How to Avoid Caregiver Burnout
By TRG Advisors on November 25, 2022
What’s in Your Courage Tool kit?
There is a large, often silent group of warriors in just about every context of our lives – at work, in our community and among our friends. Chances are, you or someone close to you belong to it. It’s the millions of caregivers — for the elderly, those with mental and physical health conditions, and others — who carry on day to day bearing the weight of countless responsibilities and the emotional and physical toll they take.
To help these caregivers find the courage and tools they need to protect their wellbeing and avoid burnout, we hosted Kristi Horner, founder and executive director for Courage to Caregivers, and her colleague, Jenny Woodworth, MSW, LSW, director of programs. Their organization is a nonprofit serving caregivers throughout North America, with the mission to provide hope, support, and courage.
During the discussion, Kristi and Jenny shared the importance of recognizing and addressing caregiver burnout, by highlighting, for example, that:
- The extreme stress experienced by caregivers can take as much as 10 years off their lives
- The only way to best support loved ones is by first taking care of oneself
- The importance of recognizing and leaning into the vulnerability and lack of control one has as a caregiver
Kristi and Jenny also shared their framework for solving these issues as a caregiver: a toolkit for gaining empowerment and energy. It includes:
- Courage affirmations
- Courage tips
- Podcasts
- Exercises
- And more
To learn more about the courage toolkit, either for yourself or loved ones, listen to and share Preventing Caregiver Burnout: What’s in YOUR Courage Tool Kit? Or for more resources around wellbeing, please reach out to us. We recognize that wealth and wellbeing are inextricably intertwined and are here to support you on your journey toward achieving both.