The mental and psychosocial health as a caregiver for your family is important in keeping you healthy, both physically and emotionally.
1. Talk about your feelings – All caregivers, be it family members or outsourced, at some point in time during the process do feel the pressure and stress of the variations in everyday care of the patient, their mood swings, and their never-ending routine, surge in care demands, risk of infection, and equipment shortages. As a caregiver you need to give their 100%, but you need to take out at least some time for yourself.
2. Coping strategies - Put into practice strategies like getting enough rest, eating healthy meals, engaging in physical activity.
3. Perform regular checks on yourself – Daily monitor yourself for symptoms of depression/stress disorder like difficulty sleeping, sadness, or memories and/or feelings of hopelessness.
4. Take time out – When caring for a seriously or prolonged unwell family member, it is important to take a break every few days or weeks to be able to rejuvenate and refresh oneself. Keeping a positive attitude and mindset will help with the process of caregiving.
Overall, take care of yourself so that you can take care of your family. Keep fit, keep healthy, and keep optimistic.
