2 Helpful Ways To Care For Others (WITHOUT Losing Yourself)

Caring for others is an intrinsic part of maintaining strong relationships. However, it's important to realize that self care is just as important. 

Sure, it's nice to help others out (helping someone move, giving someone a ride, or loaning money to someone), but sometimes the situation is different (when you have to care for those you love — your kids, your spouse or other family members).

It's in situations like these that people tend to put others' needs before their own.

Their own needs fall to the wayside, and it becomes their responsibility to care for others. If they screw up, they feel like they've failed. All this energy focused on others makes them forget they need that same energy to care for themselves, which inevitably lowers self-esteem, causes stress and is psychologically unhealthy.

Do you feel like you're putting the needs of others before your own? Host and author Charles J. Orlando, author John Gray, Ph.D., counselor and therapist Kelly P. Crossing, life coach Barbara Schiffman and hypnotherapist Laura Rubenstein urge you to recognize that balance is the key. When you care for others, don't forget yourself!

Here are two crucial ways these experts suggest balancing it all:

1. Establish A Give-And-Take In Every Relationship

Your relationships should eventually consist of this give-and-take idea. (If you start a system where you both offer care to one another, it will come naturally.) Your love for each other should make you want to share the same love and care with each other enough for it to become second nature, maintaining your bond.

2. Learn From The Way Other's Have Alone-Time

Don't resent others taking care of their own needs first and not helping all the time.

In the video above, John Gray explains what this is like for many people, especially for women.

"It could be a woman who is overly giving everyone in the family, and her husband's sitting watching the news or watching the football game. And so, you look at that, and you feel resentment towards him, and if you resent him for taking time for himself, you don't create room and permission for yourself to do the same. And so, that's like a almost 'holier than thou'. See, look what I'm doing, and look what he's doing — nothing as opposed to forgiveness, acceptance and going, Hey, I need a little bit of that, too! That's a good idea — I should try that."

Instead, learn from how that person devotes themselves to some "me time". Remember you deserve just as much love as others do. Show yourself some of that love, too!

Do you need some more advice to balance the care in your relationship with others and yourself? Scroll up to hear some great tips the expert panel has to ensure you love and care for yourself just as much as you do others.