Being a caregiver can come with many benefits. You might develop a much closer relationship with your loved one than you ever had before, and you will likely discover depths to your compassion and abilities that you never knew you were capable of.
But caregiving is also a very emotionally and physically demanding job. Not only are you giving a lot of your time and attention to your loved one, but you are also doing that on top of all of the other commitments you have in your life. Because of this it can be easy to become exhausted and overworked, which, if left unattended, can quickly lead to burnout.
Burnout is particularly common for caregivers and other healthcare workers, so it’s extra important that you be familiar with the signs and how to prevent and overcome them. While this piece will cover many of the common signs, there may be others that are not listed here, so, even if a symptom isn’t mentioned below, be sure to listen to your body and make changes if something feels off. You know yourself best, so don’t second guess yourself.
1. Lack of Interest/Detachment
It’s very common for people who are dealing with the beginning stages of burnout to experience feelings of disinterest and detachment towards the things they once enjoyed or took pride in doing. Here are a few of the ways this symptom might manifest:
- Realizing that you’re not really listening or engaging when you talk to others. You might even find that you find that you feel like you don’t care about what others are saying, even if you love them and know that in normal circumstances you would be experiencing joy or empathy.
- Declining invitations that you would normally accept. You stop going out to socialize and spend a lot more time on your own.
- You just feel like you don’t care about anything. You might describe yourself as feeling numb.
2. Loss of Motivation
Loss of motivation is a frequent companion to loss of interest or detachment, but it’s a little different. Motivation, as outlined by VeryWellMind, is the drive inside all of us to achieve our goals. This might be working towards a milestone in your career, running a 5 mile race, or completing a crossword puzzle simply for the satisfaction of doing it. The tasks required might not always be enjoyable, but the motivation you have to reach your goal will keep you going.
When dealing with burnout you might find yourself with a complete lack of motivation. Not only might you not go after your goals, you might find it hard to even motivate yourself to make breakfast or brush your teeth. And it can be very difficult to find that feeling of motivation once you lose it. Even if you know that abandoning your goals could have detrimental impacts on your life, it’s like you’re sliding down a hill and are unable to stop. It can be very scary and upsetting, and often goes hand in hand with depression.
3. Feeling Helpless or Like a Failure
Burnout can also produce a feeling of complete helplessness or that you are some kind of failure, even if you haven’t done anything that you should feel bad about.
You might feel a sense of complete overwhelm and panic, and like there is no way you will be able to dig yourself out of this feeling. You might find yourself crying unexpectedly, thinking extremely negative thoughts about yourself, or experiencing panic attacks.
When dealing with these symptoms you might convince yourself that nothing you do is good enough. You might not feel like a good caregiver, partner, parent or friend.
4. Moodswings
Another symptom of burnout is that you might find it very difficult to keep your emotions under control. You might constantly find yourself extremely irritated and quick to anger, or you might find yourself bursting into tears, or even feeling an almost manic positivity.
While it’s completely normal for everybody to go through a wide range of emotions each day, these will feel out of the ordinary for you. You might find yourself being curt and snappy with someone you normally have a lot of patience with. You might complain loudly and become irrationally angry at minor inconveniences, such as a short wait for a coffee, or forgetting something in your car. It will also likely feel very difficult for you to properly manage your feelings. Typical coping mechanisms might not work, and you might even have friends and family making comments that you are acting out of character. If it feels like your emotions are spinning out of control then it’s important to seek help before it gets worse.
5. Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Whether you consider yourself to be an emotional person or not, it’s important for everyone to have healthy coping mechanisms. Coping, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is a way for us to navigate through the stressors we experience in life, whether from a traumatic event, major life change, or dealing with poor mental health, among many other issues. Finding ways to cope is normal and necessary, but there are many different ways to cope with difficult moments and emotions in our lives.
If you are engaging in healthy coping mechanisms that might look like focusing on maintaining a healthy diet or putting up good boundaries. It could also look like practicing meditation or yoga or taking a nice warm bath at the end of the day.
However, even if we know that certain habits are healthier than others, it can be easy for us to turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms. These ways of coping might make you feel better immediately, but in the long run can cause serious physical and mental health problems. Examples of unhealthy coping mechanisms include emotional eating, substance use, risky sexual behavior and poor financial habits like excess shopping or gambling.
We all might make a choice that doesn’t feel good from time to time, but if you are in a good place then it’s likely you won’t continue participating in those activities. If you feel powerless to stop or are worried that you are dealing with addiction then the issue needs immediate attention.
6. Poor Performance
It may happen that people who are beginning to experience burnout start having issues at work or properly fulfilling their duties as a caregiver. You might find yourself making more mistakes than usual, or forgetting things that you have done hundreds of times before. You could also just be careless, which might accompany the earlier sign, detachment. You might be doing a poor job and feel like you don’t care about making mistakes or getting into trouble. But of course, not only is this not a pleasant way to live your life, but making constant mistakes could have major consequences on your career and could also negatively affect the loved one you care for. What if you mix up some medication or accidentally make them some food that they can’t eat? Everyone makes mistakes, but if you are consistently performing poorly then that is cause for concern.
7. Digestive Issues
Burnout can also cause a number of physical symptoms, one of which is digestive issues. You might constantly find that your stomach is in knots, or perhaps frequently bloated. You might have constipation or frequent loose stools. Meals that used to go down no problem now create gas and heartburn.
Sometimes we might discover a sensitivity to a food we didn’t know we had previously, or be nervous about an entirely different matter. But, if there’s no other reasonable explanation for your digestive issues then there’s a good chance it could be happening due to burnout.
8. Sleep Problems
The Sleep Health Foundation tells us that sleep and burnout have a bi-directional relationship. This means that burnout can negatively impact your sleep, but that in reverse, if you have been neglecting sleep or have had it impacted in another way, then that lack of sleep or good quality sleep could in turn lead to burnout.
Of course this can be tricky, as there are many things that can cause us to lose sleep, from tending to a new baby, to staying up to watch the latest episode of your favorite show. But if you are consistently having trouble getting enough sleep or feel like you’re always exhausted even if you think you’ve slept enough, then there’s a good chance you’re dealing with burnout.
9. Constant Colds
Winter does mean that cold and flu season is in full swing, but if your immune system is functioning as it should, and you don’t have young children, then it is unusual to experience repetitive colds. This could look like getting a full blown cold every other week, or simply feeling that you’re never really well. Sniffles, a sore throat and exhaustion might go on and off with no proper explanation, and you might find yourself growing increasingly frustrated at the fact that you never seem to feel good. When experiencing a health situation like this it’s always good to go visit a doctor, but you might find that burnout is the culprit.
10. Other Physical Symptoms
Finally, just as mentioned at the beginning of this article, this list won’t cover every possible sign of burnout. Yours might manifest in a slightly different way or you might experience a symptom that not many other people have. But it is important to note that along with emotional symptoms, burnout can have you experiencing several other physical symptoms aside from the ones listed above. Some of them might include:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Loss of appetite
Now that you have a better understanding of some of the warning signs of burnout, how can you overcome it, or, even better yet, prevent it? Prevention is always preferable, but if you’re already experiencing symptoms, then it’s important to act as quickly as possible. Here’s what to do:
Manage Your Schedule
If you are at burnout then it means your workload is not manageable and you need to cut back. First, take a look at your daily schedule. Could someone else take care of some of the tasks on your plate? Sometimes the people around you might not be aware you need help unless you tell them. So, be honest and tell them you need some support – most of the time people are more than happy to offer help. Prioritize what’s truly important and let go of little details. And be sure to not say yes to any more work right now.
Set Boundaries
It can be difficult to say no to the people you love, but you can’t be the best worker, partner, friend or parent, if you’re not taking care of yourself first. Learn how to say no and stand up for what you need.
Focus on Healthy Habits
Diet, sleep and exercise play such a major role in our physical and mental health, and make the difference between experiencing burnout or not. Even if you don’t feel like your workload is particularly demanding if you’re not moving your body, nourishing it with healthy food and making sure to get enough shut eye, then there’s a good chance you’re not going to feel your best. Changing your habits might seem overwhelming, but starting slow is the best way to go! Drink an extra glass of water and add one extra vegetable to your day. Take the stairs or park a block away from work. Instead of watching TV before bed, pop on an eye mask and listen to a funny podcast. Yes, your ultimate health goals might go further than that, but if you try to change your entire lifestyle overnight it’s unlikely to stick. Instead, focus on small, achievable goals that you can easily incorporate into your day and build up from there.
Take A Break
Sometimes we might feel like we can’t step away from our caregiving duties, but if you’re on the edge of burnout then you might not have a choice.
Depending on your situation this might look like sharing the responsibilities of caregiving with another family member or care worker, so that you can have an extra day off, or fewer hours. Maybe it’s taking a week long vacation, or simply having someone come in so you can go out for lunch or head to the gym. The answer of what kind of break is needed is going to be different for everyone, but a break is going to be needed all the same.
Talk to a Professional
If you’re experiencing burnout then it might be a good idea to pay a visit to a mental health professional. They can help you come up with further strategies to help you overcome your burnout and stay healthy long term.
Hopefully with this knowledge you can prevent burnout, or quickly overcome it. But as a parting note just one reminder: do not ignore it. If left untreated, burnout can cause serious health complications and you might need a lot longer than just a few days off!
