Life Goes On, The Caregiver

  Tips from a Psychology Performance PhD www.drhaleyperlus.com Burnout is on the rise.   A recent report from Indeed found that 52% of all workers are feeling burned out. (Source:  https://www.indeed.com/lead/ preventing-employee-burnout- report ). Burnout is very common and can result from overly demanding expectations, lack of control, lack of social support, taking on more than one can handle at work, school, or interpersonally with family and friends, or poor self-care, among other causes.  Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged and excessive stress. Burnout can affect quality of life and well-being in various ways. The consequences of burnout include but are not limited to depression, anxiety, anger, irritability, fatigue, excessive stress, increased likelihood for high blood pressure, withdrawing from family and friends, inability to do a job well, loss of motivation, increasingly negative and cynical outlook, among...

  Beyond Burnout: The Exhausting Reality of Unpaid Family Caregivers (from an article appearing on the AARP website ) ' Already Toast ' author, Kate Washington, on the need for more societal support "Lessons learned During the two long, intense years Washington spent as her husband's primary caregiver and now living with his chronic illness and disability, she has seen her role ebb and flow. When I ask her what she would share with the benefit of hindsight, she offers this advice. Say, ‘Yes!’... Don't delay seeking support...   Get a reality check...   Outsource what you can...   Find a balance between privacy and openness... " read the complete article here Kate Washington  is an essayist and food writer who currently serves as the dining critic for  The Sacramento Bee . Her work has appeared in many publications, including  The Washington Post ,  Eater ,  Catapult , and  McSweeney’s Internet Tendency . She lives in Northern California....

I road as a (volunteer) N.Y.S. Emergency Medical Technician for nearly 30-years. I dealt with all kinds of emergencies, all ages, and a variety of outcomes (both good and bad). I would have thought I would be fully "professional" when it came to my own husband's stroke... Instead I barely held it together. I was fortunate that I was able to lean on our daughter, son and daughter-in-law (all with EMS experience themselves, but they too were filled with emotions). We were all so fortunate that despite what seemed so frightening that first night, my husband did survive and, just like he has been for the better part of his life, he was determined NOT to be beaten. The two months that he was hospitalized are still a bit of a blur. I remember doing most of the things I had to do like housekeeping, grocery shopping, paying bills and the small amount of work I HAD to get done (thankfully I had understanding editors and a compassionate publisher). And at least six days a week ...