Caregiver Pessimism: One Tip to Break It

"You will see what you are looking for, therefore look for what you hope to see."

- Carl Van

You can understand why a caregiver would feel a little pessimistic.

Your spouse, parent, or loved one has a disease or disability that's not going away.

You probably planned to spend some time relaxing next to water in retirement, but your family member's health worsens with age, and so grows the volume and specialization of care required every day.

A perspective with subtle stinging truth is, anything that happens from this point forward, you're going to have to learn the hard way.

One Tip For Pessimistic Caregivers

I'm going out on a limb to give completely unsolicited advice to my fellow caregivers.

And since I'm talking to pessimistic ones, I can already feel eyes rolling. But just try it...

Take a photo of something you're interested in.

And try to do that when you can.

All I'm asking is, next time you encounter something that you like, that you're curious about, that makes you smile even a little... Then take photo.

Photos have the unparalleled ability to show up later. Have you ever looked at past photos before?

The next time you run into something you're interested in, take out your phone and snap a quick photo. You'll see it later and it'll be a good memory.

Why it works

I've got a hunch that caregiver pessimism stems from the lack of hope. Honest to goodness, if you care for a family member with a disease it's like having a disease yourself. Family is tighter than society.

As caregiver responsibilities grow, with no rehabilitative solution in sight, more of your time and attention shifts to caregiving. You stay at home more. Your world shrinks to a certain degree.

Taking photos is a tangible way to remind yourself of the small things in life that you like.

Taking photos is an easy habit to pick up.

The last thing a caregiver needs is one more things to do, and this one takes as little effort as any positive habit.