Tips from ODSW February 2016: Caregiver's Guide to Psychosis | Page 26

PRACTICAL TIPS
FOR SELF-CARE
“On an airplane, an oxygen mask descends in
front of you. What do you do? As we all know,
the first rule is to put on your own oxygen mask
before you assist anyone else. Only when we first
help ourselves can we effectively help others.
Caring for yourself is one of the most important and one of the most often forgotten - things you
can do as a caregiver. When your needs are taken
care of, the person you care for will benefit, too.

HOW TO COPE
Caregivers may experience periods of stress,
anxiety, depression, and frustration. The following
suggestions can help keep you from feeling
overwhelmed or burned out

1

RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS OF STRESS
The following are signs of stress:
• Feeling exhausted all of the time
• Getting sick more often than usual
• Not sleeping enough
• Feeling impatient, irritated, or forgetful
• Not enjoying things you used to enjoy
• Withdrawing from people.

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