How Flexible Work Can Help Reduce Caregiver Burnout
According to a 2020 survey, 61% of caregivers in the United States are also employed in paid work.
With the pressure of juggling a job and the care of a loved one, it’s no surprise that many caregivers suffer from stress, exhaustion, and burnout.
Luckily, flexible work options can provide a solution. In this blog post, we discuss:
- The causes and symptoms of caregiver burnout
- Ways to reduce caregiver burnout
- Flexible work options for caregivers
What Is Caregiver Burnout?
A caregiver cares for a loved one who is ill or elderly. They may help with arranging doctor appointments and prescriptions, providing transportation, and facilitating daily activities.
While caring for friends and family can be an important and rewarding experience, long-term caregiving can lead to stress and exhaustion.
When providing care comes at the expense of your own mental and physical health, your work quality, and your relationships, you may be experiencing caregiver burnout.
What Causes Caregiver Burnout?
Usually, a combination of issues related to providing long-term care cause caregiver burnout. These include:
- The need to perform multiple roles within a family, such as being a parent or a spouse as well as being a caregiver, with few or no boundaries between these roles
- The emotional toll of care work, particularly if your loved one has a progressive disease or a terminal illness
- A lack of resources, such as money, time, and helping hands
- Sudden changes in your life, such as having to move in with the person you care for
Sometimes, the reasons for caregiver burnout can be hard to pin down. So even if you don’t think you’ve experienced these issues, you should still watch out for the symptoms.
What Are the Symptoms of Caregiver Burnout?
The symptoms of caregiver burnout can appear insignificant or unrelated at first, but they can lead to significant distress. You may be experiencing caregiver burnout if you:
- Feel exhausted constantly
- Have trouble sleeping or sleep too much
- Have difficulty concentrating
- Notice changes in your appetite
- Start to lose interest in hobbies and other activities
- Find yourself neglecting responsibilities
- Feel increasingly angry and irritable or resentful of the person you care for
- Have trouble relaxing
- Get sick more often
Even if you’re experiencing one or more of these symptoms, however, you can reduce caregiver burnout in several ways.
How to Reduce Caregiver Burnout
Reach Out for Help
Whether you ask for a spare hand to help with the household chores or look for a professional willing to lend an ear, reaching out to those around you can help prevent caregiver burnout. You can do this in the following ways.
- Delegating tasks. Being a caregiver doesn’t mean you have to do everything yourself. Try asking other family members and friends whether they can take on certain chores and responsibilities. You can even organize a chore wheel so everyone gets a fair share of the work.
- Talking to someone. Whether it’s a friend, a helpline, or a counselor, having someone you can talk to about your thoughts and feelings will help relieve some of your burden as a caregiver.
- Joining a support group. Caregiver support groups are online or in-person spaces where you can meet and interact with people who have experiences similar to yours. Having the support of a community that understands what you’re going through can make all the difference when you’re fighting burnout.
And although it can be a tough choice to make, deciding that your loved one’s needs go beyond your own abilities is important. Getting help from a professional carer, nurse, or hospice is nothing to be ashamed of and may be the best choice for everyone involved.
Allow Time for Yourself
Considering your own needs when caring for another person can be difficult. But you need to remember that your physical, mental, and emotional well-being is just as important as theirs.
Provide time to yourself by:
- Keeping your daily to-do list manageable and realistic
- Making space for regular, effective breaks in your routine
- Pursuing hobbies and interests outside your role as a caregiver
Taking more time for yourself is nothing to feel guilty about, and you can do so without impacting the care your loved one receives.
For example, you can consider short-term hospice care. Many hospices provide respite care, a short-term care option that takes some of the burden off caregivers. Respite care can range from a few hours to several days, depending on your specific needs.
Find out whether any local hospices or other services offer this option so you can allow yourself to take time away while knowing that your loved one will receive excellent care.
Find Flexible Work
Caregiving can be an emotional and stressful experience at the best of times. When you have to provide care at the same time as holding down a nine-to-five job, things can get even harder.
But keeping on top of your career as well as your caregiving doesn’t have to lead to caregiver burnout. Flexible work – and freelancing in particular – can help you fit your career around your care responsibilities by:
- Providing control over your schedule so you can plan your work around doctor appointments, therapy sessions, and household chores
- Allowing you to work remotely from wherever you choose, whether that’s a waiting room or the home of the person you’re caring for (with the added benefit of more options should you need to change your location or living arrangements to care for someone)
- Saving time you might otherwise spend traveling to and from work and thereby allowing you to fit more me-time into your schedule
What’s more, flexible work can save you money, improve your mental health, and give you the opportunity to pursue your interests – all of which will help reduce the risk of caregiver burnout.
Flexible Career Options for Caregivers
Flexible work can take different forms. If you already have a job you’d like to keep, consider asking for a different work pattern or shift schedule.
If you’d like to try something different, you can explore more flexible work options, such as:
- Part-time work, where you spend less time working in exchange for a more flexible schedule
- Remote work, where you perform your duties from anywhere in the world
- Hybrid work, where you work some hours at an office or on location and some at home
- Freelance work, where you choose your own clients, hours, and pay rate as someone who is self employed
Freelance work, in particular, can be a great choice for caregivers.
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