Burnout:  a.k.a. overworked, overwhelmed, overcommitted, and overstimulated.

As caregivers, we are often also spouses, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, friends, employees, and volunteers.

We have a tendency to jam-pack our calendars, say “yes” to things we don’t actually want to do and neglect caring for ourselves in the process.

If you find yourself irritable, lacking motivation, feeling under the weather, having no energy, avoiding basic care tasks – these are signs of burnout.

To cope with burnout, It can help to take a step back, sit down with a piece of paper and start with a list of what matters most — relationships, activities, and commitments that light you up and make you come alive.

 Next, prioritize those things. Not EVERYTHING can be the priority.

 Picture this as a pyramid and sort your priorities starting with what matters most.

The decisions you make moving forward as far as what you commit to and how you spend your time should align with the hierarchy of your priorities. (i.e. if family is first and a friend asks you out to dinner the same day you are supposed to spend time with your mom, you say no to your friend because family is the first priority).

No more obligations and conflicting decisions.

Define success. No, really.

Write down what success looks like for you.

And then stop doing what DOESN’T MATTER;  distractions like making other people’s problems your problem, focusing on the wrong things, overdoing it, overachieving in EVERY task, doing things just to feel productive, and working for your phone instead of it working for you.

Get yourself a blank calendar.

First, add the things you HAVE to do. For example, if you work from 8-5, add that to your calendar. Sleep is also something you have to do so add that as well.

Then, add things you WANT to do. Look at the priority list you made. What are the things that light you up and reflect what matters to you?

What makes you feel balanced? If exercise is on that list, add a time to exercise.

If a “clean” space is on that list, add time to dedicate to your home.

If reading is on that list, commit some time to read.

Take a look at your old calendar vs the new one you just made. What doesn’t make the cut? Guess what? Those things? You can let go of them because you don’t HAVE to do them and you don’t WANT to do them.

(This article on burnout first appeared on the Child Guidance Resource Centers Facebook and LinkedIn pages on Nov. 3.)

Find out more about the Child Guidance Resource Centers.

Bonnie O’Neill talks about caregiver burnout when caring for a child with autism in this January 2021 video.