How to Care for Yourself While Caring for Others

When you hear the term "caregiver," you often think of someone caring for a sick or elderly family member. While this is a vital form of caregiving, the role of a caregiver is far more expansive.

Caregivers come from all walks of life—healthcare professionals, teachers, and even those who provide emotional support in everyday relationships. Their contributions are critical, but their needs are often overlooked. At Catalyss Counseling, we help caregivers who are in various roles through individual therapy and/or group counseling. 

What is a Caregiver?

Caregivers provide physical, emotional, or practical support to someone in need. While it’s easy to think of a caregiver as someone taking care of a loved one, caregivers are all around us—in healthcare settings, classrooms, and communities. For instance, a nurse tending to patients, a teacher guiding students, a parent caring for children, or a counselor providing therapy all embody caregiving.

The Emotional Load of Being a Caregiver

Caregiving, whether formal or informal, can be emotionally and physically draining. Caregivers can experience burnout, compassion fatigue, and overwhelming stress if they don’t prioritize their own needs.

In my practice as a therapist, I often see many caregivers seeking individual therapy to address these emotional challenges, and it’s often helpful to join a counseling group for peer support. In group settings, caregivers can share their experiences, feel less isolated, and learn strategies to manage stress.

How Can Caregivers Practice Self-Care?

It’s essential that caregivers practice self-care to avoid burnout. At Catalyss Counseling, we emphasize the importance of building a self-care routine.

• Set Limits: Caregivers often struggle with saying “no,” but protecting your energy is vital.

• Schedule Rest Periods: Take small breaks between activities to recharge and stay focused.

• Prioritize Sleep: A good night’s sleep is essential for maintaining physical and emotional well-being.

• Engage in Stress Management Practices: Exercise, mindfulness, meditation, or deep breathing exercises are powerful tools for reducing stress and staying grounded. These practices activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps shift your brain into a “rest and digest” mode, promoting relaxation and recovery.

• Accept Help: Let friends or family assist with chores, meal preparation, childcare, and shopping. Delegating tasks can lighten your load and allow more time for self-care.

• Seek Support: Connecting with others in group counseling or attending individual therapy can provide much-needed relief and insight.

Personal Experience with Caregivers

My personal experience with caregiving deeply fuels my passion for supporting caregivers. Having worked as a high school teacher while managing chronic illness symptoms, I understand firsthand the challenges on both sides: caring for others and oneself. In addition to supporting loved ones who have faced illness and worked in education and healthcare, these experiences shape my identity as a counselor today. They provide me with unique insight and empathy, which I bring into my work with clients, whether through individual or group counseling.

Recognizing and Supporting Caregivers

Caregivers are our society's unsung heroes, whether providing therapy, teaching, or supporting loved ones through difficult times. As you broaden your understanding of caregiving, you can also focus on better supporting those who give so much to others. Through individual therapy, group counseling, and community support, we can help caregivers care for themselves, ensuring they remain strong enough to continue their indispensable work.

At Catalyss Counseling, we are committed to supporting caregivers, ensuring they have the resources they need to thrive in their roles. If you live in Colorado and are seeking counseling for caregiving support, schedule a free phone consultation below to get started!

How We Can Help

If you would like to talk to someone more about how we can help you,

follow these simple steps:

1. Contact us today for a free 20-minute phone consultation

2. Or, you can book directly online with the therapist of your choice

3. Begin your journey towards a calmer, more relaxed life

Other Therapy Services Available at Catalyss Counseling:

Here at Catalyss Counseling, we want to meet all of your counseling needs in the Denver area. Our supportive therapists provide depression counseling, therapy for caregiver stress, grief and loss therapy, stress management counseling, and more. We also have specialists in trauma and PTSD, women's issues, pregnancy and postpartum depression or anxiety, pregnancy loss and miscarriage, and birth trauma. For therapists, we can also provide clinical supervision! We look forward to connecting with you to help support your journey today.

Author Biography

Megan Berry is a student intern and a provider for the Affordable Counseling Program at Catalyss Counseling. She works with women, caregivers, and anxious adults to navigate grief, depression, and chronic illness to alleviate stress, boost confidence, and restore hope so that they can enjoy what matters most to them in life. Follow Catalyss Counseling on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.