Halfway is A-OK

Sometimes it’s ok to do things halfway. Life of a caregiver can be extremely busy. We are already living our own lives filled with work, responsibility, stress and more. Then we add to it caring for someone we love who has been debilitated by PsA or something else. This often leads to the age-old trying to cram 36 hours into a 24-hour day. We know it’s impossible, but we just keep trying to do it.

Then to make matters worse, we have the continual rhetoric of you have to take care of yourself in order to take care of someone else. I’m the first one to admit many of my blogs preach this because I believe it completely. I’m also the first one to back burner my own advice. So, what good does that do anyone?

I recently had an epiphany, and I learned it from my friend with PsA. Sometimes it’s more than ok to only do it all halfway (There’s a better phrase for this, that I won’t use as some of our readers may be offended).

Express work-out

For example, we all know working out is an important part of being healthy. I love to kickbox and will try to train one or two hours at a time as often as I can. However, with the life I lead that’s becoming less and less possible. As a result, I found myself frustrated and angry that I couldn’t get to class and then I saw my friend show up for a class for 30 minutes and leave. I’ve seen another friend show up halfway through class and only do the second half. They feel great and keep going about their days. So, what if I’m burning 350 calories instead of 700. Three fifty is way better than none. Not a class person? Pop into the gym for 30 minutes of cardio or take a quick sprint around the block it all counts and works.

Cleaning what you must

If you’re like most of us, cleaning the house at least once a week is a must and depending on how many people live in the house it can be an hours-long task. I know from personal experience that skipping cleaning can quickly spin out of control into a world where that shower will never come clean no matter what you do. We don’t want that! You can, however, pick your battles. On crazy busy weeks just hit the bathrooms, kitchen, and floors. If your sheets don’t get changed for two weeks, I promise you won’t be the grossest human on the planet. Let it go until you have the time.

Laundry

You have permission to every now and again say screw it to the laundry pile and just go buy a new outfit. When the going gets tough and the thought of hours of washing leaves a hole in the pit of your stomach just go get something new. Much like the cleaning, this is not a weekly recommendation, but during particularly busy times let the pile grow a little higher.

Grocery shopping

A lot of people are drawn to meal delivery subscriptions and they’re great. For me, they never really saved time or killed stress because even with all the guidance in the world the chopping alone seemed to take an eternity. However, hitting the grocery store can feel like an all-day commitment. It’s ok to go in and only get what you absolutely need and there’s no judgment if you order carryout 4 times in one week if it eases your schedule. The world isn’t going to stop. Your family will probably love you for it and hey, you can support some local eateries in the process.

Bail on family plans

It’s ok to bail on Sunday dinner or even a birthday party if times are too stressful. They’ll forgive you and you’ll make it up to them with an epic celebration when things calm down. Don’t let guilt and obligation creep in. If you absolutely have to go, then commit to a set time frame. Tell them up front you can only stay an hour and make sure you exit when you need to. An hour as opposed to four hours is a huge difference and gives you so much more time to do things you need to do.

Taking time to only do half of what you normally do is still a win. Being overwhelmed is not. Do what you can. Forget about the rest. It won’t pile up eternally if it has to wait a little longer...that is, except the shower scum. Never neglect the shower scum.