Being a caregiver is a deeply meaningful role, one that requires dedication, love, and resilience. While it can sometimes feel overwhelming, you are not alone. Many people understand the challenges you face and want to support you in maintaining your own wellbeing.
If this is you, you’ve probably had plenty of advice about how you should take care of your own wellbeing to avoid burning out. ‘Make sure you balance your personal life with your responsibilities.’ Easy to say, but harder to do when you’re juggling so much.

Putting general advice into practice seems hard when there are so many demands on your time and emotions. So here are some more concrete suggestions about what you can do and where you can find some help to ease the load.

Be Realistic

The hardest job is to be realistic about how much you can take on. If somebody gave you a list on day one showing all the care needs your loved one would eventually need, you’d probably see it was impossible to meet all of them on your own. Care needs build over time, and it’s easy to find yourself doing more and more without realising the full impact on your time, wellbeing, and your own life in general.

Making a list is the first step to identifying what tasks you have the capacity to carry on doing and which ones need an alternative solution. The alternative might be friends, other family members or a professional care provider.

Value Your Time

Reserving time to pursue your own interests or just relax is something you’re entitled to do. Never feel guilty about it. Balancing your personal life with caregiving is ultimately more sustainable than abandoning your personal life altogether.

Look After Yourself

A good diet, exercise and enough sleep. These are essentials – not a ‘nice to have.’ They are as important as anything else you do. Try to make them part of your routine.

There may be support groups in your area where you can share issues and practical solutions with people in a similar position.

Caring for a loved one is a profound commitment, and it’s essential to remember that support is available to help you maintain your own well-being while providing care. One valuable resource is the Looking after someone guide from CarersUK, which offers practical advice and information tailored for caregivers. Additionally, Carers UK provides online tools to assist with various aspects of caregiving, helping you balance your responsibilities and personal life.

Get Help

Respite care, day care and care at home are a few of the ways you can take some of the load off your shoulders and care for your loved one in a more sustainable way.

Talk to Altogether Care about your options and what other help and support might be available. You don’t have to deal with everything on your own.