Absolutely! Great point, @becsbuddy. I think there are a couple of important messages that I have come across throughout my readings & am happy to share them on here. These messages/lessons have come to me through these books & readings but I think they are helpful for EVERYONE on this planet (not just caretakers):

(1) SELF CARE - this is *SO* important yet so hard to do at times especially when we feel tied down by so many restraints as a caregiver. However, it is very important for us to get time to ourselves to decompress, relax & clear our minds. This might means different things for different people. For instance, it could be 10+ minutes of mindfulness per day depending on what your schedule allows. It could even be those 10 minutes when your loved one is napping/sleeping so you aren't worried about constantly seeing how they are doing. Also, mindfulness could mean anything anywhere - its basically where you put everything else on *HOLD*, press the *PAUSE* button and just focus on that one thing for 10 minutes without letting any other thoughts/activities get in the way. For instance, for some it means 10 minutes of prayer or meditation per day, 10 minutes of reading your favorite book, or watching your favorite TV show for 20-30 minutes, etc. By giving yourself this time every day, you live a little for yourself as you take care of your loved one through their hardships.

(2) Rule of Eights (8 + 8 + 8):
*8 hours of work* - work can be anything that you define as "work" or "tasks". For instance, caretaking/giving fall under this category as well. For me, driving my loved one to his/her radiation appts takes up about 4 hours of this "8 hour block" and then I use the other 4 hours to coordinate their other appts, get some studying done, and check my emails/this discussion board.
*8 hours for you* - Now, after 8 hours of work, you are done working for the day. A new 8 hour round starts now, and this one is all for you. Each one of us has some hobby. Enable it in this period of the day. Whether is blogging, reading a book, playing guitar, watching a movie, meeting your friends, going to the gym, etc.
*8 hours of sleep* - Humans need (on average) around 8 hours of sleep in a single day. It is that period of the day where you need to regain your energy for the upcoming one. So try to give yourself these 8 hours of bliss. 🙂