9 signs of caregiver burnout (and how to cope)

Stress & AnxietyRelationships

Oct 6

Written By Calm Editorial Team

Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, MBA

From emotional exhaustion to physical fatigue, caregiver burnout is real. Discover 10 tips to protect your energy while caring for someone you love.

Being a full-time caregiver requires a lot of time and energy. On top of your own responsibilities, you’re cooking someone’s meals, keeping track of their appointments, and taking on the mental load of their daily needs. But without adequate rest and recovery, “a lot” can morph into “too much,” and you may find yourself struggling with caregiver burnout.

Caregiver burnout—a specific type of exhaustion that impacts caregivers—can be complicated. You may feel guilty because you want a break, or worry that admitting how hard it is means you don’t care. Or maybe you’re just resentful and frustrated.

All of these feelings are valid and more common than you may realize. After all, your body and mind have been carrying more than one person can, or should, hold alone.

Here’s everything you need to know about caregiver burnout, including what makes it different from everyday stress, and practical steps to recover.

What is caregiver burnout?

Caregiver burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that happens when caregiving demands consistently outweigh your ability to rest and recover. This type of burnout is not just tiredness after a long day. It’s a deeper depletion that leaves you running on empty, with no clear way to recharge.

Burnout is common for many caregivers, primarily because the job often comes from a place of love and duty. And when your focus is always on someone else’s needs, it’s easy to overlook your own.

Caregiver stress vs caregiver burnout

Distinguishing between caregiver stress and caregiver burnout is important because, while they may feel similar, they often require different responses.

Caregiver stress: This is what happens when the day-to-day demands feel heavy. You could feel rushed, worried, or emotionally stretched thin. But with rest and support, you can start to feel better.
Caregiver burnout: Burnout happens when stress goes unchecked for too long. In this state, you could begin to feel numb, resentful, and disconnected from the person you’re caring for.

9 common signs and symptoms of caregiver burnout

In most cases, burnout builds in small ways until suddenly, you’re running on empty. To help you recognize what’s happening before it takes a bigger toll, here are nine of the most common symptoms caregivers tend to experience:

1. Constant fatigue: Even after a full night’s sleep, you wake up tired. Nothing seems to help, and your energy stays flat all day.

2. Irritability or mood swings: You find yourself snapping over small things, crying unexpectedly, or feeling on edge. Or, you may just feel numb and unable to connect with others.

3. Withdrawal from social life: You don’t reach out to friends, and when they try to make plans, you get overwhelmed. It’s easier for you to stay home, even if you know you’d feel better with company.

4. Changes in appetite or weight: Stress can throw eating patterns off. You might start grazing or stress-eating late at night or lose your appetite altogether.

5. Frequent headaches, body aches, or stomach issues: You might experience tight shoulders, recurring headaches, and digestive issues that seem to come out of nowhere.

6. Difficulty concentrating or remembering things: When you feel stretched thin, it can be harder to keep track of details. You might forget appointments, lose your train of thought, or struggle to focus on simple tasks.

7. Feelings of helplessness or hopelessness: If you find yourself thinking, “Nothing I do is enough” or “I can’t keep going like this,” your reserves might be depleted.

8. Overwhelming guilt: Many caregivers feel guilty for needing rest or wishing for a break. This can keep you trapped in the cycle of burnout.

9. Getting sick more often: Are you catching colds or other illnesses more frequently? Stress weakens your immune system, and your body can only run on high alert for so long before it starts to break down.

What causes caregiver burnout?

Burnout is a reflection of how demanding caregiving can be. Typically, the causes are layered and build up over time, creating conditions that make exhaustion almost inevitable.

You might experience emotional strain from watching a loved one decline, a lack of support, and unrealistic expectations that leave no space for rest. It can also be caused by financial stress, isolation, and physical demands like lifting or being on call all night.

Remember that caregiver burnout is not a sign of personal failure, and taking care of yourself throughout this process is important.

How to cope with (and prevent) caregiver burnout: 10 self-care tips

Caring for others can be deeply rewarding, but it can also leave you mentally, physically, and emotionally drained. To help you protect your energy and wellbeing, here are 10 self-care tips.

1. Build a small care team

If possible, ask friends and family members for help, and be specific about your requests. For example, you might try asking, “Can you cover Tuesday mornings so I can rest?”

Joining a support group can also serve as a reminder that you’re not alone.

2. Plan for regular respite

Schedule predictable breaks, even if it's just for a couple of hours a week. Remember that rest doesn’t need to be earned. It’s essential for sustaining your energy long-term.

💙 Take a Break with Jay Shetty is an important reminder that taking time to reset is critical.

3. Organize caregiving tasks

Structure can relieve a lot of mental strain, so try organizing a weekly 15-minute “care huddle” to review appointments, errands, and responsibilities.

You could also keep a one-page “care sheet” with diagnoses, medications, and contacts so it’s easier for others to pitch in.

4. Protect your rest

To make sure you get the recovery time you need, create a wind-down routine. Choose a consistent wake time, dim lights in the last hour before bed, and hold a regular sleep window, even if it’s broken into smaller chunks.

If your nights are frequently disrupted, consider napping when coverage is available or rotating shifts with a helper.

5. Care for your body

Move your body when and how you can. You might try going for a short walk, doing gentle stretches, or using resistance bands.

Also, keep easy-to-grab, nourishing foods around like yogurt, nuts, and pre-cut fruit.

6. Use tools that make caregiving easier

Simplify your routines where you can. Ask pharmacists about automatic refills and synced pickup days and consider technology like medication dispensers or telehealth if it eases your load.

Also, protect your back by learning safe lifting and transfer techniques from a nurse or physical therapist.

7. Prepare for the money and paperwork side

Caregiving often comes with financial stress and endless forms. Try to stay ahead of things by gathering essential documents, such as insurance cards, advance directives, and powers of attorney. Store them in one folder at home with a digital copy on your phone. Doing this early can reduce decision fatigue later.

8. Set boundaries with compassion

Boundaries protect your energy and relationships. They’re guidelines that keep caregiving sustainable and also give others a clear map for how to support you.

Two boundaries you could set are, “I’m available until 6pm but not overnight,” or “I can’t host visitors without notice.”

💙 Boundaries with Tamara Levitt can reinforce the importance of setting limits.

9. Face guilt directly

Guilt can creep in when you start to resent the situation you’re in. If this feeling is debilitating or constant, consider talking with a counselor or joining a support group. Naming guilt for what it is, and not letting it run the show, is a powerful act of self-care.

10. Know the red flags

It’s time to seek professional help if you’re experiencing persistent sleep loss, worsening health, or increased illness.

And if you ever feel like you might harm yourself, treat it as urgent. Dial or text 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. (If outside the U.S., use your local emergency number.)

Caregiver burnout FAQs

What are the first signs of caregiver burnout?

Early signs of caregiver burnout are typically fatigue that doesn’t lift with rest, irritability over small things, and emotional detachment.

Some caregivers notice they stop returning calls or lose interest in hobbies they once loved. Others describe being on autopilot. Experiencing changes like this is usually a sign that your mind and body need recovery time.

How do you recover from caregiver burnout?

Recovery usually takes a combination of rest, support, and structural change. In the short term, this could mean taking a break, asking family to step in, or blocking out protected time to rest. It could also mean setting boundaries around what you can realistically provide, sharing responsibilities where you can, and staying connected to your own needs.

Many caregivers also benefit from counseling or joining a support group, where they can process the emotional toll and get validation from others who understand.

How can I manage caregiver guilt?

A good way to manage caregiver guilt is to reframe the idea that caring for yourself is selfish. It’s not. In fact, it’s what allows you to continue caring for your loved one.

Support groups and therapy can also help you untangle guilt from responsibility. It may also be helpful to remind yourself regularly that you’re doing the best you can with the resources you have at your disposal right now.

Can caregiver burnout make you emotionally exhausted?

Emotional exhaustion is one of the hallmark symptoms of caregiver burnout. Many people who experience this feel as though they have nothing left to give emotionally, or that they’re moving through their days in a fog. Others experience irritability or sadness.

If you’re currently experiencing caregiver burnout, it means that your inner reserves are depleted and need replenishing.

What’s the difference between stress and burnout for caregivers?

Stress and burnout share some overlap, but they’re different. Stress is the body’s natural alarm system. It shows up as worry, tension, or irritability, but it usually eases with rest and short breaks.

On the other hand, burnout develops when you don't get enough relief from stress. Instead of bouncing back, you feel constantly exhausted, even when opportunities to rest come up.

In short, stress is the warning light, and burnout is what happens when the warning goes unanswered for too long.

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Calm Editorial Team