Balancing informal care with work or family life
Are you caring for a loved one and trying to balance this with work, family or other commitments? Perhaps you do it out of love and as a matter of course, but you’re finding that your days are becoming increasingly full. You work, organise appointments, help out at home, keep in touch with care providers and try to make time for your family as well. That can take a lot out of you. Balancing informal care with work or family life often involves finding the right balance. You want to be there for the other person, but you also have your own life, health and responsibilities. If that balance comes under pressure, informal care can become a heavy burden. It is important to assess early on what you need to keep going.
What do you notice?
Caring for a loved one alongside work or family life can gradually take up more and more of your time. Sometimes you only realise later just how much you are doing.
You may, for example, notice that:
- you have little time for yourself;
- you are tired from juggling tasks;
- you allow your work and care responsibilities to overlap;
- you feel guilty towards your family or loved ones;
- you have less patience;
- you postpone your own appointments;
- you are sleeping poorly because of worries;
- you find it difficult to set boundaries;
- you feel that you are falling short in every respect.
Sometimes it feels as though you’re constantly having to switch gears. From work to care. From family to paperwork. From practical help to emotional support. That takes a lot of energy.
