Perseverance – a Survival Strategy
to help Caregivers Cope with Stress

Winter Berries for CaregiversA former student in our online caregiving class who works at an assisted living facility said he always asks his residents this question, “If there is one thing that you have learned in your life that has had the biggest impact on who you are today, what is it? And how do you recommend that I pursue this same thing?”

One resident’s comment had a profound impact on our student. He said, “Get back up. Even if you fall hard, get back up, because all there is in life is life, and it’s up to you to persevere and make it all you can.”

The late Maya Angelou said, “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”

When you’re a caregiver, you deal with disappointments, set-backs and frustrations every day. Sometimes when you fall into bed at night, you don’t know how you’ll have the strength or the will to get up and do it all over again the next morning. But you do. You persevere. You keep going and you do the best you can.

You may be on a journey now that will not have a “happily ever after” outcome. If you can persevere and continue to get up and keep going through your most difficult challenges, at some point you will discover that during those times of struggle you experiences the greatest mental and emotional growth. You’ll also realize that what you have given is far more valuable than anything you will ever receive.