{"id":8211,"date":"2024-02-28T12:13:37","date_gmt":"2024-02-28T17:13:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/6c3d125d92.nxcli.io\/baltimore\/7-signs-you-have-caregiver-burnout\/"},"modified":"2024-02-28T12:13:37","modified_gmt":"2024-02-28T17:13:37","slug":"7-signs-you-have-caregiver-burnout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carepatrol.com\/baltimore\/7-signs-you-have-caregiver-burnout\/","title":{"rendered":"7 SIGNS YOU HAVE CAREGIVER BURNOUT"},"content":{"rendered":"

By CarePatrol of Baltimore<\/strong><\/p>\n

Are you caring for a loved one or older adult? If so, you know how challenging the job can be. If you\u2019ve become irritable and unhappy, it could be because of caregiving burnout, a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that is often accompanied by a negative change in attitude.<\/p>\n

Burnout is most common when the primary caregiver does not seek help with their responsibilities and when they try to do more than they are physically or financially able to do. It\u2019s an oppressive and overwhelming feeling, and it can be detrimental to the health of both you and your loved one or patient.<\/p>\n

Here are some common signs to look for if you think you\u2019re burning out, and how to combat them:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. You experience an overall lack of energy.\u00a0If you\u2019re always feeling exhausted or low energy, it could be a sign you\u2019re taking on too much. When you\u2019re taking care of someone else, it\u2019s natural to put their needs first \u2013 and neglect your own.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2. You stop doing things you once loved and no longer take \u201cme\u201d time.\u00a0Have you begun cutting the book club you\u2019ve been in for years? Perhaps you feel too tired to do things you once enjoyed. Many caregivers also express feelings of guilt when doing personal things, unrelated to their patients. While that sentiment is coming from a good place, try to remember it\u2019s just as important to take care of yourself as it is your loved one.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

3. Taking care of others constantly can lead to stress and anxiety.\u00a0Many caregivers describe their job as their exclusive responsibility. They don\u2019t ask for help or feel like no one can, and they feel solely responsible for their patient. This level of commitment can be very stressful, not to mention exhausting. Consider getting respite care, either from friends or family, or from a community. Even taking the day to clear your head can be very beneficial to both of you.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

4. You begin isolating yourself and withdrawing.\u00a0Because of fatigue, guilt and listlessness, many caregivers withdraw from things they once enjoyed, and the people they care about. The lack of personal interaction with others contributes to physical, as well as emotional, stress.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, many caregivers work themselves sick.\u00a0Neglecting your emotional wellbeing often leads to or goes hand-in-hand with negative physical consequences. Since you are overworked, you\u2019re likely not taking care of yourself physically. It becomes too tiring and time-consuming to cook healthy meals or exercise regularly. You have to find a way to take care of yourself too.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

5. Increasingly impatient and irritated with the person you\u2019re caring for.\u00a0Feeling any or all of the above side effects is more than enough to feel frustrated. If you\u2019re feeling short-tempered and irritable, try not to take it out on your patient. Instead, try venting or channeling it into something productive. If you\u2019re creative, consider writing in a journal, writing a poem or song, or painting. If you need someone to talk to reach out, there are always people around to help. When you\u2019re feeling particularly irritable, it\u2019s best to step away from your patient, take a deep breath, and refocus \u2013 either on yourself or the job at hand.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

6. You feel like you\u2019re not making a difference, no matter how hard you try.\u00a0It can be unsatisfying not seeing the direct results of your hard work. And it\u2019s even more complicated when your patient has a progressive, worsening disease like Alzheimer\u2019s or Parkinson\u2019s. In situations like these, try to remember that it\u2019s your job to preserve your patient\u2019s dignity as much as possible, and to give them the best quality of life you can. It\u2019s not your job to cure them, as hard as it is to admit. In some situations, doing the best you can is making much more of a difference than you realize.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When it\u2019s not working anymore:<\/strong>
\nIf you\u2019re a caregiver experiencing burnout, you\u2019re not alone. It may be time to find an alternative or more permanent resolution to your loved one\u2019s needs. If you realize it\u2019s time to find a new home for you or your loved one, that offers support for their everyday needs, consider talking to a senior housing placement specialist with CarePatrol. They will sit down with you, access your needs and financial situation, and offer the best options they can find. They are also available for tours and guidance during your final search.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By CarePatrol of Baltimore Are you caring for a loved one or older adult? If so, you know how challenging the job can be. If you\u2019ve become irritable and unhappy, it could be because of caregiving burnout, a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that is often accompanied by a negative change in attitude.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":8212,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,51,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-caring-for-seniors","category-clinical-resources","category-owner-voices"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carepatrol.com\/baltimore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carepatrol.com\/baltimore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carepatrol.com\/baltimore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carepatrol.com\/baltimore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8211"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/carepatrol.com\/baltimore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8211\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carepatrol.com\/baltimore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8212"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carepatrol.com\/baltimore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carepatrol.com\/baltimore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carepatrol.com\/baltimore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}