Ways To Keep Writing When Caregiving Needs Increase

by Kayne Swain

“Honey, I don’t feel so well. My heart feels like it’s going a hundred miles a minute and…I feel so short of breath. Can you check my blood pressure?” the elderly mother said.

“Mom, I have to take the kids to the specialist and he wants to run several tests. We’ll be gone a couple of days. Can you feed the goats and check the dogs and cats for us?”

“Mother, my doctor says I have to have surgery on my knee since the break didn’t heal up. Any chance you could come visit me for a couple of days. I’ll need someone to stay with me when I go home?”

For many caregivers, including the Sandwich Generation, unexpected caregiving needs often arise. Juggling caregiving duties can be frustrating in and of itself, but when you’re working on writing projects and deadlines, it can add extra stress to your already overloaded life. What do you do?

Start with prayer. “I can do all things through [Christ] who strengthens me” from Philippians 4:13 (NASB) is just as applicable to the interrupted writer juggling family needs as it was to the apostles trying to deal with recalcitrant churches, antagonistic religious leaders, and evil governments. Prayer is powerful and it makes a difference in every situation, including those full of interruptions.

Praise God in and through it all. There’s a good reason Paul teaches, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NASB). Praise and thanksgiving are powerful tools of our Lord and they make a wonderful impact in our hearts, lives and attitudes as we deal with one crisis after another.

Delegate when possible. It’s not always an option, but try to think OUTSIDE as well as inside. Start with family members who might be available to step in and take on some of the caregiving responsibilities. See if there’s a niece or nephew who can fly out to stay with their aunt when she has to have surgery. If these options aren’t available to help you with caregiving duties, how about delegating other tasks that will free you up in different ways. A neighbor might be able to mow your law or watch the family pets; some local pharmacies still offer delivery services; in certain areas, grocery stores also deliver; and Amazon is great at shipping needed supplies all around the country in a jiffy. Especially if you have their Prime Discount Membership.

Sometimes, professional caregiving delegation is required and very helpful. From weekly caregivers sent by a reputable agency who come in to sit with an elderly grandparent while also helping with dishes and light household chores to a daily respite service for senior parents, there are definitely safe options for our aging family members who are living in your home or theirs. For that matter a two day a week church preschool might be just the ticket for the kids or grandkids as well. Each of these can offer a caregiver some precious minutes alone.

If you do have to fly out of town, make sure to use an airline like Southwest which offers great flexibility options. Then, if a caregiving need arises that requires you to change your reservations at the last minute, it will save you time plus there will be no cancellation penalty or headaches.

With your handy dandy notepad and pencil always with you, and/or a lightweight Netbook or Tablet, make good use of the bits and pieces of time spent waiting, traveling, and sitting. Be sure to take plenty of notes about each situation you are involved in, as so much of it will make great material for future books, articles, etc. If you don’t write it down, though, interruptions will chase those terrific ideas right out of your head!

Do your best each day but know that you might not get everything done, and THAT’S OK! At the end of the day, make a list (written or mental) of all the things you HAVE gotten done, and make sure that writing is on there every day – even if you just write a short note for a future article, or the first paragraph of a book,

As caregivers, we are often subject to more interruptions than most. It’s so easy to put aside the goal of writing and think, “I’ll start, just as soon as this crisis is over.” But what if there’s another problem right around the corner. That’s been a fact of life for many of us for decades. By making sure that your “things I’ve done today list” includes writing, whether about the events of the day or a total flight of fantasy, you have kept the momentum going. You have been a writer…interrupted…but plugging away. And you’ll be astounded what a difference that will make in the months and years to come.