Self-Care for Caregivers
Getting the support you need and practicing self-care can help you recover from burnout, boost your well-being, and become a better caregiver. The Supportive Care in Cancer article from July 2021 emphasizes the importance of addressing the imbalance between how much you are giving and how much you are receiving. That means opening yourself up to outside support and resources, including the following strategies.
Strengthen Your Personal Network
While a helpful and important strategy to implement, self-care alone won’t solve the issues of stress and burnout for caregivers. Letting your personal support system and community take care of you is essential.
Here’s how to build a stronger support system:
- Find a caregiver advocate. Use the Eldercare Locator search tool or call 800-677-1116 to connect with an advocate at your closest Area Agency on Aging. With their help you can learn about support groups, adult day care centers, transportation services, and referrals for financial and legal support to lighten your load.
- Offload some of the work. The belief that you can do everything by yourself is a risk factor for caregiver burnout. If you could use more support from other family members, use this guide from the National Institute on Aging to consider your strengths and limits and learn how to pass on responsibilities to others. The Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) also has helpful tips for how to hold a family meeting to discuss common issues like feeling overwhelmed or managing finances.
- Join a support group. Find people who understand what you’re going through to exchange personalized advice. A caregiver advocate, healthcare provider, or nonprofit organization could help refer you to a group.
- Get workplace support. Contact HR to learn about what support your employer can offer. According to the FCA, some companies have employee assistance programs for counseling, could help you find eldercare or childcare, or offer paid or unpaid time off.
Practice Healthy Coping Skills
Beyond building a stronger support system, improving your approach to self-care can also help foster resilience. The following coping tips may help keep burnout at bay:
- Eat plenty of healthy meals and snacks. Stock up on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. To save time, opt for precut or frozen fruits and veggies.
- Prioritize sleep. If caring for your loved one means disrupted sleep, avoid using caffeinated beverages to stay awake. Instead, take naps when you can.
- Weave in movement. In addition to supporting your overall health, exercise can help to boost your mood and energy levels. The physical activity guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends moderate-intensity exercise for 150 minutes per week or vigorous-intensity exercise for 75 minutes a week, in addition to strength training twice per week. If that amount of movement isn’t feasible for you right now, start smaller. Research supports that walking 7,000 steps per day can reduce the risk of heart disease and all-cause mortality. Even better, those benefits begin at 4,000 steps.
- Schedule checkups. Don’t neglect preventative care appointments. Your health and well-being matter, too.
- Practice asking for help. It can be difficult to ask for help when you play the role of helper so frequently. Reflect on your needs at least once a week and find ways to ask for support.
- Make respite a habit. Look at your calendar and mark down times to take a regular break every week, month, and year. Regular breaks can lower stress and boost positive experiences, protecting against chronic stress. Respite could involve recruiting a driver to help transport your loved one to appointments a few days a week, using adult daycare once a week, swapping duties with another family member, or scheduling a vacation. Use the ARCH National Respite Locator Service to find local services.
As a caregiver, you have the right to take care of yourself, ask for help, know your limits, and express difficult emotions. “The goal of self-care during caregiving is to maintain strength, emotional well-being, and the capacity to continue caring for your loved one — not necessarily achieving optimal peak health for yourself,” says Dr. Malhotra. “So even a little bit goes a long way.”
Schedule Mental Health Care
Sometimes you need support to cope with the toll of caregiving. If you’re feeling anxious, depressed, or burned out, schedule a mental health appointment for yourself just as you would for your loved one. You can contact a primary care physician or mental health care professional for support.
If caregiving responsibilities make it difficult to carve out time, online therapy may present a more convenient and accessible option. Use our guide to find the best online therapy provider for you.