Are you taking time to look after yourself?
When someone close to you is experiencing gambling harm, it can impact your own health and wellbeing in different ways. You might find yourself feeling more stressed, worried about money or notice changes in your mood or energy. It may also affect parts of your daily life, including work, sleep, eating habits, exercise, or how much you’re able to socialise. Some people also notice they’re relying more on things like smoking, alcohol or other drugs to cope with stress.
These pressures can affect both your mind and your body. By focusing on your health and wellbeing, you can take control of your life and be in a better position to support the person you care about.
Why is looking after yourself important?
When someone we care about is experiencing gambling harm, it’s natural to want to do everything we can to help. Sometimes that can mean putting all our time and energy into their situation and forgetting to look after ourselves.
Supporting a family member or friend is often a journey that takes time. If all your focus goes into their recovery, you can end up exhausted, making it harder for both of you. Looking after your own wellbeing helps you stay steady and gives you more capacity to support them. This might include taking small breaks to relax, managing stress, caring for your physical health, and staying connected with people you trust.
What are some ways to relax and reduce stress?
- Find ways to relax.
Taking time to do things that help us relax, like taking a bath or going for a walk, can really help. For people who have trouble relaxing, there are some tips and exercises in our self-help information on Finding Ways to Relax.
- Take a time out.
It's important to take a break when we're feeling overwhelmed. Even a short change of scenery can help us cope better in tough situations. Some examples include spending time with friends, going to the movies, watching sports, or getting a massage. See Keeping Busy for some ideas.
- Do something enjoyable.
Making time for activities that we enjoy can be really helpful. This could include hobbies or interests we like to pursue, or even small things like cooking a meal, calling a friend, or listening to music. See Keeping Busy for some ideas.
- Be present.
When we take the time to be aware of ourselves and the present moment, we can gain a better understanding of our thoughts and feelings, as well as the world around us. This is often referred to as being mindful. Activities that bring our attention to the present moment, such as meditation, breathing exercises and yoga, can help us to feel more relaxed and better able to manage our thoughts and emotions. By focusing on the present moment, we can gain a new perspective and better cope with stressful situations. See some exercises in our self-help information in Finding Ways to Relax.
- Practice self-compassion.
When we feel sad or upset, we often criticise ourselves. Instead of being self-critical, we can try to be compassionate towards ourselves. Imagine if a friend was going through a tough time - we would want to be kind and supportive towards them. We should treat ourselves with the same kindness and care that we would show to a loved one in a similar situation. This is called self-compassion, and it can help improve our mental health, our relationships with others, and our overall satisfaction with life.
- Staying positive with gratitude.
Expressing gratitude means taking time to focus on the good things in our lives and expressing thanks for them. This can help reduce stress, improve our mood, and make us feel happier. One way to practice gratitude is to reflect on the best parts of our day, like the best thing we saw, ate, or did for ourselves or someone else. By doing this regularly, we can train our minds to look for the positive, which can improve our mental and physical health, and make us more resilient.
What are some ways to look after our physical health?
- Drink water regularly.
Water is an essential component of our bodies, and it plays an important role in regulating our body temperature and supporting our bodily functions. It's crucial to drink enough water to maintain our mental and physical health. Not drinking enough water can cause dehydration, which can lead to fatigue, headaches, and other health issues. Therefore, it's important to make sure we drink enough water every day to keep our bodies functioning properly.
- Eat a healthy balanced diet.
It's important to eat a healthy and balanced diet to make sure our bodies get the nutrients they need. While it might be tempting to eat sugary or fatty snacks, regularly eating balanced meals can help improve our overall wellbeing, as well as boost our mood and energy levels. Experts in health and wellness recommend eating fruits, vegetables, and nuts in our diet in sufficient amounts. By doing so, we can ensure our bodies are getting the right nutrients to keep us healthy and feeling our best.
- Engage in regular exercise.
Regular physical activity and exercise can make us feel more energised, refreshed, and mentally alert. There are different ways to stay active, like going for walks or runs, doing yoga, or joining a fitness class. If you're new to exercise, start small and find an activity you like. Even 15 minutes of physical activity each day can help reduce stress, boost alertness and concentration, and improve our mood.
- Get good sleep.
Our bodies require sufficient sleep and rest to recover and regain energy to function properly throughout the day. Getting a good night's sleep has a significant impact on how we feel mentally and physically and helps us perform at our best. Sleep experts recommend that adults sleep for at least 7 hours. However, sleeping well also depends on when we sleep and the quality of our sleep. It's important to establish a consistent sleep schedule by trying to wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends and holidays, and creating a routine around bedtime. To promote good sleep, we should avoid using electronic screens before bed, wind down, and make our sleeping environment comfortable.
- Try to avoid alcohol and drugs.
Sometimes, when we experience difficult emotions, we may feel like turning to drugs or alcohol to help us feel better. While this may feel like it helps in the short-term, it generally tends to make things worse in the long-run and leaves us more dependent on these substances to cope with life’s challenges. Drinking too much coffee can have a similar impact.
What are some ways to connect with others?
- Try to socialise.
When we feel alone and disconnected from others, it can lead to negative effects on our mental and physical health. Spending time with loved ones or talking to someone can help us feel more connected and improve our mental health. Providing support to others can also have a positive impact on our wellbeing. So, it's important to make an effort to connect with others.
- Talk to someone you trust.
Sometimes when we're feeling down or upset, talking to someone we trust like a close friend or family member can help us feel better. Talking about our feelings and sharing with someone else can help us feel like we're not alone and that someone else understands and cares about us. Even just saying how we feel out loud can help us to feel better because it helps us acknowledge and process our emotions. See our information on Seeking Support.
Taking care of your health and wellbeing can be challenging so it’s a good idea to start with what feels comfortable for you and take things at your own pace. Start with one or two things that you can manage and achieve. As you become more comfortable with these practices, you can add more to your routine.
If you're finding it difficult to implement these strategies on your own, it's okay to ask for help from a trusted friend, family member, or a professional. Remember that taking care of your health and wellbeing is a journey, and it's important to be kind to yourself along the way.
Do you want more help?
To find out more about how to focus on your health and wellbeing, you can start an online chat with us or call the Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858. It’s free, available 24/7, and open to anyone affected by gambling harm.
Support isn’t just for people who gamble. It’s also here for family and friends like you, to help you cope and look after yourself.
If you’d also like to learn more about ways you can support your loved one to change their gambling, visit our section on Taking Action.
