Take care of Y O U, BEFORE you take care of your loved one! This sounds so selfish, and goes against the very fabric of a caregiver, that many will not listen to this advice…that is until it is TOO LATE, and they have suffered the consequences of burnout.
Remember what the airlines tell you, as you board their plane? They tell you that in the unlikely event of a loss in cabin pressure, to put your oxygen mask on FIRST! Before you help your loved one or your child with their mask, This is because they know from experience that you will most likely black out BEFORE you can ever get your mask on.
Don’t become a very common statistic among caregivers. They will give and give and give, until they become sicker than the one you are caring for.