Looking After Yourself
Looking after yourself as a carer
As a carer of a loved one or friend, it is important that you take care of yourself. Perhaps you are caring full time and have had to give up work and hobbies or maybe you are trying to balance your caring role with employment and looking after a family? The main thing is, Look after yourself.
- give yourself a break
- explain your caring role to friends/family and employers
- take time for yourself everyday - even if it's only a few minutes
- ask for help from social work/friends family/carers centre
- remember, looking after yourself isn't selfish - it's sensible
You need to look after yourself physically and emotionally if you want to be able to go on caring. Things you may be able to do:
Having a break
- Arrange for regular breaks to make sure you have some time off. Family Friends, Renfrewshire Council Social Work Area Team, Alzheimer Scotland and the Carers Centre can help. Respite breaks can give you a chance to re-charge your batteries. Contact you Area Team for further information
- Try not to become isolated from friends and family.
- Take time for yourself. Think about what you find relaxing. It could be listening to music, talking with friends or going for a walk. Thry to make sure you get some time each day to relax, even if it's only for a few minutes. We have relaxation services available at the Carers Centre, although the service is very popular and we usually have a waiting lists for the holistic service we offer carers free of charge. You may also want to come along to our Carers Cafe or attend one of our support groups.
Emotional Support
Click here for information about emotional support available locally
Eating Well
As a carer it is vitally important that you have enough to eat and that your diet is as balanced as possible. This will lower your own risk of illness and help provide you with the energy that you need in your caring role. The picture at the top of the page provides a guide to what a 'balanced diet' looks like. According to the diagram, our diets should be made of of primarily vegegables and fruit and starchy food. Meat and other protein food make up a surprisingly small proportion of the plate. whilst adults require the equivalent of 1 pint of milk a day, fatty and sugary food should be limited (boo!). Also remember that we should be drinking between 6 and 8 cups of fluid a day, including tea and coffee.
Click here for British Heart Foundation Advice.
Foods to Help Fight Stress and Lift your Mood
The following foods can help manage your stress levels
- eating porridge at breakfast time - to keep you going
- Turkey at lunch or dinner - mood boosting
- Oranges, Kiwi Fruit and strawberries - Vitamin C
- Bananas for your blood pressure
- Wholemeal bread to maintain energy
- white fish - prevent mood swings and helps you sleep
- Water - to avoid dehydration
- Almonds/lean meat for magnesium to prevent lows
- Prunes for antioxidants that can help your immune system
- Tea to reduce stress and allowing you to take a break
- 'Sleep Sandwich' which is according to the Sleep Council the ultimate sleep buttie, made using marmite, banana and lettuce...
These foods are thought to help lift your mood...
- Milk and dairy products/peanuts - to help 'feel good' chemical in the brain seratonin work
- Turkey - to elevate mood
- Liver - to help produce mood enhancing chemicals in the body
- Museli - to keep you going
- Brazil nuts - helps maintain mood and prevent depression
- Chocolate (yea!) boosts happy hormone endorphins
- Mackerel - for omega 3 that can help fight low mood
- A little bit of anything that you fancy!
Work
As we mentioned earlier on, you may be balancing your caring role with part time or full time employment. ‘Flexible working’ is a working pattern which helps balance the needs of your job and caring commitments and includes working to flexi-time or part time, job sharing or working from home. You have a right to ask for flexible working arrangements if you have been at your work for at least 26 weeks and you, are responsible for a child under 16 (or a disabled child under 18 who receives Disability Living Allowance), or if you are a carer of a spouse or civil partner or other adult who lives with you.
You need to apply to your employer and agree a new arrangement with them. Your Employer must seriously consider any application you make but they are not legally obliged to agree – but they might just offer a compromise and you have the right of appeal. There is a useful tool on the Directgov website that provides more details on requests for flexible working and allows you to explore how you can achieve a better worklife balance www.directgov.gov.uk
Sleep
It is common for the stress and the demands of caring to affect your sleeping patterns. Here are a few top tips for a sounds sleep that may be useful for you as a carer.
- Develop a good pre-bed routine, do relaxing things and avoid stimulating activities in the hour before turning in
- Write down all your worries for 15 minutes in the evening, then put the list away and stop worrying!
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Try and go bed at the same time and get up at the same time every day
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Cut down on fluids after your evening meal (and that includes alcohol!)
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Make sure your bedroom is a good temperature, around18°C or 65°C.
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Avoid caffeine after 4p, (coffee, tea, chocolate and cola) Try a milky drink like Ovaltine or Horlicks
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If you wake in the night, relax, switch on a soft light and read until your eyes feel tired or get up for 20 minutes, then go back
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Use an alarm clock to wake you up at a regular time, but, turn the clock away from you – watching the minutes go by just causes unnecessary tension
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Try a 'Sleep Sandwich' (see 'Eating Well' above)
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Find out about relaxation classes in your area, including at the Carers Centre! – though we do operate a waiting list
