What is Carer Burnout? Find Out The Facts

A potentially devastating issue, carrying both physical and mental health implications, carer burnout is a genuine danger faced by carers.

With effects including exhaustion, anxiety, and even high blood pressure, it’s important that carers understand the potentially harmful effects of carer burnout and devise plans to manage it.

But what is carer burnout? And how can it be addressed?

What is Carer Burnout?

Carer burnout can be described as intense mental or physical exhaustion, brought about by the demands of caring for someone. Typically caused by a sustained build-up of stress, carer burnout doesn’t have any one specific trigger; meaning that it can be difficult to spot. 

Caregiver burnout statistics

Carer burnout is more common than you might think. A 2020 study revealed that a staggering 73% of carers stated that the pressure of their responsibilities could lead to burnout. A more recent study looking at the state of caring in 2022 found that: 

  • 21% of carers said their physical health was bad or very bad
  • 30% said their mental health was bad or very bad
  • 41% of carers had not taken a break from their caring role in the previous year

Combined with the current financial stresses of the cost of living crisis, carers are facing increasing pressure in all aspects of their lives. Experiencing carer burnout from the combination of all these factors is a serious risk, so it’s important to understand the signs early, allowing you to address them before they can escalate.

Common Carer Burnout Symptoms

Ranging from difficulty sleeping to severe anxiety, carer burnout presents with a variety of both physical and mental symptoms. Each person may experience burnout differently, because each person’s caregiving situation is unique. However, some of the common caregiver burnout symptoms include:

Physical Symptoms of Carer Burnout

  • Fatigue
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Headaches
  • Nausea
  • Muscle tension
  • Increased blood pressure

Mental Symptoms of Carer Burnout

  • Anxiety
  • Memory problems
  • Social withdrawal 
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Irritability
  • Persistent low mood 

Of course, these symptoms can be challenging and feel daunting to face, but identifying them is a key step in managing them; and there are several ways to do so.

Preventing & Managing Carer Burnout

Carer burnout can be debilitating. It can make it difficult to carry out your everyday tasks as a carer, negatively affecting your quality of life and impacting your ability to provide care for your loved one or dependent. Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can address the effects of carer burnout.

Manage Your Time

Caring for someone doesn’t always obey a schedule. And it’s easy to become overwhelmed when juggling your responsibilities as a carer with the demands of your own life.

As such, it’s important to manage your time. And that doesn’t have to mean complicated schedules; just a simple, manageable plan that allows you to fit in both your responsibilities as a carer and your own needs.

Set Boundaries

Though difficult, setting boundaries between your role as a carer and your own life is important in managing carer burnout.It’s important to remember that setting these boundaries doesn’t mean that you care any less. In fact, creating these boundaries will help you stay healthy and allow you to offer the best support possible for the person you care for.

Practice Self-Care

Self-care is vital in managing carer burnout. And there’s no one-size-fits-all way to practice self-care – whatever works for you is valid!

Whether it’s practicing mindfulness techniques, getting out for some exercise, or simply settling down with a cuppa and your favourite TV programme, self-care is perhaps the most valuable tool in managing carer burnout.

Take A Break

It may not be easy, but sometimes the best thing you can do to avoid carer burnout is to take a break; giving you a chance to relax, recharge and return to your role. But taking a break doesn’t mean that the person you care for is left without the support you offer.

Respite care means that there’s someone to step in and support on your behalf, meaning that you can take a much-needed break knowing that the needs of the person you care for are being met by a fully trained professional.

How Home Care Can Help with Carer Burnout

Caring for someone is a challenging, often demanding thing to do. And needing a little extra support is nothing to be ashamed of. If you feel like you’re starting to struggle it’s important to reach out for help. Whether speaking to a friend, relative, or professional, you needn’t tackle carer burnout alone.

Accessing home care services – whether short-term or long-term – can offer you valuable support when you need it most. You can prevent carer burnout by striking the perfect balance between your role as a carer and your everyday responsibilities. And home care services can be tailored to your specific needs, allowing you to feel less overwhelmed and more in-tune with yourself.

Help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All calls to NHS urgent mental health helplines are free or you can contact Abbots Care to discuss how our home care services can support you.