Don’t you hate it when the scale in the doctor’s office adds 5 or 6 pounds to your weight? I understand the white coat syndrome that makes your blood pressure reading higher at the doctor’s office too, but it can all be discouraging.
I lamented the same to my doctor yesterday, and he only smiled encouragingly. Then he told me that as long as I am seeing progress on my scale, that it’s all good. Warning against fad diets, he told me that slow progress means I am making lifestyle changes that could be lasting rather than doing something drastic for a while, then quitting it and reversing the progress I had made.
When I consider this in the mindset of caregiving, it reminds me to celebrate small successes. I have to look for some small things such as how I may have changed my self-care, how I better managed my care for a loved one, or how I thought about my role and the responsibilities of caregiving. Such small, positive changes have the potential of leading to lasting change. A former pastor and friend used to say most people have a “microwave mentality.” That is, we all want change to happen immediately. And although lasting change is a slow process, it’s worth our time to celebrate the little successes along the way. After all, they will eventually add up to the big changes we want to see.
🙋Your Turn- What small successes will you celebrate?
Care For The Caregiver 