Credit: Sunnymars/Dreamstime

In honor of Oscar season, we have developed these tips to keep you in peak performance shape as a caregiver.  If you are a caring for an older loved one, a spouse who has a chronic illness or a child with disabilities or special needs, you are a true superstar.

But, as any true star knows, you have to pamper yourself so you can continue to care for your loved one.  Following are a few tips which will keep you performing your superstar caregiving role:

Become “sleeping beauty.”  Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to a long list of health issues including high blood pressure, heart attack, obesity, depression and even serious accidents.  The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates 100,000 traffic accidents and 71,000 injuries are related to drowsiness during driving.

Create a “waterworld.”  We have been told to drink eight glasses of eight ounces of water a day.  Another measurement is to take half your body weight and drink that much water in ounces.  So if you weigh 160 pounds, you want to drink at least 80 ounces of water a day.  Staying hydrated can help alleviate chronic muscle and joint pain, lower back pain, headaches and constipation.

Screen test for de-stressing.  Cortisol is the stress hormone that increases abdominal fat making us want to eat more so we gain weight which stresses you out even more.  To stop the vicious cycle, try deep breathing exercises.  One method is to plug one nostril and breathe in deeply with the other, when you let it out, plug the other nostril.  Continue as long as comfortable but you will be amazed at how relaxed you feel after a couple of minutes.  You can also take a Caregiver Stress Test from either the American Medical Association (in both English and Spanish) or the Alzheimer’s Association.  If you score high on the test, talk to your doctor about how to better manage your stress pressures.

Let’s do lunch.  Most caregivers are famous multi-taskers.  Eating while in the car, at the sink, or on the run might seem efficient but can lead to bad digestion.  Take just a few minutes in the middle of your day to stop the madness and just savor your food.  Sit down, chew slowly, really taste the food and just enjoy.  If you can not find the time at lunch, carry almonds or a piece of fruit in your purse and at some point – stop and have your healthy snack without doing anything else for 10 minutes.

Create your fantasy soundtrack.  Music can sometimes be the best therapy.  Enlist your child, friend or co-worker to download songs onto your iPod or create a CD for your car or create a Pandora internet radio playlist.  Choose songs that uplift you and put you in a place of feeling empowered and upbeat.  Listen to your soundtrack going to and coming from your caregiving duties.

Taking care of yourself is essential to guaranteeing that your star power will shine for a long time.