Key takeaways
- Taking care of your own health and well-being as a caregiver is paramount if you’re going to effectively care for and support your loved one long-term.
- Common signs of caregiver stress can include ongoing feelings of being overwhelmed, tired, irritable, sad or unmotivated, consuming alcohol as a coping strategy and dropping out of interests you once enjoyed.
- To manage your stress as a caregiver, look at ways you can share the load, take regular time out for yourself, seek emotional support and keep standard healthy habits like eating well, exercising and keeping to regular sleep patterns.
Without a doubt, the caregiver’s road can be a long one, with little or no light at the end of the tunnel. Taking care of your own health and well-being as a caregiver is paramount if you’re going to effectively care for and support your loved one long-term. Here are some strategies to kickstart your well-being journey.
Caregivers are hands down some of the most dependable and resilient people we’ll ever meet. But prolonged giving of care can overwhelm the most resilient of us and see the caregiver succumb to depression or anxiety and physical health problems.
Let’s look at the signs of caregiver stress in older person care, chronic illness and disability care and measures to combat this stress.
Common signs of caregiver stress
- Feeling overwhelmed or constantly worried.
- Feeling tired most of the time.
- Sleeping too little or too much.
- Losing or gaining weight.
- Being easily irritable.
- Dropping out of the interests that you once enjoyed.
- Feeling unmotivated, not completing tasks and doubting your abilities.
- Feeling sad.
- Turning to alcohol to cope.
Stress management strategies for caregivers
Share the load.
List all your care duties and identify the ones that can be shared on a regular basis with a ‘care team’, be they relatives, friends or paid caregivers. Draw up a structured weekly care plan. Remember, you will be a happier and more useful caregiver if you also have a life of your own.
Bring balance to your emotions.
You might feel guilt handing over some of the care to others or anger that life has taken this turn. Accept these emotions, talk about them with a trusted friend, relative or counselor and shed those tears. This will help you let go of the pain.
Remain active.
Make sure you take those regular walks, sign up and commit to classes and/or join a group exercise activity. A few missed sessions can easily lead to prolonged inactivity and it’s up to you to look after yourself.
Consume well.
Eat a balanced diet and reduce your consumption of alcohol, caffeine and sugar.
Sleep well.
Keep to regular hours of sleep.
Take time out.
Take some time out for yourself and get back into one of those activities you enjoy, like reading, gardening, cooking, music, star gazing, writing, crosswords, painting… the list goes on! Take five minutes or 45! Share the activity or search for a club.
Reach out for support.
Call up friends and relatives who are supportive and do this on a regular basis.
Get professional help.
Seek the professional advice of a psychologist or counselor to help you adopt strategies aimed at looking after yourself. Far from being a sign of weakness or of not coping, seeking help is a sign of strength.
Some of these strategies will resonate — some will not. Make a list of what you would like to achieve. If it all feels too overwhelming, start by implementing one small change at a time. Put the list by your bedside and check in on your progress each week.
Accept that making these changes may be hard. The concept of ‘looking after yourself’ or ‘taking care’ can be difficult for those amongst us with high levels of empathy and those born to care for others. If this is you, know that it isn’t selfish — it’s self-preservation.
