When I was a caregiver for my Mom, I was stressed all the time. Being a caregiver in general adds so much more to our plate, all the while we are worried about our loved one. The overwhelmess can get intense.
To add to my stress, when I went to the Walmart pharmacy that was near our house, something always happened that annoyed me or caused extra work / time. They didn't have a drive-thru window and parking was horrendous. A lot of times I would go in and then the prescription wasn't ready, ugh! So I either had to wait a long time for it to be ready when they finally filled it, or I would have to come back because it wasn't in stock or they hadn't heard back from the doctor or WHATEVER their excuse was.
Plus this Walmart was actually past my house when I left work, so the extra traffic jams added to my stress. And when you have someone at home who has health issues, they usually have a lot of prescriptions that need to be filled. So, this aggravating trip to Walmart wasn't a once-a-month jaunt thing, it was more like a couple of times a week or so.
A colleague from another office came to visit during my caregiver days, and I remember distinctly he was talking about the KISS method. He actually talked about it quite a bit and how he followed that method to help him implement things efficiently and smartly at his office. It would make things easier for him and also his co-workers. Everything he did revolved around the Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) method.
I left the meeting immediately knowing I needed to call the CVS that's on my way home to see what the prices were of my Mom's prescriptions. You see, we had heard Walmart had the lowest prices so I never even checked anywhere else. But after hearing this colleague share so many effective examples of the benefits of the KISS method, I had to check their prices.
I called CVS and it turns out the prices were close, if not the same! I started immediately going to that CVS that was on my way home. And, it turns out it was also a less-busy pharmacy and easy area to park. Further, I got to know the pharmacist really well and he would ask about my Mom and started to know more about her history and what would help her best. And if a prescription wasn't ready, he would call and let me know. This new pharmacy relieved SO MUCH stress, I can't even describe it! It was also a sweet bonus to walk into the pharmacy and see a friendly face, who also cared about my Mom. The pharmacist genuinely cared about both of us and it made going to the pharmacy a nice part of my day, instead of causing stress like the other one did.
The point of the story is not for you find a close pharmacy (sorry!). The point of the story is also not to talk about the KISS method either (surprise!). Instead, the point of the story is to let you know that sometimes when we are in the midst of stress, the last thing we think of are things that can relieve that stress or provide better alternatives. We are kind of in a bubble - we can't see out and we can't see in. Heck, we sometimes don't even realize how stressed we actually really are!
Being a caregiver, we are just trying to get things done that need to be done, with the low amount of energy that we barely have. We don't have time or the capacity to think about solutions or possible alternatives, and definitely don't think to look into possible options that could make our daily routines easier.
Why? Our brain is so full of stressful emotions, it doesn't have room to think properly. We actually aren't even aware we could come up with creative or alternative ways to help. So the last thing that enters our minds is, "Hey maybe we can find options to do things smarter / faster / better / easier."
Let me give you an example.
Do you remember times in your life where you were so stressed that you couldn't remember a phone number or the password to your account or maybe even the account number? The times that happened to me, it was almost like my brain could not function under the high stress and anxiety I felt.
Again, caregivers are just trying to get daily tactical things accomplished.
I have to say, had I not sat in on the meeting with this colleague, I would have continued going to the stressful pharmacy for years. Why? Again - because I was too stressed to realize I could do things to reduce my stress and make my life easier. I was SO thankful this guy came to our office that day - really, truly helped me out!
So, I'm writing this today in hopes that someone who is stressed and overwhelmed will read this (if they have time I mean, lol) and may see this blog post also as a sign and think, "Hmmmm…. she is right. Maybe there is a better option for some things that could ease my stress?"
