. No paid caregiver breezes through the journey without feeling some degree of negativity and hopelessness creeping in. As a professional caregiver serving on the front lines, here are ten secrets to staying positive even on the worst of days.

10 Secrets to Being a Happy and Successful Professional Caregiver

Focus on the Good Things in Life

To keep negative thoughts at bay, try making a list each day of things that are going well in your life. When problems present, look for small bright spots in your life, like a warm, sunny day, binge-watching your favorite TV shows, or taking a well-deserved nap.

Speak Kindly to Yourself

One of the keys to positive thinking is never saying anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to anyone else. Turning off the negative dialogue in your head can be a powerful tool to harness optimism. For example, instead of thinking, “This will never work,” you might say to yourself, “I’ll try again later a different way.”

Lean on Positive People

Surrounding yourself with positive friends, family, and coworkers is helpful when trying to stay upbeat. Like the average person, you spend the most time with a close support group of roughly five people. Stay connected with those individuals regularly, either in person or online. If needed, join a supportive online community of fellow caregivers.

Seek Happiness Through Healthy Habits

A healthy diet and exercise program can go a long way in improving mood and overall wellness to counteract the rigors of caregiving. Regular exercise and good nutrition lower stress, increase energy and foster good sleep habits. Be sure to avoid unhealthy habits like smoking, overeating, and drinking alcohol to excess.

Take Time for Yourself

Whether it’s a quick walk around the block or meeting a friend for lunch, taking a break from caregiving duties to focus on self-care is essential for your health and wellbeing. Staying recharged and refreshed is also a reliable way to ensure that you continue to provide your client with the care they deserve.

Laugh More

You’ve probably heard that “Laughter is the best medicine.” Not only does laughter make you feel good, but its positive effects stay with you long after the chuckling subsides. Research has shown that regular laughter lowers stress hormones, relaxes tense muscles, improves mood, and eases anxiety.

Keep It Simple

Sometimes, only doing what immediately needs to be done, like dishes, laundry, and meals, can make the days less daunting. Don’t set unrealistic caregiving goals for yourself. Instead, keep it simple by picking one or two essential tasks to accomplish and then focusing on those.

Embrace Your Spiritual Side

The benefits of spirituality include improved mood and even physical health and longevity.

Experts recommend setting aside focused time each day for spiritual activities, including sharing prayers with loved ones, singing, or listening to spiritual music.

Keep a Gratitude Journal

Sometimes, life gets so busy that we can easily forget about all the good things. The best way to remind yourself of the positives each day is by writing down in a gratitude journal five things you are thankful for, like family and friends.

Remember that You Are Only Human

As a senior caregiver, no matter how hard you try, in most instances, your client’s condition is eventually going to grow worse. That’s not a reflection on you. Instead, learn to let go of the guilt and give yourself grace. Remember to show up on time every day with a positive attitude and firm commitment to make a difference in the lives of those you serve!

Looking to Become a Professional Caregiver? Join Our Winning Home Care Team Today!

Another secret that happy caregivers share is being part of a winning home care team. Due to our expanding client load, Health at Home is currently seeking qualified individuals to fill several caregiving positions. While proudly serving communities in Palm Beach County, Broward County, Martin County, St. Lucie County, and Indian River County, FL we support clients and their families with services that include personal care, respite care, 24-hour care, Alzheimer’s and dementia care, and more.

We offer our employees a fast-paced, positive work environment where input is valued and hard work rewarded. Whether you’re an aide, nurse, therapist, social worker, or another type of healthcare professional, we’d love to hear from you! To learn more about career opportunities with Health at Home, please visit us today at healthathome.care.

Home care is an integral part of the U.S. healthcare system projected to grow more than 30% in the next ten years. The demand for home health and personal care aides will only continue to rise as more and more Baby Boomers reach retirement age. In addition to being recession-proof, a career in caregiving may provide you with benefits that include personal growth and development, job satisfaction, and flexibility. What does it take to be a good caregiver? Read on to learn more about the top qualities that professional caregivers should have. 

Patience

Taking care of a client’s most personal needs can get frustrating, while a condition like dementia may cause agitation or significant memory loss. A good caregiver is someone who practices patience in all types of situations by learning how to manage their emotions.

Responsible

A responsible caregiver is a mindful, conscientious person who truly cares about their clients, someone who can step in and respond to specific needs without always being asked. Responsibility also involves dedication to company requirements like being on time and attending employee training.

Professionalism

A good caregiver takes pride in what they do while having a clean and neat appearance, acting with respect, and using language that isn’t inappropriate or offensive. Another aspect of being professional is setting boundaries so that clients don’t get too emotionally attached and view you as a family member rather than a personal assistant.

Integrity

Integrity means being honest. Sadly, there are plenty of stories about dishonest in-home caregivers who took advantage of older clients. Some are even guilty of elder abuse. No matter how good a caregiver is, they must have integrity.

Empathy and Compassion

Empathy is the human emotion of understanding and sharing another person’s feelings. An aging client’s life experiences may be quite different than those of their caregiver. A compassionate caregiver can empathize with feelings like loss of independence, function, and friends while building a trusting relationship with their client.

Assertive

Good caregivers also advocate strongly for those in their care. They aren’t afraid to ask questions, for example, while accompanying a client to their doctor’s appointment to ensure their client gets the best care possible.

Optimism

A sense of optimism is the belief that the glass is half full. While the expression of optimism might differ with each caregiver, it should be an underlying emotion of positivity. This is notably important in a situation where the client relies heavily on the caregiver. In general, optimism is a necessary caregiver quality to encourage a better mood and improve functioning.

Flexibility

Every caregiver brings a unique set of skills to the table. An exceptional caregiver possesses a flexible mindset and can quickly respond to a different set of client needs even within a single day. When a client provides feedback to their caregiver, they need to hear what is being said and adapt accordingly to ensure a higher quality of life.

Detail-Oriented

Successful caregivers are also good managers of their time. They create and stick to tight schedules, plan well for emergencies, and organize responsibilities beforehand so they don’t have to scramble at the last minute. Being detail-oriented is notably important when caring for a client with memory loss or a terminal illness.

Cooperative

A good caregiver is someone who functions well while serving as part of a caregiving team. While communicating what they’ve learned with fellow members, they may be asked to coordinate care with professionals that include doctors, home health nurses, physical and occupational therapists, social workers, and others.

Are You Ready to Make a Difference?

If you are ready to make a difference in the lives of others by serving as a professional in-home caregiver, we invite you to join our winning team. Due to our expanding client load, Health at Home is currently seeking qualified individuals to fill several exciting caregiving positions. While proudly serving communities in Palm City, Boca Raton, and and Boynton Beach, we support clients and their families with services that include personal care, respite care, private duty care, 24-hour care, Alzheimer’s and dementia care, and more.

As a highly valued member of the Health at Home team, you’ll enjoy a fast-paced, positive work environment where your input is valued and hard work rewarded. We also offer competitive pay, flexible scheduling, ongoing staff training, and career advancement opportunities galore. No matter your experience level or education, we’d love to hear from you! To learn more about our open positions, please visit us today at healthathome.care.