Sidestepping Caregiver Burnout

A while ago I came across an interesting article by Cynthia Burke called the Six Spiritual Practices of Caregiving. Burke, an ordained interfaith minister and an active member of the New York City Family Caregiver Coalition, suggests that caregivers can learn to be navigate the dangers of caregiver burnout.

I found the first three principles in particular to be helpful:
1. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
Caring for friends or family members who are very ill, helpless, fragile, or frightened, can be exhausting physically, emotionally and spiritually. That’s why it’s essential to take care of yourself first, so that you’re able to care for others out of your overflow. One way to take care of yourself is to seek support from others.
2. FOCUS ON CARE NOT CURE
As a caregiver, it’s important to recognize the distinction between healing and curing. In the simplest terms, curing is changing what is (i.e. the elimination of a disease) while healing implies the ability to relate differently to things as they are. Your role as a caregiver is to deal with things as they are and be clear about the task at hand.
3.) WORK TO BE IN THE MOMENT
Getting caught in what’s happened in the past, or what you imagine will happen in the future, robs you of the resources you need for the present moment of action. In addition, with some caregiving situations, you may be faced with circumstances that elicit your fears. The person for whom you’re caring may already be dealing with his or her own fear. You don’t want to add your anxiety to the mix. Staying in the present moment is great a way to help tame your fears.

These common sense principles, and the others she offers, help to mitigate the ‘unknowingness’ that most caregivers face. They are like sign posts that remind us we are on the right track even when we can’t see it before us. And when we aren’t they can help us find our way back.

I do not know if Burke is still facilitating workshops. Here is a link to the complete article.