7 Stress-Management Tips for Caregivers

If you’ve ever taken care of a chronically ill spouse or elderly parent, you know how stressful and exhausting it can be. If you're living through the experience right now, you might be feeling overwhelmed or even at a breaking point—even if you love the person you're caring for very much. caregiver burnout is real.

Providing this type of care can place a great deal of pressure on a person, and caregivers are often surprised by the amount of burnout they experience. Here are just some of the ways to heal and lessen the effects.

Many caregivers have trouble taking care of their own needs as they provide so much care for the needs of others. Whether you feel guilty for taking time out for yourself, or if you just feel like you don’t have the time to take, consider this perspective: If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t have anything left to give.

What Leads to Caregiver Burnout?

Fear or Uncertainty

if you’re in the position of caring for someone with cancer or another serious disease, you’re probably also dealing with concerns for your loved one’s future. If you’re caring for a child with special needs, there may be uncertainty as to how to proceed. Being in the position of being a caregiver usually carries some heavy responsibility and sometimes scary situations.

Financial Pressure

As medical bills and other treatment, fees accrue, and as less energy is left for work, caregivers often find themselves facing financial pressures as well.

Isolation

When dealing with the needs of someone who requires constant care, a caregiver can feel isolated from the rest of the world. Whether you’re in a position where it’s unsafe to leave your loved one alone, or even if they just get lonely when you leave, you may find yourself much more tied to the home than before, which can make it more difficult for you to get exercise, connect with others, and do the things that help you take some stress off.

Minimal Alone Time

While caregivers may feel isolated from others, it’s also common to have very little time alone. The need for solitude is very real for most people, and the stress of getting little time alone can feel confusing for someone who also feels isolated, but both feelings can coexist with caregivers, causing their stress to multiply.

Demands of Constant Care

Many caregivers find themselves giving round-the-clock care, or spending virtually every free moment attending to the needs of their loved one. Others find that their responsibilities are less constant, but never know if they’ll be needed at one particular moment or the next, so they feel like they need to be constantly available. The feeling of being "always on duty" can take a heavy toll on a caregiver.

How Caregivers Can Lessen Stress and Overwhelm

The following steps can help you to minimize some of the stress you’re feeling, so you can feel less overwhelmed by the caregiver role.

1. Stay connected. It’s important to maintain relationships with other people, not just the person you’re caring for or your immediate family. Others, especially those who are in a similar position, can provide support and information, as well as valuable opportunities to step out of the caregiver role for a while. Aim to find a mix of social support from online support groups, friends with whom you may have lost touch as you’ve gotten busier, and new friends you may meet in the community. Even walking a dog around your neighborhood provides some of the health benefits of pets and can help you stay more connected to your neighbors and community.
2. Accept help. If help is offered by friends, neighbors, and others, don’t be afraid to accept it. Many people don’t know what to do to help, but are sincere in their offers of, "If there's anything I can do." Just think of what would really help you and tell them—it may make them feel much better being able to lighten your load, so don’t feel guilty about it. If you’re not getting many offers of support, you may want to ask family members if they might be able to offer some. Also, there may be resources offered in your community, so some research in that area may yield some useful results. Sometimes even a little help can go a long way.
3. Find time alone. It may be difficult for you to find time alone, especially if you’re the sole provider of care, but don’t forget that you need to give to yourself in order to have the ability to give to others. However, taking an hour or two for journaling in a coffee shop, seeing a movie by yourself, getting exercise with a long walk, or going to a nearby park and immersing yourself in a good book are all excellent, restorative options that can help you to stave off burnout.
4. Maintain a hobby. It’s also important to keep up some interests outside of your role as a caregiver. Maintaining a hobby is a way to keep yourself feeling fresh and vital, and possibly to stay connected with others in another role. Here is a list of stress-relieving hobbies to consider, some of which can be maintained at home with your loved one, along with some that will take you outside and connect you with others.
5. Stay informed. While sometimes looking conditions up on the internet yield questionable or even unsettling results, it’s still often a good idea to research as much as you can about your loved one’s condition, so that you’ll know what to expect. To be sure that you’re getting accurate information, talk to your doctor about good resources for information and support.
6. Stay spiritually grounded. Studies show that religion and spirituality can help immensely with stress relief, health, and life satisfaction, so if you have are religious or have spiritual leanings, now is a good time to rely on them, and gain strength from your faith as well as your spiritual community.
7. Take care of yourself. The main idea here is to take good care of yourself—physically, mentally, and emotionally—so that you’ll be able to handle the challenges of caregiving, and continue to provide care for others. Self-care encompasses many ideas, including getting enough sleep, eating a quality diet, and other strategies to keep yourself feeling well. Also, if you experience persistent feelings of fatigue, resentment, or burnout, don’t be afraid to talk to a professional and get some extra support.