Jennifer Grey: When you're a mom and you take your
kid to get their shots and they’re so frightened of the shot,
but afterwards they get a really cool Batman or princess
Band-Aid and a lollipop. What's our cool Band-Aid? There
are ways in which we can make this fun for ourselves.
Why waste the opportunity of doing something nice for
yourself every day.
Gary Barg: Absolutely. I think it's brilliant. Also, even
after you get your flu shot, the next week go out for
ice cream with your grandkids and your mom. As a
caregiver, we need to pay attention to that interaction,
that celebration. I'm so glad you and Sanofi Pasteur are
doing this; A, for the flu shot, but B, to be able to help us
factor some celebration into our week.
Jennifer Grey: You deserve to be able to give something
back to yourself. Because until you can fill up your tank,
you are not going to have the good stuff to give away.
Gary Barg: Jennifer, what would be the one, most
important piece of advice that you'd like to share with
Family Caregivers?
Jennifer Grey: Unless you care for yourself, you you
will not be able to care for anyone else. And to put the
oxygen mask on yourself first, and make sure that you are
feeding yourself, sleeping, taking down time so you're
not overstressed.
Because stress, lack of sleep, lack of healthy food, and
the lack of actual pleasure time works against us because
our nervous systems can't take the amount of stress that
caregivers live with every day. It becomes normalized for
you and you don't realize how much it's actually costing
you.
You need to care of yourself. And it doesn't take much,
and it doesn't have to be a big deal. And it doesn't have
to cost money. And it doesn't have to be the South of
France. It can just be in your own backyard.
Gary Barg: As you say, the Flu its going to come back
with a vengeance, and before it does, within the next two
months, get that flu shot. Make sure your loved ones get
their flu shot and put it back into your normal rotation of
healthcare.
Jennifer Grey: We can't control so many things, but it's
one thing you can do. I just think, "Why not do everything
you can do?"
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