One of the single most important decisions that a caregiver will make is choosing to see the glass (or life) as either half-full or half-empty. Every caregiver makes this choice and it's this choice that most directly influences our perspective on everything else in our lives -- our caregiving responsibilities included.
I will admit that it's very difficult to see the glass as being half-full when one is in the midst of crisis. It seems as though nothing builds on itself faster than the feeling of being overwhelmed, and being a caregiver is almost an invitation to find ourselves in the midst of overwhelming circumstances.
But there is an easy yet very effective strategy that caregivers can use when we find ourselves caught up by an overwhelmingly negative perspective. Start keeping a Gratitude Journal. The first step in keeping a Gratitude Journal is to begin each day by carving out a bit of time for yourself (we'll get back to this concept of your Hour of Power in future posts). This is incredibly important time, so don't surrender it to outside distractions.
Take a spiral notebook and open it to the first blank page. Put the date at the top of the page and then number the first ten lines 1-10. Next to each number, write down the name of a person/thing/event/or whatever it is that you are grateful for having in your life. You may be grateful for having your spouse or a significant other in your life. You may be grateful for your own good health. You may be grateful for something that's happening at your job or at school. You may be grateful for the support of a close friend. Or you may be grateful that you heard your favorite song on the radio this morning.
The bottom line is that we all have things for which we are grateful. Sometimes in the midst of emotional chaos it's difficult to keep these things top-of-mind. Starting each day by acknowledging all of the wonderful things -- big and small -- for which you can be grateful will go a long way toward reminding you that the glass is still half-full. And that perspective can add important balance when you find yourself in the midst of what seems like an overwhelming situation.
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