6 tips for identifying and managing caregiver burnout symptoms

While the role of caregiving is especially rewarding and fulfilling, the associated responsibilities can often cause stress. As with any job, caregivers can occasionally experience burnout, leaving them feeling anxious and exhausted.

Fortunately, gaining self-awareness of the stressors related to caregiving roles and relationships can help you manage and prevent caregiver burnout symptoms. Here's how to recognize — and address — symptoms that can manifest in your daily life.

How caregiver burnout happens

Caregiver burnout can often be self-imposed. It is easy to feel overwhelmed when you fill multiple roles! Working full-time and being a mother, father, husband or wife adds to a list of never-ending caregiving tasks. Know that you're not alone; many caregivers are in multiple caregiving roles for a child, partner, friend or aging parents.

Trying to find the perfect balance of words to express your concerns (even if they come from a place of love and encouragement) takes practice. For example, when caring for someone with diabetes, the responsibility of responding to an unexpected low blood sugar event can be a heavy load both emotionally and physically. Differences of opinion about monitoring blood sugar, exercising or eating the right foods can deflate positive relationships — especially when caregivers have good intentions but tend to hover over a child or partner— so try your best to communicate thoughtfully.

Caregiver burnout symptoms

The role of caregiving can become all-consuming and negatively affect your health if left unchecked. Having a bad day or not feeling your best may result in a variety of emotional and physical concerns.

• Emotional exhaustion — which is the feeling of being drained, overwhelmed and fatigued — is a symptom of both conditions. The wide range of emotions associated with type 1 diabetes (T1D) management includes a loss of control, feelings of depression, fatigue and anxiety or a lack of motivation to change lifestyle habits. Care situations may feel unmanageable when emotions are up and down.
• Physical manifestations include poor appetite, loss of sleep, headaches, stomach aches, being inattentive to health, forgoing self-care like exercise and experiencing frequent illnesses. In some situations where stress is chronic, your health can become more troublesome than the health of the person you care for. Caregivers who feel they must always be on call often develop minor illnesses as a result.

6 tips for managing and preventing burnout

Individuals who feel responsible for the health of a loved one often keep going until burnout or illness seizes their attention. Interestingly, caregiver burnout symptoms are similar to some of the issues experienced by a person diagnosed with T1D.

These six tips can help you manage stress and raise your spirits:

1. Talk with a certified diabetes educator. Becoming more educated helps you reduce caregiver burnout symptoms by creating a plan to manage low blood sugar or another unexpected event. One of the principal causes of burnout for all caregivers is feeling unprepared for emergencies. Many T1D caregivers report having insufficient training to respond to situations where a loved one may lose consciousness or notice signs of a pending blood sugar crash. A certified diabetes educator can help you with tips to manage blood sugar ups and downs in addition to discussing the benefits of and providing instructions for using continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). The ability to monitor blood sugar readings remotely via a CGM app offers peace of mind.
   
   
2. Meet with a caregiving family therapist. Meeting with a counselor who specializes in caregiving issues can reduce emotional stress. Attending a caregiving support group online or in person and learning about diabetes research can also be beneficial. You can gain confidence and learn new skills by communicating with others who have experience with similar family roles. While caregivers often say they don't have time to attend appointments or groups, sessions with counselors and caregiver support groups are now conveniently offered online.
   
   
3. Support independence. Finding a balance between helping and providing help when needed is a significant stress reducer for caregivers who feel they have to be available 24/7. Learning to take a step back and ask if a loved one needs help (before you step in) can reduce relationship stress.
   
   
4. Create a self-care routine. Making time for you is beneficial because it can help work and daily life feel less overwhelming. Similar to the person diagnosed with T1D who benefits from a self-care routine, you can benefit from a similar routine. Caregivers and care receivers can encourage each other to participate in healthy routines that may include exercise, meditation and bedtime routines for sleep.
   
   
5. Schedule one-on-one time. Reconnect with the blessings in life by setting a date on your calendar with a partner or a friend. The time-consuming aspects of caregiving make it easy to neglect or sacrifice personal relationships. However, the act of caregiving is based on love — caregivers must re-engage to remember that love and joy exist in everyday life outside of the role of being a caregiver.
   
   
6. Disappear for a few hours. Taking off an afternoon to participate in social activities or to visit a day spa can be a perfect getaway. Getting a massage, manicure or pedicure can be exactly what the doctor ordered to relieve stress! Favorite activities such as bicycle riding, hiking or taking the dog for a walk can also provide a much-needed change of scenery and be a significant mood booster.

Looking for other ways to ease caregiver burnout symptoms? Check out the Edgepark website for more helpful tips and information around living with diabetes.