Are you caregiving while working full time? Do you struggle with balancing your career and being a good caregiver for your loved ones? Rest assured that you are not alone. Many of us are taking care of our parents or other loved ones while working. While caregiving is a rewarding experience, it can get overwhelming and take a toll on you physically, mentally and emotionally. If not managed effectively, it can lead to burnout, which would then impact your performance at work, cause more stress and this vicious cycle would go on and on.
The good news is you can manage your caregiving duties and your career so that you do not fall into the burnout zone. I will share with you 6 tips that have helped me balance caregiving with my career, while taking care of my own health.
1. Prepare a Schedule
Effective time management is key to successfully manage your work and care for your loved ones. Each individual’s situation is different so there is no standard schedule that will fit everyone. The key is to set a schedule that fits your lifestyle and to ensure that you set some time for your own self-care. For example, if the person you are caring for is living with you and you are responsible for their meals and medications, you will need to have scheduled meal times and ensure that medications are taken at the prescribed times. A simple way to manage this is to set reminders on your phone, so you do not have to worry about remembering everything.
2. Set a Plan
Plan for chores and tasks that are in your control. For example, you can cook a few dishes on a Sunday afternoon so that you are not scrambling to decide what to cook every day of the week. Another example is to prepare a weekly shopping list and get your shopping done once a week so you do not have to make multiple trips to the grocery store during the week. If your loved ones do not live with you, plan your visits so that you set that time aside to focus only on them. At the same time, they will have something to look forward to, and they will feel good that you spend quality time with them without any other distractions.
When you have a structure in place, you can focus 100% on doing one thing at a time, instead of multitasking and not giving your full attention to any single task. It relieves a lot of stress, knowing that you have thought of everything that needs to be done and are taking the time to do each with excellence.
3. Accept Help
Most caregivers feel that they are responsible for doing everything for their loved ones, and if they ask for help, it shows that they are incompetent or uncaring. Remember that you have a life too, and you need to be kind to yourself. There is lots of help available in the community so do not try to do everything yourself. Getting help shows that you are managing your caregiving responsibilities in a practical way. For example, if you need help with transportation, you can apply for door to door transit service such as TTC Wheeltrans (in Toronto). If you need help with personal care such as bathing, you can contact your Local Health Integrated Network (LHIN) and find out the type of services your loved ones may qualify for. Check out our Resources section to find contacts for different agencies in the community. Some of us are afraid to ask for help for fear of rejection. However, you will only know if you ask. If you ask, you will most likely get it, but if you do not ask, you will definitely not get it.
4. Take Time for Self-Care
When you are juggling so many responsibilities, you can forget to take care of yourself and eventually put yourself at the bottom of the priority list. For a while it may seem like that is not a big deal. However, if you do not take time for your own wellness, you may need to take time for your illness. Make sure you get adequate rest and sleep, eat healthy, and do things that you enjoy. Neglecting your self-care will result in physical and mental burnout, which will be detrimental to you, your career and the person you are caring for. You may be thinking, this is easier said than done, and I totally understand because I have experienced it. However, when you set a schedule, plan out your days, and accept help, you will find it easier to take care of your own well-being along with being successful at work and being an excellent caregiver.
5. Utilize Your Workplace Benefits
If you have a group benefits plan at work, take the time to review the services that your plan provides. For example, many employers provide an Employee Assistance Program that includes resources which can assist you with taking care of your loved ones. Some plans may cover services such as counselling, therapy and massage which you can use for your own health and wellness.
6. Take Time Off
Everyone needs a break to refresh, rejuvenate and relax. Caregiving is a full time job in addition to your career, so it is important to take time off for yourself. Make sure you take the time off from work that you are entitled to, for your own rest and relaxation. Sometimes you may need to take time off to provide extra care to your loved ones if their condition deteriorates. Depending on where you work, you may qualify for Compassionate Care leave as well as Employment Insurance benefits from Service Canada. It is important to be aware of the programs that are available so that you can utilize them if need be.
Balancing caregiving while working is challenging but when managed efficiently and effectively, it is fulfilling and rewarding. You learn to develop transferable skills such as time management, planning, people management, patience, resilience and so much more.
Have you struggled with your career while caregiving? What strategies do you use to manage both successfully? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below so we can all continue to learn from each other.
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