How to Practise Self-Care

Take Care of Your Health

  • Get enough sleep
  • Have proper and well-balanced meals
  • Find time to exercise

Do Things You Enjoy

  • Spend time on activities that you like
  • Pamper yourself


Have Self-Compassion

  • Be kind to yourself
  • Give yourself credit for your efforts
  • Celebrate small victories

Be Self-Aware

  • Know your limits
  • Find purpose and meaning in the things that you do
  • Learn to recognise signs of stress and reach out for help

Open Up

  • Express your emotions by allowing yourself to cry or write down your thoughts
  • Share your feelings with someone you trust
  • Say yes when someone offers assistance

Take Breaks from Caregiving

  • Have some time away from caregiving
  • Rest to recharge yourself
  • Ask for help for certain errands, instead of shouldering them on your own

Remain Socially Connected

  • Participate in support groups
  • Meet up with friends and socialise

Have Humour

  • Find simple joys in your daily activities

Practise Mindfulness and Meditation

  • Be self-aware and relax your mind
  • Do simple deep breathing
  • Try mind-body practice such as yoga, tai chi and meditation.

Seek Professional Help

  • Speak with a doctor or counsellor to help in coping with your emotions and caregiving stress

​​Importance of Self-Care

When you dedicate all your time, energy and effort to your caregiver duties, you may find it difficult to spare time or effort for other matters.

Some caregivers may also feel that it is easier to stay at home or that they are unable to leave their loved ones. They may spend time away from home only for errands or attending doctor’s appointments.

As friends and family may not understand what caregivers like you are going through, you may, over time, withdraw from socialising with others which can be isolating and.

It is important to take care of yourself, so you can take care of your loved ones.

Support Groups

Aside from self-care, connect with support groups. Support groups offer a safe and comfortable platform for you to meet people in similar situations and share your experiences. You will also get to learn new caregiving tips and know useful resources.

Support groups provide emotional support, allow better stress management and reduce a sense of frustration and isolation in caregivers. You will be giving and receiving support.

Support groups are usually facilitated by professionals such as social workers or counsellors, though there are some peer-led groups as well.

Support Groups by Hospital and Specialist Centre


Support groups in the Community

Online Support Groups


Support groups are also available online in the form of forums and social media groups. You can a part of a network of fellow caregivers, locally or internationally, without having to go down to a physical location.

If you do not have the time, feel unwell, or prefer to maintain a degree of privacy when sharing your personal thoughts and feelings, online support groups may also work better for you.
You can search online for such support groups or ask other fellow caregivers to introduce you to some groups.

Below are some online communities you can check out on Facebook:

Professional Counselling


You can also seek counselling support from professionals to help address specific challenges. They can help you to understand and deal with your issues and emotions better.
Counselling Services