Therapy Orlando: 4 Healthy Boundaries for Caregiver Burnout

By: Christina Martinez, LMHC

Are you caring for someone and feeling burned out? Do you secretly resent your responsibilities, but then feel extreme guilt for having those feelings? “I shouldn’t be upset. At least I am healthy,” you think to yourself. Do you feel guilty when you want to take time for yourself? Does setting limits with your loved one put you in what feels like an impossible situation?

What happens if we are not careful as the supporters or caregivers in their lives? Yep, you guessed it, you will experience caregiver burnout. As an Orlando therapist specializing in supporting individuals with chronic illness, I see a lot of caregivers experiencing burnout and compassion fatigue.

A helpful tool I use with my clients, whether they are the person with chronic illness or the caregiver, is the Trauma Triangle, The Rescuer Role. As caregivers, supporters, and healthcare professionals, we often find ourselves stepping into the Rescuer Role for our loved ones. When someone we love is unwell, this role and parts of ourselves show up. When approached without insight into our needs, wants, and desires, we lose ourselves and the ability to set boundaries. So, what can we do to help with this?

To help you from experiencing burnout and compassion fatigue, I suggest implementing these four tips into your everyday routine.

1. Put yourself first.

I know, this sounds like the opposite of what we want to do but believe me, this is important. Putting yourself first will keep your well filled and allow you to share your water with others. If you need more sleep, then sleep, and If you need to have a good meal, then eat. If you’re overwhelmed and need a quiet moment to decompress, find your moment. This will keep you replenished and avoid possible resentment from building up so you can be the best version of yourself.

2. Practice Self-Care

If your well runs dry, you have nothing to offer your loved one. Make a list of things that you enjoy and then establish a routine for engaging in these in these nourishing activities. This means setting the boundary for the time you need just for yourself. So this can be as simple as having 15-30 minutes to yourself to meditate, paint pottery, or go to a yoga class. If you need some help coming up with a self-care routine, check out this post.

Mindful Living Counseling has guided meditations and breathing techniques that will be helpful. This is the time where your role as the caregiver or supporter is put away allowing you to just be you, nothing more and nothing less.

3. Practice communication.

Don’t be afraid to let your loved ones know you won’t be able to meet their needs today. If you’re at your threshold and can’t offer any more support, be clear with your person. If your loved one is requesting something that is beyond your capacity, let them know.

Keep to your capacity, to your threshold, and refer them back to the appropriate services that can provide other needs such as therapy, groups, medical professionals, etc.

4. Look for support for yourself.

It is not easy being the primary caregiver for a loved one with a chronic condition. It’s easy to put your needs on the back burner because your loved one “needs so much more.” There’s a saying, “Healers need healers.” I encourage you to seek support groups through NAMI or contact a therapist to assist you in maintaining healthy boundaries and self-care. Remember, you are not alone.

Therapy Orlando

We understand how difficult it can be when you are the primary caregiver of someone with chronic health conditions. It’s so hard to make time for yourself when someone else needs you. We get it and we are here to help you find balance in your life again. 

Reach out to us to schedule a phone consolation so you can get started with therapy right away. Click here to schedule your free 15-minute phone consultation with our Client Care Coordinator to get started on your healing journey with Therapy Orlando.

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Mindful Living Counseling Orlando is a trauma healing center. Our Orlando Therapy Services include anxiety therapy, trauma counseling, EMDR therapy, eating disorder recovery, teen counseling, and healing from toxic relationships. At Mindful Living Counseling Orlando, we use a down-to-earth approach infused with cutting-edge therapies that go beyond traditional talk therapy so clients can heal at the root level and experience lasting change. Feel free to access one of our Guided Meditations to help you feel settled and calm now.