Whether you're caring for a loved one with illness, an aging family member, or someone with special needs, the emotional, physical, and mental toll can be overwhelming. Caregiving is one of the most demanding and self-less roles. It becomes easy to overlook your own needs as you are focused on the needs of others. When we neglect self-care, we risk experiencing what is called “Caregiver Burnout”. In this blog we explore some of the signs, symptoms and effective ways to manage caregiver burnout.
“Caregiver burnout is a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that happens while you’re taking care of someone else” (2023).
Signs and Symptoms of Caregiver Burnout
Signs can present in different ways including affecting your mood, and overall physical health. Let’s review some signs and symptoms of Caregiver burnout:
Feeling anxious, frustrated, easily irritated or annoyed.
Fatigue, exhaustion, at times sleep disturbances.
Difficulty concentrating, feeling disconnected or even distant from friends, family and the person you are caring for.
How do Caregivers Burnout?
The overall demands of caregiving & managing the stress of at times very complex medical needs or mental health needs.
Lack of support: if caregivers feel they have no-one to help, the level of fatigue, irritability and even social isolation grows greater. This lack of support may even include your own personal struggles.
“Guilt: Spending time taking care of yourself is less important than the person within your care. You might feel bad doing things to care for yourself because they benefit you and not others” (2023)
Ways to Prevent and Manage Caregiver Burnout
Taking time to care for yourself as the Caregiver is the first step.
Acknowledge how you are feeling about your role as a Caregiver.
Ask yourself key questions: Am I feeling overwhelmed, frustrated or resentful? Do your best NOT to judge yourself, acknowledging these uncomfortable feelings is the first step towards making changes.
Schedule breaks when able. This is where we look towards our support system or our community resources to provide some respite. For example, if you are caring for an aging family member, your local town or city may offer social day programs. This would be a great opportunity for you as a Caregiver to get a break, while also enhancing your loved ones social experience.
Incorporate self-care! This can be very simple like reading a book, knitting, etc. something that is not DIRECTLY related to the Caregiving role.
Remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup! If you are feeling overwhelmed with your caregiving role, seeking professional help may also be a good place to start. Mental health professionals can help in the development of coping strategies.
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