iSavta | 02.02.2021

Many of you would agree that our work as Caregivers is routine every day. We are not actually bothered by how we could manage our time efficiently while doing all our everyday responsibilities for our patients. All we know is that we do our job and make sure our patient is well-fed, safe and happy. But how about our responsibility for ourselves? How can we find time to make ourselves well-fed and happy as well?

 

I was once employed in Jerusalem where I felt I didn’t have much time to do everything in one day. My employers were very demanding and each of them has their own needs every day. I ended up leaving the job because I felt I couldn’t give them what they need from me. Heck, I barely have time to shower.

 

But then I realized that I was not managing my time well during that time. Perhaps, if I stayed a little longer, I was able to keep that job (which pays higher than the minimum wage) and stayed for many years.

 

Time management is something that Caregivers should master as well. Your own needs and personal time is as important as our daily job routine. If you will not make time for yourself, you will most likely have caregiver burnout which in the end, would let you quit the job.

 

The first thing you should do is not to compare your job to other caregivers. You have different employers with different needs. Some may have a full day of work and some may have a long siesta in the afternoon because their patient is partly independent.

 

But no matter how busy your routine is, if you manage your time correctly, you will be able to do everything that you need and want to do in a day. Here are some tips on how to manage your time effectively.

 

1. Have a List of Your Daily Routine

List down the things that you need to do tomorrow before you go to bed today. Sometimes, your patient will have a doctor’s appointment or needs to go somewhere. You will be able to manage your day effectively if you know how to time everything. Your daily routine should include your own personal routine. Your shower, your skincare ritual, your prayer time, and most importantly, your video call with your family back home.

 

2. Do Other Tasks in Advance

If you feel like you still have time today to clean the windows, do it today. That way, you will have plenty of time tomorrow to do things that you love tomorrow. When I was still working as a home caregiver, I usually schedule my house cleaning every Monday. But since I seldom go out during weekends, I sometimes do it on a Saturday or Sunday. By Monday, I will have almost half of the day to myself reading my favorite books or talking to my family back home.

 

3. Avoid Procrastination

Caregivers also have deadlines. No matter how random and spontaneous our job is, there are some things that we shouldn’t delay. Most of us are tasks to collect or buy our patient’s medication and other personal necessities. We tend to delay this sometimes because we are used to having extra at home. But sometimes, we tend to forget these things and we end up having none when we need it.

 

4. Have a Schedule of Your Family’s Voice Call

It is sometimes difficult to communicate with your family back home because of the time difference. But, you can set a fixed schedule with your loved ones. You cannot have a random voice call with your family while you are working. This would alter your scheduled plan for the day. Instead, find a perfect hour that suits their time zone as well as yours.

 

5. Have a small itinerary for your Rest Day

If you are planning on taking your rest days with your friends, write down an itinerary to maximize your days off. This would help you do the things that you want to do in 26 hours outside work. This works as well when you plan to stay in over the weekend. You are not required to work during these days but you can stay with your employer. Spend these days doing what you love or have that long deep sleep that you badly need.