How to Beat Burnout without Quitting: A Caregiver’s Guide

How to Beat Burnout without Quitting: A Caregiver’s Guide - MalaysiaCaregiving Support

How to Beat Burnout without Quitting: A Caregiver’s Guide

Caregiving is a natural response, especially to a loved one in need. Here are ways to help you manage caregiver burnout sustainably.

Caregiving is an act of compassion, be it toward family members, loved ones, or even strangers. However, the job of a caregiver has its challenges and is bound to face difficulties. In this article, we will learn some tips on how to beat burnout without quitting as a caregiver(primarily for people that you know).

What Does a Caregiver Do?

There is a need to increase awareness of the busyness of a caregiver, whether as a professional or a family member.

This is a quick rundown of what caregivers do:

  • Assisting with personal care, such as bathing, dressing and toileting.
  • Carrying out basic food preparation, be it meals or grocery shopping.
  • Mobility assistance, movement in and out of a place.
  • General supervision.
  • Transportation, going to and from places, appointments and more.
  • Emotional and mental support, offering companionship in various matters.
  • Health monitoring, understanding if there is any health risk for the individual and getting them checked if necessary.

There may be other tasks that are specific to the family or individual’s needs. Over time, this can wear the caregiver down if self-care is not being prioritised.

Areas of Negligence of Caregiver for Self

Just as how an empty water tank is unable to fill other cups, the same goes for the caregiver. A caregiver who has neglected him or herself is more likely to be irritated, angered, or wearied. Here, we list a few areas of negligence that would take place.

  • Dignity and identity

There is no harm in taking care of your loved ones until it becomes something that takes up your entire time or personality. For instance, if you find yourself experiencing difficulties in separating your identity from your role as a caregiver, or feel tied to this role, there may be a need to realign your view in this regard.

  • Physical fitness

A caregiver may be caught up in the tasks required for their loved ones or the elderly. This may lead to putting their physical fitness on the back burner. By over-prioritising other people’s needs first, for example, your own desire to go for exercise and be active may be overlooked.

  • Mental health

Caring for another person extensively can lead to mental stress. This is due to trying to adapt to another’s lifestyle or even experiencing inevitable conflicts. While these may resolve, facing such challenges without respite can hamper one’s emotions.

  • Lack of community

Over a period of time, a person may be consumed by caregiving, neglecting other friendships or support groups. This may stem from the caregiver feeling embarrassed, unsure or reserved about their situation. This can cause strains or a lack of interest in befriending or maintaining existing relationships. It could be detrimental in the long run as this isolates the caregiver from the community.

Signs of Burnout

Even as we have seensigns of neglect in the caregiver, it is just as important to spot the signs of burnout. A person under immensestressis often identifiable, while a person undergoing burnout is more subtle. Nonetheless, both of these conditions do not spring up overnight.

Burnout affects a person physically, emotionally, and behaviorally. These are some instances to look out for:

  • Feeling drained and tired
  • Lowered immunity, causing frequent sickness
  • Headaches and muscle pains
  • Inability to eat or sleep well
  • Loss of motivation
  • Dreading the future
  • Isolation from others
  • Procrastination
  • Withdrawing from responsibilities

These feelings can draw from being overworked and undervalued. As a caregiver, neglecting yourself for the little things may end in burnout. Other factors that may cause burnout would belack of sleepand working excessively.

8 Tips on Tackling Caregiver Burnout

Having identified the signs, it is time to resolve the problems.This article recommends the “Three R” approach, which is known as:

  • Recognise– look out for the signs of burnout
  • Reverse– knowing the damage done, it is time to seek support and manage ongoing stress
  • Resilience– strengthen your own capability to tackle stress and challenges, by first taking care of your physical and emotional health

Here are a few practical ways you can practise to help you recover from burnout.

  • Prioritise yourself in the morning

Whether you are caring for someone throughout the day or a portion of it, it is easy to get preoccupied with their needs. Instead, make it a habit to take a look at your needs. Before you jump into your caregiving responsibilities, spend some moments having your own quiet time whether to meditate, read, have coffee, or walk outdoors. Set your mentality and mood right by writing down small achievable goals for the day. By doing this in the morning, you are able to remind yourself that you still have a purpose separate from the caregiving duty. This enables you to put your life in perspective as well.

  • Ask for help from family and loved ones

Being depended on for a period of time may result in others assuming that you are doing fine. Therefore, do not be shy to reach out and ask for help when things get tough or repetitive. You may feel ashamed to start talking about help, but there is nothing wrong with doing so.

  • Hiring a professional caregiver

Sometimes, our best may not be good enough due to limited knowledge in caregiving skills or other commitments to juggle. Our focus and drive may slack over time.A professional caregiveris well-suited to take care of your loved ones while you take a break. With this, you can have peace of mind that your loved ones are being taken care of.

  • Connect with other caregivers

At times, the people around you may not understand fully your journey of caregiving. People may assume that it is an easy job or that it is given. By connecting with other caregivers, they can recognise your struggles and conflicts. When your feelings are validated, oftentimes it will help you to process them better.

  • Talk to a counsellor or therapist

Mental health is more important than many may think. Undergoing life as a caregiver may result in ongoing stress and negative feelings. Consider going to a counsellor or therapist in order to talk things out. If you are not sure how to get started, here is a list ofaffordable therapy services that are available in Malaysia.

  • Incorporate other activities during caregiving

Caregiving duties can be routined but they do not need to stay mundane. Turn up some of your favourite tunes or podcast while you meal prep or assist your loved ones in light exercises. Incorporate your hobbies like gardening, DIY crafts or knitting as part of the activities you carry out with your loved ones. This can enrich your daily program during caregiving.

  • Enjoy nature

Instead of placing yourself in a sterile environment all the time, go to the park or to the hills to escape the urban landscape for a while. This can allow you to have a slower pace in life for a day, instead of keeping track of a schedule all the time. Whether you enjoy jogging, cycling or hiking, there is always an activity in nature available to suit your needs. You may practice somebreathing exercisesto release your stress during this time.

  • Schedule some self-care time

Self-care varies from person to person. Perhaps getting a massage or a facial spa may be a form of relaxation. For others, it could be having the time to do their own things without being rushed or constantly demanded of their time. Set aside non-interrupted time or activities in order to refresh yourself.

Hire a Professional Caregiver for Respite Care

Perhaps you might have come across a need to seek external help at a certain point in your caregiving experience. The good news is we understand your circumstance and we are ready to offer you our caregiving expertise.

AtHomage, we have trained professionals who can provide basic caregiving services, nursing procedures, and also physiotherapy sessions for your loved ones in the comfort of their own homes. Get in touch with our Penasihats today to get your free consultation!

References

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