Self-care Strategies
In this final section, we look at how to sustain peer support relationships over time in healthy ways.
In this final section, we look at how to sustain peer support relationships over time in healthy ways.
Supporting someone else doesn’t mean sacrificing your own mental health
Supporting others can be rewarding, but it can also be emotionally demanding. It’s crucial that we take care of our own mental health if we want to be at our best when helping others.
We’ll explore setting boundaries and other self-care strategies that will help ensure that peer support remains a positive, growth-oriented experience for everyone involved.
Supporting someone else doesn’t mean sacrificing your own mental health. In fact, you’re only able to be truly helpful if you’re also taking care of yourself. When you prioritize your own well-being:
Even the most compassionate and committed supporters have limits. If we’re not careful about our own self-care, burnout can creep up. Signs include:
If we notice these signs, it’s time to step back and recharge, or even temporarily take a break from providing peer support. Remember, it’s okay to say, “I need to take some time for my own mental health”. Taking some time off from being a support pillar can rejuvenate us. During that time, we focus on ourselves. It could even be worthwhile to be on the receiving end of peer or professional support.
It’s important to know that asking for help as a peer supporter is not a failure. We all need support at times. By ensuring we’re well, we can come back to peer support roles with fresh energy and compassion.
Establishing boundaries is critical for ensuring that you don’t become overwhelmed when supporting someone. A boundary is like an imaginary line that protects our time, energy, and emotional well-being.
Think of boundaries like the safety instructions on an airplane – you put your own oxygen mask on first before helping others. Setting limits doesn’t mean you care less; it means you’re planning to be there for the long haul.
When providing support to another person, we might take on too much responsibility for others’ well-being, feel unsure about where our role ends, or absorb too much emotional pain from those we support. Boundaries help ensure that we know the limits of our role and that we don’t get overwhelmed. Below are some important boundaries to be mindful of and how to manage them:
It can feel hard to say that, but it’s actually empowering for them to build a broader support network, and it takes pressure off us.
Self-care isn’t about being selfish. It’s about being smart. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and you can’t be strong for someone else if you’re falling apart yourself. If we burn out, we compromise our own well-being and our ability to help anyone else. Below are some helpful strategies for looking after yourself when supporting someone:
Supporting someone who is struggling with their mental health is one of the hardest things you can do, but it can also be really rewarding. It requires strength, patience, empathy, and compassion. By understanding how to take care of yourself while helping someone, you’ll reduce the risk of having your own health compromised and be better positioned to provide support to others.
You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to have all the answers. You just have to show up consistently while maintaining your own health and well-being. It’s not selfish, it’s smart – and exactly what the person you’re supporting needs from you.