your health
How do I look after my own health while doing this?
4 min read
Caregiving measurably raises the risk of poor sleep, depression, and neglected physical health. The protective factors are unglamorous: seeing a doctor about your own symptoms, keeping one social connection alive, some daily movement, and sleep treated as a medical necessity rather than a luxury.
What to try
- 1Register as a carer with your GP practice — it can unlock flexible appointments, vaccinations and carer support.
- 2Book your own health checks and go to them.
- 3Protect one social connection, however small. Isolation is the strongest predictor of caregiver breakdown.
- 4Get outside daily, even briefly. It helps your sleep as well as theirs.
What to avoid
- Postponing your own symptoms until things calm down. They will not.
- Cutting sleep to get things done.
- Dropping every activity that was yours. Keeping one is a practical intervention, not self-indulgence.
The uncomfortable arithmetic
If your health fails, their care fails with it. Looking after yourself is not in tension with looking after them — it is the part of their care plan that nobody else is going to write.
How this guide was made
Written by
Written independently for Riparo. It is not copied or adapted from any organisation’s material.
Evidence checked
Not checked against published guidance. Treat this as a starting point and confirm anything important with a professional.
Reviewed by
Not clinically reviewed. No clinician has checked this guide.