How caregiving affects you and your life
Adolescence and young adulthood are key times to figure out who you are. Being a young caregiver can help you learn about yourself. You may decide to pursue a career helping people because you know you’re good at it and you want to continue to make a difference in people’s lives. Or maybe you spend so much time thinking of others that it’s hard to find time to focus on yourself and your goals for the future.
It can be an emotional rollercoaster.
You may feel love, gratitude, acceptance, anger, guilt, resentment and other emotions at any given time depending on your situation. These feelings can be overwhelming and confusing.
Being a young caregiver can also add extra stress to what is already a stressful time of life. You may feel a lot of pressure to meet the demands of school, friends, work, and family. You might not think you’re doing enough or feel bad when you take time to focus on yourself.
It’s important to remember that emotional ups and downs are natural and that it’s normal to feel stressed and overwhelmed sometimes.
Get help:
- Check out these tips for managing emotions
- Connect with other young caregivers. Join our online peer support group or be part of the conversation in the online forum
- Take this caregiver wellness quiz to see how well you’re managing right now
Not sure where to start? Call our 24/7 helpline or talk to us in our live chat to find resources in your community.
Quiz link:
https://ontariocaregiver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Caregiver-Wellness-Quiz_Feb-2020.pdf
