We usually think of resolutions as something we make in January.
A new year arrives, and we tell ourselves this will be the year we eat better, move more, get organized, call our friends, or finally make time for ourselves.
But caregivers do not always get the luxury of waiting for January.
Caregiving does not slow down because the calendar says October. The appointments still need to be made. Medications still need to be managed. Someone still needs to make dinner, answer the phone, and hold everything together.
So this fall, make one resolution early: take care of yourself, too.
Dr. Merle Griff understands why that can feel impossible. She cared for her mother after a major stroke. Later, she cared for her husband through serious illness. She knows that when someone tells an exhausted caregiver to “take care of yourself,” it can sound like one more thing on an already impossible list.
Having lived through caregiving herself, Dr. Griff focuses on small moments that can help you keep going.
Start with one minute
You do not need a January reset, a perfect plan, or a full afternoon free.
Step outside for one minute before the next task begins. Take a breath. Feel the air. Let your shoulders drop.
That minute will not solve every challenge. It can interrupt the momentum of a difficult day and remind you that you are a person within this caregiving situation, not only the person responsible for everything.
Small pauses matter because caregiving is rarely one big event. It is a collection of moments: preparing breakfast, organizing medications, managing appointments, answering questions, driving to errands, cleaning up, and starting again.
Finding one minute for yourself can make the next moment feel more manageable.
Rest is part of caregiving
Many family caregivers believe that time away from caregiving needs a purpose. They may feel comfortable leaving to go to work, see a doctor, pick up groceries, or handle paperwork.
Rest can feel harder to justify.
But rest is part of the work.
A nap while your loved one is safe and cared for is not wasted time. Reading for a few quiet minutes is not selfish. Sitting down without a task in front of you is not a failure to be productive.
Caregiving takes physical energy, emotional energy, and patience. Those resources need a chance to recover.
Dr. Griff often reminds caregivers that the goal is not to do everything perfectly. The goal is to remain capable of continuing with care, compassion, and steadiness.
Make help easier to accept
Asking for help can be difficult. Caregivers often worry that they are burdening someone else, or they may not know what to say when a friend or relative asks, “What can I do?”
Prepare one answer before you need it.
Write down one task another person could realistically handle. It might be sitting with your loved one while you take a walk. It might be picking up groceries. It might be driving to an appointment, making a phone call, or bringing dinner on a busy evening.
A specific request makes it easier for someone to help.
Instead of saying, “I could use some help,” try:
“Could you sit with Dad next Tuesday afternoon while I take care of an appointment?”
The person who wants to support you has a clear way to show up. You get a little time back. That is a meaningful exchange.
Build support before a crisis
Caregiving is easier to sustain when support is in place before you are completely overwhelmed.
For many families, adult day health care becomes part of that support system. A SarahCare Adult Day Health Center provides a structured day with activities, meals, social connection, and health monitoring for older adults. It also gives family caregivers dependable time for work, appointments, errands, rest, or simply a chance to recharge.
That time does not have to be filled with another obligation.
You may use it to catch up on life. You may use it to sleep. You may use it to remember what it feels like to have a little quiet.
Each of those choices supports your ability to keep caring.
A resolution for right now
A resolution does not have to wait for January.
It does not have to be dramatic, expensive, or difficult to keep. For a caregiver, it can be as simple as taking one minute outside before the next task begins. It can be accepting help when someone offers it. It can be allowing yourself to rest while your loved one is safe and cared for.
This fall, make one commitment that fits your real life:
Give yourself one small moment of care each day.
You are part of the care plan, too.
This post is adapted from Dr. Merle Griff’s Forbes Books article, “Make A Resolution: It’s Time to Take Care Of You!”