Looking after yourself as a carer

It is important to find time to do things you enjoy. Getting support and having breaks is important. This helps you stay well and keep being a carer.

Take care of your health

As a carer, it is important to look after yourself. Here are some things you can do to take care of your health:

  • Tell your GP you are a carer. This means they can give you support and advice.
  • Go to any health appointments you have, such as any screening appointments.
  • Check if you can get a free flu vaccination – you might be able to have one if you are the main carer.
  • Tell your GP if you have problems eating or sleeping, are struggling with difficult feelings or are finding it hard to cope.
  • Visit our wellbeing hub for self-care advice and resources.

Take regular breaks

It is important to take breaks from your caring role. Try the following tips:

  • Accept help from others or ask for help.
  • Make sure you have time off to relax.
  • Do something you enjoy, like reading, going for a walk, meeting friends or going for a meal.

Eat well

Eating well is important to help you look after yourself:

  • Try to eat healthy food and sit down to eat a cooked meal.
  • If you are tired, ask a family member or friend to help make meals in advance.
  • Eat with a friend or go out for dinner together.

Be active

Finding time to exercise may not be a priority while you are a carer. But being active is important:

  • Try to get out of the house every day and do some gentle exercise like walking. This can help you feel less tired and stressed.
  • If you enjoy sport or going to the gym, try to keep doing this.

Try to relax

You might find these tips useful to help you relax:

  • Try relaxation techniques using simple breathing and relaxation exercises. You could use podcasts or CDs to guide you – these are available at your local library or online. Or you could ask a healthcare professional for advice.
  • If you are caring for someone living with cancer and you live in Scotland, you can access Sleepio for free. This is an app that offers a 6-week cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) programme to improve sleep. 
  • Try having a massage or other complementary therapy you enjoy. Your local carers’ centre, Macmillan Information and Support Centre or cancer support group may offer free complementary therapies for carers.

Get enough sleep

Getting enough sleep can be hard if you are looking after someone who is very ill. You may not feel able to relax, or you may need to help them during the night. Try using relaxation techniques to help (see above).

Some social services have care workers who can help at night. Your local social services or Carers Trust can tell you what is available in your area.

Talk about your feelings

Being honest about your feelings can help you feel less stressed and more in control. You may think you should ignore your own feelings and only think about the needs of the person you are caring for. But you both need support to help you cope.

Try to get the support and information you need early on to help you develop ways of coping. Talk to family members, friends or one of the health or social care professionals involved in the person’s care. If your feelings are getting overwhelming or you feel depressed, it is important to get professional help.

We have more information about your feelings when someone close to you has cancer.

Macmillan is also here to support you. If you would like to talk, you can:

Get support from other organisations

  • Carers UK and the Carers Trust can give you information and advice about how to get the support you need.
  • Cancer Caring Coping is a website where you can read about how other carers looking after someone with cancer have coped. It also has information about what they have found helpful.

Date reviewed

Reviewed: 31 May 2019
|
Next review: 31 December 2021

This content is currently being reviewed. New information will be coming soon.

Trusted Information Creator - Patient Information Forum
Trusted Information Creator - Patient Information Forum

Our cancer information meets the PIF TICK quality mark.

This means it is easy to use, up-to-date and based on the latest evidence. Learn more about how we produce our information.