What is a care needs assessment?
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Mental health as a carer is vital to maintaining well-being. Whether you’re looking after a family member at home who needs support or in a professional capacity as a paid carer, you will naturally spend a lot of your time tending to and thinking about someone else’s needs. This can be both physically and emotionally exhausting, so it’s vital that you are looking after yourself as best you can.
There are some simple ways to support your own well-being and prevent feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Firstly, it is important to understand your own mental health needs and what triggers stress in you as an individual. Take note of emotional patterns in different situations and reflect on how you cope with them. Are there certain situations that make you feel worse? Understanding yourself and your emotional needs, will help you to prioritise them.
Here are some practical strategies that you could try to help maintain your well-being:
- Schedule some ‘me’ time, even if it’s just 30 minutes a day, to do something you enjoy like exercising, calling a friend or reading a book. Rest is also essential, so making sure you’re getting enough sleep or taking a nap when possible, will help improve both your mood and energy levels.
- Ask for help and connect with others. That could be talking to colleagues and managers at work or other carers in the community. Sharing the load is important, whether you’re feeling a bit off, stressed or just need someone to listen to you.
- Where possible, try to stay organised and keep to a daily routine. This will help reduce feelings of chaos and overwhelm throughout the day. Setting boundaries is also important and saying no to something that feels too much for you to handle.
- Stay informed. Whether this is with your team at work who are sharing updates and sector news or within your local community with other family carers. Using online resources that provide valuable information, tips will help you to feel more supported.
- Celebrate the small wins. Take time each day to focus on the positives. Forming a habit of writing down 3-4 good things that happened during your day, no matter how small, can help to shift your mindset and your mental health as a carer. Reflecting on things like enjoying your meal, a nice conversation or something beautiful you saw can create a sense of gratitude and improve your mood.
With small steps to look after yourself, you can provide better care for your loved ones and clients, while protecting your own mental health.
At GoodOaks, we understand the stresses, strains and joys of caring and invite you to download our FREE Self-care Guide that is packed full of helpful information and strategies to help you live life to the fullest, with a healthy mind and body.
Remember, You’re Not Alone
As a carer, it’s important to recognise that you don’t have to do it all by yourself. Support is available and asking for help when you need it is not a sign of weakness, but you need to take care of your mental health as a carer. At GoodOaks Homecare, we understand the mental and physical toll that looking after a loved one can take and we’re here to support you. Whether you need help caring for a loved one or just some guidance on self-care strategies, we’re just a phone call away.
Our visiting and live-in care services are designed to provide you with the support you need while ensuring your loved ones receive the highest quality care at home. We believe that taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of others.
