Being a reactive/fearful/anxious dog carer can be all-consuming. I was fully expecting getting a dog to change my life. I hadn't expected that my life would change beyond all recognition!
After being constantly exhausted and not eating properly or taking care of myself, I realised I needed to turn things around. I can't be there for George if I am not looking after myself.
I am very fortunate that George has a daycare which he loves (it took me a while to find the right one). I don't know how I would manage without this help.
Things have got easier as George has got older and is increasing his independence in the home. We practiced Karen Overall's Relaxation Protocol and Julie Naismith's Magic Mat. I can now cook dinner and do some other chores in relative peace.
This is how I try to keep on top of life admin:
Use the time between work and pick-up
I use the short time between finishing work and daycare pick-up to try and get at least one task done - get petrol, quickly hoover, throw a laundry load on etc. Although sometimes I'm so tired, I just sit quietly for 10 minutes with a cup of tea.
Use my lunch break
I use my lunch break/time in lieu for things like dentist appointments.
Take annual leave
To avoid George having to go into daycare too often, I book annual leave for things like getting a haircut.
Make use of delivery services
I get everything delivered to work or home - groceries, clothes, dog food, books. I'm fortunate that we're pretty well served in terms of delivery services.
Do online exercise classes
When we weren't able to go for walks and my only time outside of the house was at work, it was pretty tough. Online exercise classes helped a little (although it took George some getting used to me randomly dancing around!).
Use the downtime
George is usually pretty tired after a daycare day so I can use the time to get things done. Usually nothing too energetic as I am tired too! But it's a great time to pay bills, read emails etc. As George is resting better now, there is more downtime too which is great.
Ask for help
Unfortunately my family live on the other side of the world but I have a couple of close local friends who George adores. They have offered to help when needed - I am not the best at asking though! It's quite a time commitment as he's not really used to being left with them so we'd have to build it up slowly.
Talk to friends on Zoom/Teams
I was doing this anyway as a lot of my friends don't live locally. But it became particularly important to feel connected when we couldn't leave the house.
Take a break
Every few months, I'll book George in for an overnight stay at daycare so I can spend some time with friends (outside of our house!) or go to a restaurant or show. Having something in the diary to look forward to really helps.
It's all pretty isolating and not easy at times. I try to reassure myself that this is a temporary situation. The more George's confidence improves and the more we work on his separation anxiety, the easier it will become.
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