The importance of self-care for those who assist other people: 5 exercises from neuroscience

The role of the caregiver can be an excessively demanding and stressful task

It is called caregiver or caregiver who is in charge of accompanying another person, be it a child, adult or older adult, who needs assistance, due to an injury, chronic pathology o disability.

The care process entails multiple feelings and emotions on the part of the person who performs it. Some of them can be positive and satisfying, while others can have a negative impact and lead to unpleasant experiences. The role of the caregiver or caregiver can be an excessively demanding and stressful taskmainly when it comes to accompanying people with pathologies or conditions of high impact in daily life.

It is important to emphasize that much of the success of this assistance depends on the degree to which the person in charge does not forget to take care of himself, as well as the time and attention he gives to his personal needs.

For this reason, Belén Tarallo, a psychologist and member of INECO’s Department of Cognitive Psychotherapy, offers some tips that can be useful to promote the self-care of the caregiver:

Special attention should be paid to the maintenance of the following Healthy habits: diet, rest and level of physical exercise. Likewise, it is advisable to avoid the consumption of alcohol and tobacco and try not to isolate yourself socially.

These spaces can be generated by carrying out hobbies, as well as through the link with others. If you don’t have much time for it, it is advisable to dedicate even a few minutes to a walk in the fresh air, a phone call with a loved one, or any other rewarding activity.

On some occasions, this can encourage greater autonomy of the person cared for (within the capacities of each one), as well as to ask for help from others.

In addition, there are cases, whenever possible, in which It is advisable to ask for help and accompaniment of professional caregivers (nursing, therapeutic accompaniment, etc.).

Irritability, lack of interest in oneself, among others, may also appear.

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