We all know that life is a complex juggling act, filled with caring for family, navigating a career and prioritizing self-care. The weight of these many obligations can be overwhelming and leaning too heavily into one can cause stress and resentment. The key to finding relief lies in striking a healthy balance and listening closely to your body’s signals.
Signs of Burn Out
Your body often gives subtle cues before stress becomes unmanageable. According to Life & Work Connections – The University of Arizona, here are some common signs of burnout in family caregivers you should pay close attention to:
- Denial about your family member’s condition
- Anger toward the individual or other family members
- Social withdrawal
- Anxiety about your family member’s future care needs and your ability to meet those needs
- Depression
- Exhaustion or sleeplessness
- Loss of focus at work or while providing care
Now that you’re aware of the symptoms, let’s look at some tips to reduce burnout.
1. Connect with Like-Minded Individuals
Dealing with stress may be universal, but it can still feel lonely. Interacting with family, neighbors, and co-workers who are in similar situations can help you process the struggle by relating. It can be beneficial to get tips on how others are managing a work-life balance with caregiving. Furthermore, having support can provide you with the reassurance that your journey is completely normal and that you don’t have to suffer alone.
Another option is to check out available resources that are open to the public. If you’re someone who needs more support, check out companion services such as Villi. Villi is a 24/7 platform and movement connecting you or a loved one with helping hands, attentive listeners, safe and punctual drivers and kind-hearted Companions in the local community.
2. Prioritize Your Well-Being
It can be easy to wrap your identity in your job and taking care of others; but it’s essential to make sure you’re taking care of yourself both mentally and physically. You may have heard the saying “you can’t pour from an empty cup”. Start by creating a schedule that blocks out time for relaxation, exercising, reading or watching your favorite movie. This will help remind you that you deserve rest.
A Villi Companion can help you decide how to balance work and caregiving with self-care. In addition, they can help with household responsibilities such as dishes, laundry and vacuuming.
Having a Companion by your side allows you to take a break from focusing on other’s needs.
3. Practice Kindness and Self-Compassion
It’s completely normal to feel some sense of guilt when trying to juggle both work and caregiving. However, it’s important to give yourself grace by understanding that you can’t be everything to everyone. Instead of putting yourself down, honor that you are doing your best every day.
A Companion can help you by providing conversation and entertainment with your loved one, as well as providing transportation to doctor’s appointments and errands. This can help reduce the pressure of feeling like you must be perfect for your family.
Because You Matter, Too: Prioritizing the Caregiver’s Well-Being.
These strategies are here to remind you that it’s okay to need time for yourself. Your hard work isn’t going unnoticed even if your mind tries to convince you otherwise. With the help of a Villi Companion, you can live your life in the way that suits you.
The Villi team is here to help.
Do you need help with a loved one? Then, consider Villi’s homemaker and companionship services. Our team of friendly, compassionate Companions takes great pride in serving people in their community who need light assistance with daily chores, some company and conversation, or convenient transportation for errands, appointments, or trips to the store.
Explore our services to learn more about our:
- Homemaker and companionship services
- Easy-to-use scheduling platform
- “Best Value” service pricing
- Only 1-hour service minimum
Sign up in seconds to enjoy free 24-hour access to our on-demand scheduling platform, where you can view our team of vetted compassionate companions.
If you have questions about our services, please call 1-844-624-5646 to speak to one of our caring service Advisors.
Reference Links:
Caregiver Action Network – I Have a Job And I’m The Caregiver For My Loved One
Life and Work Connections – The University of Arizona – Reducing the Risk of Caregiver Burnout
Rise – 10 Examples of Health and Wellness Programs in the Workplace