New to the forum! Struggling to find time to meet my own needs, as I'm a caregiver too to many people. Saying yes is easy, saying no is hard. Therefore I'm not getting proper food, proper rest, right exercise, don't even get daily vitamin intake. Weight is creeping up. Help... Ideas... Solutions... Feeling defeated.
You just listed the problems that beg the solution. Eat, schedule breakfast, lunch and dinner. Go to bed at a scheduled bedtime and don't stay up past that time. What kind of exercise is "proper?" You can exercise when standing in line at the store, just by walking in place, or if you drive, maybe park far from your door, or don't drive and just walk several blocks to a bus stop or whatever business you need to visit. Nobody in America gets enough vitamins without taking supplements. Buy them, schedule them, take them. All your struggles are things that are easy to fix, unlike being "a caretaker to too many people." If you're not a professional caregiver, who are you caring for while putting your own needs aside? Stop doing that.
The first thing you need to do is make a decision to put yourself first. Even if you have to do that in order to have the strength to take care of others, you have to come first. You say you're struggling to "find time" to do that, which is really confusing, since you have time for all kinds of other things that take up ALL your time. Stop. Really.
I suggest you get a blank book and start writing in it. You can decide what topics should come first, then second, then third and on and on. For instance, on one page you can keep track of what you're eating, what time you eat it, how much you ate, etc. On another you can make a list of activity you participated in like walking, vacuuming, doing 10 situps, napping, etc.
But key to everything is planning.I sort out my prescriptions and supplements weeks in advance and keep them in little plastic containers so I have them ready to go every morning. This picture doesn't show all the supplements I take in a day--altogether I take 22 pills/capsules including vitamins, calcium, thyroid hormone, fish oil, probiotics, etc.
