If we wait long enough, maybe it will go away. I knew that there was going to be a disaster concerning my failing parent, but I just could not make myself act on the issues. Wikipedia defines procrastination as avoiding a task that needs to be done.
When we are faced with tasks that we do not know how to accomplish, or we know how to perform them, but is too difficult for us to face we procrastinate. Asking for help as a caregiver often falls into this crevasse. We know that there are impending issues, but because we have never encountered the problems before, we feel inadequate. The inadequacy deepens until we feel guilty and depressed. We get upset with ourselves for not having the courage to face down the procrastination.
Caregiving is a loving, but difficult task. In fact, it is probably one of the most challenging things we do as adult children. We have years and often decades of relationship and feelings about the person we have taken on responsibility for. We are still the child in the parent’s eyes regardless of our competency and success in life. Pushing back on someone who has always been our oak tree is not an easy task.
Does anyone wonder why we procrastinate and not ask for help? Fear drives the procrastination.
Fear of:
We are not perfect beings! If your life experience does not include caregiving as a profession, how do you learn the tools, skills, and techniques to be successful? Even if you have been a caregiver, when it is time to care for someone you love, the rules fly out the window. They are not just any patient; it is a loved one that you want to protect and who protected you.
Procrastination never is a winner. It delays the inevitable, and the delay may, in fact, worsen the challenges. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Help is out there and if you contact me today, I will be able to assist you with any questions or concerns you might have.