The moments you feel like you don't have the time to take care of yourself are often when it's most important to set aside the time to do so. It’s incredibly easy to let your own wellbeing to take a backseat during the whirlwind of caring for another person, which is why setting up a routine that allots you that self-care whenever possible is so important.

Caregivers have a heavy mental toll on them in the emotional labor they go through on a daily basis — especially if the patient gets angry at them or forgets who they are. This can cause a myriad of emotions ranging from frustration and irritability to depression and loneliness. When you see someone you care about going through something difficult, it is often the trigger that causes you to start neglecting yourself and focusing all your energy on them, which is why these negative emotions can often go unaddressed. A routine is therefore necessary to avoid burnouts and ensure that you’re taking the best possible care of yourself and your patient.

Taking time for yourself

It could be as simple as taking half an hour to yourself and doing some recreational activity such as reading a book. While the actual time alloted may be short, the positive effects can be tenfold. Creating that boundary between yourself and your responsibilities is crucial especially in the case of dementia caregiving, when the nature of the work itself and interactions with your loved one who may be forgetting things can inadvertently cause a lot of hurt and distress.

Set time aside for socializing

Caregivers often feel the urge to socially withdraw due to stress and exhaustion, which can compound and end up being incredibly harmful for their mental health in the long-run. This is often exacerbated by the fact that many caregivers live with the people they are caring for. Therefore, it’s vital to set aside time to meet friends and interact with people outside the house.

Of course, sometimes staying put for long periods of time is unavoidable with caregiving, especially with late-stage cases of dementia. In these cases, finding support groups — whether in-person or online — is a great way to build a sense of camaraderie, community, and find others who are inherently understanding of your situation.

Take care of your physical wellbeing

Since caregivers are in a position where they have to be “on call” for their patient or loved one (sometimes 24/7), it’s often overlooked that they may need to ask for help too. Frequent headaches, sudden weight loss, high blood pressure, or frequently running a high temperature are all common issues faced by caregivers in the thick of things — all symptoms of chronic stress that may have gone unaddressed. Finding and continuing activities which have a positive effect on your health and mental wellbeing are beneficial throughout the process, and can even be vital to ensuring a better relationship between yourself and your care recipient. It is also incredibly important during this time not to neglect regular check-ups with your doctor.

…And take the steps to improve your mental health

It can be incredibly easy to neglect your mental health to the point you don’t realize it has worsened significantly. If a caregiver is taking on too much responsibility for one person and neglects themselves, their mental and emotional wellbeing can decline in turn. It is therefore vital to look after your physical and mental wellbeing as a caregiver through setting time aside through breaks. This could be anything from setting time aside to do “nothing” and letting your mind rest to finding a therapist to work with, depending on your needs and resources. Intentionally giving yourself room to breathe whenever possible helps to slow, or even reduce, build-ups of stress.

Planning ahead

Since caregivers already have a ton on their plate, it is essential to ensure that the rest of menial household tasks are well taken care of — either by hiring extra help if you have the resources, or requesting the assistance of someone like a family member or friend. Bad days can seem worse when you’re under pressure, so planning breaks or delegating tasks to others who can help on those heavier days can do wonders for your well being — physically and mentally.

As your loved one’s dementia evolves, their need for your support will increase in more ways than one, which is why it is incredibly important to plan your time accordingly. Routine setting will ultimately encourage healthier practices and give you more breathing room in this uniquely challenging and important role.