A caregiver is someone who takes care of the needs of a spouse, parent, child, or other family member who is ill or not able to take care of themselves.
Taking care of your self is just as important as taking care of your friend or family member.
There are five things that you need to remember and to do in order to have a balance between taking care of your friend or family member and yourself.

1. Take time off.
   Everyone needs a break from the responsibility and stress of caring for someone else.
   Be sure that you have someone who can give you respite care in taking care of your friend or family member.
   This can be another family member or a respite care service.
   Taking this time will enable you to recuperate and rest without having to worry about the responsibility.
   This can help to decrease your stress level and keep you from burning out.
   
2. Take care of your personal needs.
   Make sure that you eat healthy foods, exercise regularly, and get enough rest.
   Ask your physician if a multi-vitamin is something that you should consider.
   Taking care of yourself physically will help you to have the energy to take care of your family member or friend.
   
3. Look for a support group for caregivers.
   This is a great way for you to get support and information about caregiving.
   It can help to diffuse the stress and emotions of the entire process.
   A specialized group for the type of caregiving that you are doing (whether for an Alzheimer's patient, cancer patient, etc.
   ) can give you inside information about being the type of caregiver that you want to be.
   A general caregivers' support group can also be a place of comfort and a reassurance that you are not alone.
   You may also seek the help of a Caregiver Coach to support you in living balanced.
   
4. Make lists and make priorities.
   A daily or even weekly list of tasks that needs to be done can help to keep you on track.
   It may serve as a tool to make feel more in control.
   By prioritizing your list, you can better determine what you need to do and when it needs to get done.
   This can keep you on track and can take some of the stress from the caregiving process.
   
5. Stay in touch.
   Be sure that you stay in touch with friends and keep your outside interests.
   Whether you enjoy having coffee with your friends once a week or you enjoy attending a craft class, these activities can be very important to keep.
   They will give you the opportunity to refresh your mind and get away from the stress for a little while.
   This is also a great way to preventburning out.
   

Being a caregiver is a very fulfilling; however, it is not an easy job.
Some people find that they quickly burn out simply because they do not take the time or effort to care for themselves.
This is to the detriment of the people that they are caring for, because they quickly become tired and burnt out.
If a caregiver can find a balance between taking care of their own life and that of the person that they are caring for, then they will be able to care for their family member with love and compassion.
So, use these keys as an example of some of the ways to live a balanced life as a caregiver.
You may find that you create your own way of introducing balance to your life.
As your mind become open to the idea of living balanced, you will start finding new ways to do so.
Start creating your new life today.