-
MilLife Topics
- Military Basics
- Deployment
- Transitioning & Retiring
- Casualty Assistance
- Moving & PCS
- Housing & Living
- Recreation, Travel & Shopping
- Relationships
- Parenting
- Special Needs
- Health & Wellness
- Safety From Violence & Abuse
- Financial & Legal
- Education & Employment
- I am a…
- Benefits & Resources
- Benefits
- Back to Menu
- View Benefits Finder
- View Benefits Finder
- Moving
- Military OneSource Services
- Planning & Prevention
- Discounts & Perks
- Pay & Leave
- Education & Employment
- Recreation
- Family & Child Care
- Relationships
- Health Care & Emotional Well-being
- Retirement
- Assistance Programs
- Housing
- Shopping
- Legal
- Travel
- Popular Benefits
- MilTax
- Space-A Travel
- DOD MWR Libraries
- Resources
- Back to Menu
- View Resources Finder
- View Resources Finder
- MilLife Guides
- Military OneSource Network Websites
- Podcasts
- Government Websites
- Webinars
- External Websites
- Directories & Tools
- Online Learning
- Mobile Apps
- Popular Resources
- MilitaryINSTALLATIONS
- Plan My Move
- Moving Personal Property
- DPS Login
- Other Resources
- Data, Research & Statistics
- Products
- Back to Menu
- View Products Finder
- View Products Finder
- Popular Product Types
- Books and Booklets
- Fact Sheets
- Brochures and Cards
- Flyers
- Educational Items
- Posters and Banners
- Popular Products
- Skills for Coping With Change Book
- Healthy Tips to Get Your Family Cooking Book
- Emergency Preparedness Guide
- Chill Drills 2 – Releasing Stress
- Confidential Help
24/7/365 Access to Support
No matter where you serve or live, free and confidential help is available.
- In Crisis?
- Veterans/Military Crisis Line
- Back to Menu
- Veterans/Military Crisis Line
- PhoneLive ChatInternationalWebsite
Dial 988 then press 1 or text 838255
- National Domestic Violence Hotline
- Back to Menu
- National Domestic Violence Hotline
- PhoneLive ChatText
Call 800-799-SAFE (7233)
Text “START” to 88788
- DOD Safe Helpline - Sexual Assault Support
- Back to Menu
- DOD Safe Helpline - Sexual Assault Support
- PhoneLive ChatWebsite
Call 877-995-5247
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- Back to Menu
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- PhoneLive ChatTTY
Call 988
Use your preferred relay service, or dial 711 then 988
- Domestic Abuse Victim Advocate Locator - Family Advocacy Program
- Back to Menu
- Domestic Abuse Victim Advocate Locator - Family Advocacy Program
- Interactive Tool
In the United States, call 911 if you are in an emergency.
For those outside the United States, call your local emergency number.
- 800-342-9647
- Call Us OCONUS
- Call Us TTY/TDD
- Live Chat
- About Us
- Browse By Program/Office
- Casualty & Mortuary Affairs
- Child & Youth Advocacy
- Child & Youth Programs
- Commissary, Military Exchange & Lodging
- Family Advocacy Program
- Military Community Support Programs
- Military & Family Life Counseling
- Military Family Readiness Programs
- Military Funeral Honors
- Morale, Welfare & Recreation (MWR)
- Office of Special Needs
- Personnel Accountability & Evacuations Operations
- Spouse Education & Career Opportunities
-
Contact Military OneSource
Information and support for service members and their families. About the Call Center.
- 800-342-9647
- Call Us OCONUS
- Call Us TTY/TDD
- Additional Ways to Contact Us
ARTICLEHow To Deal With Stress as a Caregiver
4 minute read • June 9, 2023It’s hard to avoid stress when you’re caring for a loved one with a serious injury or an ongoing wound or illness. Caregiving is an important job that can be extremely demanding. Remember, as a caregiver, managing your stress is one of the best ways to ensure you’re able to stay strong and resilient, and care for your loved one. Pay attention to your body and your moods and find time for yourself. You need it and you deserve it.
Self-care mobile apps
Manage stress and stay strong with these free, secure apps recommended by the Department of Defense.
Preventing compassion fatigue
Over time, the stress of caring for another person can cause something called “compassion fatigue.” This is a common condition that can make you feel irritable, isolated, depressed, angry or anxious. It can even disturb your sleep and impair your judgment. Compassion fatigue can come on suddenly or build gradually over time, so it’s important to check in with yourself regularly to note how you are feeling. MoodHacker is a resilience tool that helps you track, understand and improve your mood.
Building a support network
As a caregiver, having people you can count on when times get tough and you need backup can be invaluable. Here are a few tips for building a strong support network:
- Stay connected to your community. Your community can be your installation, neighborhood, religious community, co-workers or even just a group of close friends. This community can give you a built-in network of local support when you need it most.
- Join a support group. When you have struggles, sharing them with people who are in a similar situation can help you feel less isolated. People who understand may also be able to share new ideas and connect you with additional resources. The Peer 2 Peer Forum also provides the opportunity for caregivers to share knowledge, expertise, resources and ongoing support.
- Seek out counseling. Talking with someone can sometimes help problems seem smaller and more manageable. Military OneSource offers confidential non-medical counseling — at no cost to you — in person, over the phone, by video or online.
- Be there for others. Reach out to people in similar situations. A sympathetic ear can work wonders to relieve stress, and you can develop relationships that allow you to lean on each other.
Managing stress
The key to resilience amidst the challenges of caregiving is to be mindful of your own emotional and physical health.
- Exercise and eat a balanced diet. Physical strength and health directly relate to your mental and emotional health. Connect with real-live coaching experts right on your phone or tablet with this resilience tool, CoachHub. Track and set goals from exercise and nutrition to stress reduction.
- Calm your mind and relax your body. Check out the Chill Drills app and use the audio relaxation exercises made especially for the MilLife. Download the mobile app on your phone for 24×7 access to the audio drills without internet access. You can also stream the audio drills on the Military OneSource website.
- Resist feelings of guilt. If taking time for yourself sparks feelings of guilt, remind yourself that you can only provide care when you’re doing well yourself.
- Say “yes” when someone offers assistance. Don’t be shy about accepting help. Allow others to feel good about supporting you and your loved one. Accepting help is an act of strength, not weakness.
- Embrace a hobby. Doing something you love like painting, hiking, swimming or scrapbooking — no matter how little time you can spend — boosts your feelings of well-being.
For tips, videos and games to help the entire family adjust to caregiving, visit Sesame Street Workshop — Injuries: Long-Term Caregiving.
You may feel that whatever stress or difficulty you are going through isn’t important compared to the struggles of your loved one; however, caring for yourself is the first step in providing the support your loved one needs in the days to come.
Free and confidential non-medical counseling is available through Military OneSource. Call 800-342-9647 at any time. OCONUS/International? View calling options. If you need immediate help or are experiencing a crisis, contact the Military Crisis Line (988 and press 1).
Learn about military bases worldwide. Get installation overviews, check-in procedures, housing, neighborhood information, contacts for programs and services, photos and more.
Your session will expire in 5 minutes.Click "Extend" below to stay logged in.
This site is for testing purposes only.If you are part of the general public, navigate to the public site. This site is solely for testing and approving site pages before they are released to the general public.