Once the first feelings of your new job as live-in carer have started to wear off you may find yourself feeling a little lonely.
Often when you start your first placement there is simply too much to do and no time to feel lonely. However, as the days and weeks progress and you settle into a routine, you will start to miss your own loved ones. This may be a spouse, children, parents, friends and even pets that you have left at home while you head off to work.
There is no doubt about it – caring can be a very lonely job. Depending on where you go and the condition of your client you may not even have any reasonable conversation. You will often have ‘down time’ where you simply need to be in the vicinity. At times like this you may find yourself thinking about your loved ones and miss them.
So, what do you do when you’re feeling down?
It is important that you admit that you are feeling lonely, sad, depressed or simply miserable. Once you have admitted that you feel bad, you can start to do something about it.
Talk to someone
Even in the loneliest of placements there will be someone who you meet. Start a conversation with them, make a point of talking to them every time you see them, even if this is just a postman who comes around every day. Don’t isolate yourself. A few cheerful words when you see someone will go a long way to making your life more pleasant.
Take a walk
Walking in the fresh air is a great way to start feeling good again. Simply getting out of the house and out of earshot will give you time to get your thoughts back together. Often you will go back feeling refreshed and able to face the rest of the day.
Keep in touch with your loved ones
Never underestimate the good that will come from hearing from someone you love. Try to email or text a friend, place a skype call so that you can see your spouse as you talk. These are free and will help you to feel better. While not everyone wants to hear that you are lonely and sad, they will understand when you say you are longing to come home.
Join a carer forum
While there are some posts on carer forums which are not positive, there are hundreds of carers who use this as a form of meeting other carers for a coffee during a break. Post a comment about what city you are in and ask if anyone else is there.
Chances are there will be someone in the same area and would love to meet up. This is an excellent chance to see how other carers are faring. You will also find that you are not the only person who feels lonely or down. It is quite normal to feel this way. Simply meeting another carer will lighten your load.
To sum up
Feeling sad, lonely or down are not unnatural feelings for a carer to have. There are many carers who feel this way just because of the job and what it entails.
What you do with those feelings is what matters, and it is possible to stay feeling positive and upbeat for your placement even though you may be counting the days until you leave!
It’s important to remember that you are not alone and there are people who can help you to feel better.
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