I woke up today feeling off, anxious, and burdened with expectations: a list.

I sat, got quiet and asked myself why am I burdening myself with a list of things I am supposed to do or “have” to do? I got quiet and reminded myself I get to choose. I always get to choose.

Caregiver – you too have lists going through your head of things you “have” to get done today.

My guess is the list feels endless.

But what if you did not “have” to do your list? Or, if your list could become a lot shorter? Some days I make a list of what I “could” do today, what I “want” to do today, what I’m “not going” to do today, and then what I choose. Of course there are critical things when caring for others that need to be done, but not all of them.

Therefore, if you are list maker (on paper or in your head), think about what is really critical that happens today. If anything else gets done, it is a bonus.

Remember to put time in your day for you… for YOU. I know some of you are rolling your eyes saying what time? You can carve out 5 minutes for YOU.

If you raised children in any capacity, you could at times sneak in the bathroom, take a shower, or get up 5 minutes earlier. Also, at the end of the day if your baby was still breathing, you were a success. Do you remember those days? Same thing if you are taking care of an adult loved one.

You’ve got this. I believe in you. Share below what your 5 minutes for you looks like today. You may find inspiration below, or share some with another caregiver out there.