Caregivers have to prioritize self care or else they won't be able to perform their caregiving duties. When people don't prioritize self care, problems will arise that affect the care for all involved. What does self care look like?
Honesty
Apt self care relies on honesty with self and others. As soon as you're not honest about what you need or what the care for others required, self care begins to tank. Honesty is important.
Self knowledge
When we don't take the time to know ourselves, we make errors related to our own care and the care of others. For example if you are someone that needs more sleep, specific foods, added time for self reflection, or more athletic pursuits than the typical person, you need to acknowledge that and make it apart of the overall self-care and caregiver schedule. Know thyself.
Compassion and empathy
As a caregiver, it's vital that you step into the shoes of the other caregivers to gain empathy and compassion as to how the caregiving role affects them. That said, it's also important to have empathy and compassion for self too. No one can be all things, and in ideal care situations, everyone acknowledges each other's strengths and challenges as they put make decisions about the caregiving collaboration.
Contribution
Every caregiver in a collaborative care situation has to do their part, and no one caregiver should do more than is good for their own health and welfare. The contribution levels of caregivers will vary as people deal with the many issues that life presents to them. Some may do more or less over time due to this variation, but everyone should contribute to the overall schedule.
Respect
The most important element of collaborative caregiving is respect, and we all have to check our respect levels as we provide care. When respect wanes it could be a sign that the caregiving schedule and program requires change. Self-respect is equally important.
Caregivers have to take care of themselves to be able to care for others. That's no secret, but it's an important reality to revisit regularly. Onward.
