Self care resources for the pet caregiver (so you avoid overwhelm and burnout)

You care for them, but who cares for you?

When our pets are ill and require long term care, I don’t know if any of us are quite prepared for what may lie ahead.
I do know that it can be a hard road to travel, full of worry and emotional turmoil. Whilst people generally understand that it’s hard going to be a caregiver for people, they often forget how hard it is to be a pet caregiver and so you can easily be hidden under the radar, suffering with them, in silence.

Non pet lovers may have no idea what you’re going through. They don’t know the distress you feel as you do your best for your furred friend, the challenge of seeing them in pain, in ill health or even of watching them come to the end of their lives.

Please don’t underestimate the emotional toll of being a pet caregiver.

Our pets give us such love that we would do anything for them and so we do everything we can to help them when they are in distress or discomfort. We wouldn’t have it any other way. However, I see people lose themselves in the role of pet caregiver, forgetting about themselves, their own health and well-being, for the sake of their furry patient.
In the long term that’s a risky approach. The bottom line is that you have to care for yourself in order to properly care for your pets.

Small changes that make a big difference.

It’s amazing how making a few small but significant changes can make the difference between being overwhelmed and burnt out or being present and balanced, no matter how much of a roller coaster ride you have with your pet’s health.
Here are some options.

Do something nice for yourself every day
It can be as simple as stepping outside to hear the birdsong, spending a few minutes reading a magazine, stretching or listening to a piece of music. By doing something that nourishes your spirit and puts you first, even just for 5 minutes, it’ll give you a boost and help you re-charge.

Put your well-being first
Check that you are eating well, getting as much sleep as you can and actively looking at ways to reduce any mental and emotional fatigue. You can’t be fully present for your pet if you are caught up in worry or anxiety. If you are, please make use of the resources listed later on, and start to change those patterns, so you can re-balance and regain your inner strength.

Have a break
It can be isolating when you spend a lot of time focused on caring for your ill pet. Try not to cut yourself off from the rest of the world. A change of scene, even just for an hour can be very refreshing.
For long term conditions it can even be possible to bring in a pet sitter so you can get some restbite for a couple of days.

Get support
If you have good friends, who understand what you’re going through, consider reaching out to them. It can be a huge relief to have somebody else to talk to, especially someone who relates to what you are going through.
I also often recommend getting support from outside your network of friends and family. I see from my clients the huge sense of relief they have, being able to be able to speak freely and to openly look at the struggles they’re facing in dealing with their pets condition. They also get to look at the best ways to give their pets and themselves the extra support they crave.

 Video

Resources

Here are a sample of some resources to help you deal with the challenges of being a long term pet caregiver.
These techniques will bring great relief from the mental and emotional states that can be triggered by your pet’s long term condition, such as worry, guilt and fear.

I’ve picked issues that come up for my clients again and again – the worry about their pet’s condition, the guilt and self judgement as they wonder what they could have done differently to prevent it, the feelings of being helpless and everything being out of control. Take your pick.

For when you’re feeling tired and run down https://youtu.be/q9pdL6EOFwM

For weathering emotional storms https://youtu.be/rTymj02mtuI

For anticipatory pet bereavement https://youtu.be/2ANLLuSQlQ0

For self judgement https://youtu.be/rRcyKbkoOvo

For feeling guilty about your pet’s health condition https://youtu.be/aDyqu7ALVhQ

EFT tapping for tough times https://youtu.be/6r0elSwS7Y0

For when you can’t cope with a crisis https://youtu.be/PN_bqMJ9dH0

For feelings of fear https://youtu.be/uumZcSgv6mU

For when you’re feeling blue https://youtu.be/PDwwMyr3EbA

For when you’re feeling helpless https://youtu.be/cIWdjCIOkVo

How to medicate your pet the stress free way https://youtu.be/HKzi8vlquEs

For pre-surgery jitters https://youtu.be/SaxfYOiBowA

For worrying too much https://youtu.be/-ZYu3lWqP6s

Extra resources:

1. My free video series showing you how to use EFT tapping for your pet’s health issues.
2. My 5 day challenge / course for people caring for their elderly pets.

Over to You

Have you struggled with caring for your ill or elderly pets? Has it been harder than you thought to nurse your ill pets? Or what strategies have you used to cope better?

Let me know in the comments section below.

Feel free to share these resources with others who may be struggling pet caregivers.

Know that there IS a lot your can do to help both your pet and yourself. Start with the resources mentioned.
If you require extra support, please reach out. I work with people and their pets worldwide, supporting them at this time.

Many thanks,

Ferris.

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