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Burnout. Defined as “a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity”. Most of us hear this word and think “hey, that’s not me”! We tend to think of burnout as something that happens after years of working in the same position or at the same place. We think of burnout as something that won’t happen until later on- that right now we’re just a bit stressed and overwhelmed. 

Most of you have probably noticed that, especially in healthcare, burnout can happen quickly- and it can hit you at any time. As caregivers, we reach this stage much faster than others. And those who struggle with their mental health to begin with (speaking from personal experience) will feel that loss of enjoyment and accomplishment at an even faster rate. 

So how can we prevent this caregiver burnout? Here’s a little list of things you can do! 

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Needing help doesn’t make us a bad nurse/HCP/caregiver. None of us can/should do this alone! 
• Allow yourself to take a break. We often think of taking care of ourselves as the selfish thing to do when we have so many others to care for. But allowing ourselves to refuel is VITAL! 
• Ask someone to keep you accountable for your self care. Have someone check in on you every once in a while to make sure you're doing the things you should be doing for yourself. They can help keep you accountable for things like taking your medicine, making appointments, eating/drinking enough, and more! 
• Allow yourself to feel your feelings, and then find a way to express them. This may look different for everyone! You can meditate, pray, journal- you name it! 
• Work on prioritization and organization. And once you know what you have to do and when you have to do things by- don’t be afraid to delegate tasks! We were never made to take everything on, on our own! 
• Communication and honesty with your support team and with yourself is key throughout all of this. If you’ve tried all of these steps and you still find yourself drained and unhappy with where you are- consider a change. Admitting that you need something new is not a failure! Sometimes taking that leap of faith is all we need. 

Burnout is real, and it is rough. Be open to help and be open to change. And remember, you are capable of so much more than you give yourself credit for!