Atash Khayyer, a movie actor who died at the age of 34

As a caregiver, you may take on different roles, like personal care, monitoring their conditions, and being their companion for emotional well-being. You may be juggling many things at once, which can become overwhelming and take you away from your own well-being. Naturally, you may push aside your own needs due to the high demand the caregiver role presents. Before you can empathize with your loved one, you must be empathetic to yourself.

Find ways to decrease your distress, like finding a support group that has gone through similar experiences. Plan activities that involve ways that can help gear your focus away from the daunting realities of what cancer can bring. Things like lunch with a friend, exercising with a group or watching a funny movie. Try and set a time when you aren’t talking about illness.