I have taken on a new caregiving responsibility. It’s quite a bit different from my past of caregiving for family loved ones with heart disease, dementia, and cirrhosis of the liver. The life-threatening aspects are missing this time around. It’s not the challenging caretaking of my human loved ones, but a type of caregiving nonetheless. I have adopted a rescue dog!
I’m experiencing that anxiety again!
As different as this may seem, the same primal anxiety that comes up for me when caring for another vulnerable creature has hit me again. I am worried that I have taken on too much responsibility and I will not be a good enough caregiver. I feel scared and overwhelmed by my job caring for this defenseless creature who needs my help. I am hard-wired to worry about everyone around me who can’t take care of themselves or who needs special care to survive and thrive.
One Day at a Time!
The good news is, I have been forced to remind myself of the wonderful weapon of taking it “one day at a time”. When I become anxious and worried I remember that I have survived and felt relief when I concern myself with today and today only. Not tomorrow, not yesterday but this here and now 24 hour period I am in. I take it one day at a time.
I learned this invaluable tactic in my Caregiver Warrior role. I can do anything for one day. Not forever, not for months at a time, not for the rest of my life but just for today. I can manage to handle all that life throws at me right now, just for today. That’s all I need to worry about. Just what happens here and now. Tomorrow may be different and yesterday I may have struggled but right here, today is all I need to worry about. This helped me when I took care of my parents, my loved ones, and even myself.
Just for today.
I’ve learned through the years and situations that to pull this off I may need to return to this multiple times in the day. Sometimes hourly, sometimes minute by minute. Just for today, I tell myself. Just for today. I lose track sometimes and feel the fear creep up so I have to remind myself this is not forever and again, it’s one day at a time and just for today. It makes everything feels really doable, and I can concentrate on what needs to get done.
One job and one job only.
So if you are like me and face anxiety and worry no matter what the situation, take heart and soothe yourself by giving yourself one job. That job is to take it one day at a time, remembering you just have to do whatever it is that scares you, just for today. It’s simple and reasonable and tomorrow you can start all over again and concentrate just for today.
Fred the rescue dog is doing great by the way and I bet I know why. Because in his world, he lives in the moment and takes it one day at a time. I now have a living, breathing inspiration who just happens to be the greatest dog in the world. He has let go of yesterday and runs and rolls around in life just for today. How lucky am I?
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