5 Simple Self-Care Tips for Busy Caregivers

Caring for someone with dementia can disrupt your sleep, raise your blood pressure and more. Here's how to help keep your body and brain healthy

Christine Richmond

Updated September 15, 2025

A woman relaxing outside on her patio sofa with a cup of coffee in her hands

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Three years ago, a medical diagnosis upended Heather Valverde’s life: Her 52-year-old husband Samuel was told he had younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Heather quit her job as a library assistant to become Samuel’s full-time caregiver. She traded the serenity of the library for days spent managing prescriptions and medical appointments, monitoring Samuel’s stress levels and researching his diagnosis. At times, it was overwhelming.

“I struggled at first with my emotions,” says Valverde, now 51. But she recognized that her mental health would suffer if she kept her feelings locked up, so she leaned on family and friends and joined a local support group. “Journaling and prayer also helped me,” she says.

Valverde was comfortable asking for help because, she says, “I’m a firm believer that, to be the best caregiver, you have to take care of yourself first.”

She’s right, of course, but the reality is that many caregivers go it alone, ending up stressed out and struggling to sleep and eat well. In The AARP Caregiver Answer Book authors Barry J. Jacobs and Julia L. Mayer, both clinical psychologists, point out that self-care is “one of the biggest challenges caregivers face and one of the most important.” Caregivers often say they’re too busy to focus on their own needs — or they feel guilty about taking time for themselves, Jacobs says.

But neglecting self-care can cause burnout, and it jeopardizes your health and wellbeing. More than one in three people who care for someone with dementia says that caregiving has made their own health worse, according to data from the Alzheimer’s Association.

The organization recently released a report stating that dementia caregivers are 21 percent more likely than the general population to sleep less than 6 hours per night, 30 percent more likely to smoke, 27 percent more likely to have high blood pressure, 12 percent more likely to have diabetes and 8 percent more likely to be obese — all of which are risk factors for cognitive decline.

“This doesn’t mean that dementia caregivers are going to get dementia themselves, but they are more likely to have the risk factors," says Matthew Baumgart, senior vice president of health policy at the Alzheimer’s Association. He hopes the report will be a “wake-up call” about the importance of caregiver health.

The silver lining is that these are modifiable risk factors. That means you can do something about them. Practicing self-care will help keep your body and mind strong, and you’ll have more energy to meet the demands of caregiving, too. Here are some techniques you can try today.

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1. Take quick breaks

If you don’t have time for a workout at the gym or a dinner out with friends, that’s okay. “Step away for a short break a few times a day instead,” Jacobs suggests. You could call up a loved one, or even just play a quick game of Wordle, Jacobs says. When you do, you'll find that you return to caregiving with more energy. Valverde agrees: “I like to go out and sit in the backyard and just feel the sun for a little bit,” she says. “Or I’ll take a relaxing shower.”

2. Create a routine

When you schedule time for self-care — put it on the calendar and plan for it — you’re making a commitment, Jacobs says. “It’s different from just saying 'I need to take more time for myself,' ” he says. And once the self-care is part of your routine, it’s easier to keep it going.

“Having a routine helps me so much,” Valverde says. Every morning, she gets up a little earlier than Samuel and uses the time to savor a cup of coffee, play with her pets, read or do some Bible study. She also puts her Saturday morning support group meetings on the calendar.

3. Try meditation

In his caregiving groups, Jacobs teaches a 5-minute meditation designed to bring awareness to the five senses one at a time. “It’s one of the simplest things you can do, but people find it very calming,” he says. Over time, these types of mindfulness exercises can help you tap into little moments of joy throughout the day. For example, at breakfast, instead of thinking about the appointment you have later that day, you could focus on the flavor of the berries or notice the birds at the feeder outside the window, Jacobs says.

“The lesson is: We don’t always have control about what’s going on in our lives, but we do have control over where we put our attention,” he says.

4. Keep a to-do list

Caregivers who have trouble sleeping because their minds are racing find this strategy helpful, Jacobs says. About 30 minutes before bed, list out what needs to get done along with anything else you have on your mind. “Then put it away for the night with the idea that you can review it again the next morning,” he says. This helps keep you from “rehearsing it in your head all night.”

5. Have a little fun

“When I meet with caregivers and we get into the topic of self-care, I ask them: What do you do for fun?” Jacobs says. “Fun is replenishing. Fun is the sweetness of life.” One woman he worked with, a caregiver for her husband with dementia, made it a point to go to a pottery class every week. “Go hit a bucket of balls at the driving range or sit and watch a movie,” Jacobs suggests. Valverde loves to read, and if she gets too busy to curl up with a book, she puts on an audiobook instead.

Find more on the six pillars of brain health and how they can help you support yourself and your loved ones. AARP also has a vast library of tools, tips and resources for caregivers.