Recognising Your Own Limits
Launch library · evergreen read
Everyone has limits to how much they can hold and support at any given time, and recognising your own is a genuine strength, not a weakness. This matters just as much for supporters as for anyone they support. This is a quiet but essential part of supporting others well over time. This is worth treating as seriously as the support you give to others.
Knowing when to seek help yourself, or to bring in additional support for someone you are helping, protects both of you in the long run. This is worth prioritising, not treating as an afterthought to everything else. It reflects care for yourself just as much as for anyone else. This is worth revisiting regularly, not only during particularly hard weeks.
1800RESPECT is on 1800 737 732, and Lifeline is on 13 11 14, both available any hour for anyone recognising their limits. You are never a bother for reaching out, whatever the hour happens to be. Nobody expects you to have all the answers before you call. It is completely okay to take things one small step at a time.