Carers in our community whether this be personal or professional are all at some point subject to the physical, emotional and psychological demands of caring.
They are faced with juggling multiple demands and really wanted to focus this article on raising awareness to ensure a spotlight is on their selflessness, compassion and generosity they give so freely whilst exploring how to best support these angels that walk amongst us sharing some tools to assist in building their resilience and thanking you for all you do.
Although rewarding, caring also presents with many challenges that if left unaddressed can result in the carer experiencing compassion fatigue, mental health and physical distress due to feeling overwhelmed, particularly as they watch a loved one or client that they care for deteriorate.
This leads to feelings of helplessness, hopelessness and frustrations resulting in carers overlooking their own needs, often unintentionally to ensure care is given to their loved one or client first, but overtime this becomes a pattern of behaviour that takes a toll on their overall social and emotional well-being.
At the end of the day we are all human, meaning none of us are exempt from the emotional impacts of caring and at this point want to emphasise it is okay not to be okay and seek help if you are feeling any of the below:
- Feeling overwhelmed and anxious
- Increased stress levels
- Isolation and loneliness
- Fatigue and or depressive symptoms
- Frustration, and or feelings of resentment
Often, carers will feel overwhelmed and ashamed by the above feelings, so struggle to disclose how they are feeling to friends, family and or to a professional.
Sadly the often find themselves holding onto this negativity, internalising it which will only eventuate in these emotions intensifying overtime which leads to further distress and stress - please don't let this become cyclic, break the cycle and seek support and compassion you deserve.
In order for you to be maintain your own well-being you need to find a balance and learn to recognise and embrace your own needs to mitigate burn out, so please know if you are feeling the above emotions it is completely normal.
Below are some suggestions that may assist to increase your resilience, some of which I've used in the past:
- Sleep and rest is critical as it is impossible to function when sleep deprived in turn increasing negative emotional responses – please take time to get into a routine with time out for yourself and when you shut off to go to sleep.
- Keeping active, even if it’s a walk around the block with your fur child, yourself or a friend. Getting out and feeling the wind and sun on your face works wonders, it helps to decrease stress, shut down your mind and keep healthy – it’s a win-win but you need to slot it into your daily routine.
- Social connectivity is important, plan outings with your friends or activities in your local community as it gives you down time to recharge. Whether its coffee or dinner with friends, video call with a friend interstate or hitting the local markets, slot it in so it becomes routine.
- Find your relaxation zone. Mine ranges from a nightly 15min journal reflection to a fortnightly reflexology appointment locally which I enjoy as it helps me unwind, I look forward to it and have also recently added a facial on my off week to ensure self-care. For me it works, but you may find yoga, art or a hike in the mountains works for you. What ever it is, find it and make it part of your routine to ensure you feel refreshed, relaxed and recharged.
Lastly switch on your early warning system and as you recognise signs of fatigue, stress or feeling hopeless, please reach out to a Health Professional or GP to ensure you receive the support you deserve.
Thank you again to all our carers you are truly are unsung heroes and make such a positive impact on the lives of those you work across, daily.
- Kym Marsden is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker & Kamilaroi Woman based in Queensland
