What Defines CAREER

Passion

Excessive stress at work coupled with demands at home as a caregiver can damage mental, physical, and emotional health and is a recipe for both caregiver and workplace burnout (Segal, Smith, Robinson, 2024). Both workplace and caregiver stress have the same top five symptoms 1) feeling anxious, irritable, or depressed 2) problems sleeping 3) fatigue 4) trouble concentrating 5) social withdrawal (and more). Here are some suggestions from Segal et al. as to what you can do to reduce your stress and regain control at work: 1) Turn to co-workers or friends and family for support 2) nutritious food and exercise can make you more resilient to stress 3) make sure you get enough sleep 4) find work life balance by leaving early in the morning to avoid traffic, just say no when it comes to people pleasing, and plan regular breaks for walking, relaxing, or socializing, and break your projects down to bite size pieces 5) break bad habits of negative thinking and actions by resisting perfectionism and negative thinking, look for humor in the situation, compromise when necessary, and declutter your desk so that you know where everything is. A health coach can help you make lifestyle changes and establish new habits. You can use our online directory on our website Caregiverhealth.org for health coaches.

References

Understand My Job/Self-Employment

If you are not knowledgeable about your job, industry or skills, that can make it uncomfortable at work when something is required of you. Here are some different ways to acquire skills. 1) You can acquire skills on the job, either when you are onboarded or as you practice tasks on the job; 2) you can take technical training courses; 3) you can shadow people who are already on the job; or 4) you can use professional development training as it becomes available; 5) ask for feedback from co-workers; 6) practice a skill and learn from others (Indeed Editorial Team (June 2023). Industry or product knowledge is important, but work-life balance is important and the ability to balance responsibilities at home and at work. If this is not attended to, oftentimes working and caregiving can become a stressful burden and lead to poor physical and mental health outcomes (Gaugler, Pestka, Davila, et al. 2018). Furthermore, Wang, Hsu, and Shyu (2020) found that “caregivers… with fewer working hours and greater work efficiency reported significantly better quality of life.” A health coach can help you make lifestyle changes and establish new habits. You can use our online directory on our website Caregiverhealth.org for health coaches.

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Collaboration

Good relationships with your coworkers, whether they work for you or with you, can increase productivity, teamwork, morale, happiness, job satisfaction, and personal growth. It is not the same as friends or family, but can still be a source of support, such as understanding when you need to take time off. Some things you can do to improve co-worker relationships include: 1) actively listen to both verbal and nonverbal communications; 2) consider the point of view of your coworker and/or supervisor, before responding; 3) consider that others may have challenges in their personal lives, as well as you, actively listen and be careful in your interactions; 4) Be trustworthy by consistently keeping your promises and offering support when coworkers need it. Make sure you get your work in on time and that it is good quality; 5) avoid gossip; 6) Be complimentary and focus on the positive; 7) be aware of the official and unofficial guidelines of the company. A good working environment can alleviate stress, and helpful coworkers can be supportive at work and outside of working hours. A health coach can help you make lifestyle changes and establish new habits. You can use our online directory on our website Caregiverhealth.org for health coaches.

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Productivity

Caregiving has both joys and challenges. At least one study showed that employees named rising stress and burnout caused by a rise in caregiving and a lack of social connections, as their primary wellbeing and mental health issue. Caregivers with other jobs often find that the push-pull of conflicting demands can lead to absenteeism at work. Almost half of caregiving employees arrive at work late, leave early, or take time off. Some show up at work sick, so they can save their sick days to take care of their loved ones. Some are present at work, but not really focused. Some give up their jobs due to the burden of caregiving. Are you having trouble with one or more of these habits? Maningbe, Fakeye, Samuel et al. found that caregivers who received help from family and friends were more productive at work and had less time off. If you work for a company that is trying to support their workers, you may have flex hours, EAP, family leave, and other support. If your company is more traditional, you can still communicate with your supervisor or H.R. Try to be on time and when you are at work, focus on work, not what is going on at home, or playing solitaire on your cellphone. A health coach can help you make lifestyle changes and establish new habits. You can use our online directory on our website Caregiverhealth.org for health coaches.

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Goals Alignment

In order to understand your place in the company you work for, it is important to understand their purpose, values, and goals. You can find these in the company mission statement. Linked In suggests that you “consider how your purpose, values, and goals align with the company's mission and how you can support and enhance it with your skills, experience, and personality.”  When you are suffering from caregiver stress it is likely that you might find it difficult to focus on what the company goals are, when you are just trying to keep up with caregiving demands. Nevertheless, an engaged employee is a desirable employee. In order to show up well at work, practice self-care, get enough rest, listen to others, be on time, focus on your work, and ask for feedback. Take an interest when the supervisor is explaining goals that the company would like everyone to attain. A health coach can help you make lifestyle changes and establish new habits. You can use our online directory on our website Caregiverhealth.org for health coaches.

References

Goals Reflection

Some causes of caregiver burnout are failure to achieve goals; conflicting demands -employer, loved ones, yourself, have different needs that get in the way of achieving goals and can lead to burnout. Knowing what your goals at work are could be one place where you have some mastery and some control. You might find that you have some short-term goals, some long-term goals, and even some outcome goals (Roman, M.). Write down three goals that you and your employer agree would be good goals for you to achieve. You don’t have to wait for New Year to choose a goal and create a new habit. For instance, if you want to achieve career/life balance a foundational goal at work might be mastering time management at work and practicing one self-care practice per week at home. You don’t have to do everything at once. Those are just some examples--you might have other work and life goals that would suit you and your employer better. A health coach can help you make lifestyle changes and establish new habits. You can use our online directory on our website Caregiverhealth.org for health coaches.

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Valuing

Caregivers experience many demands on their time and mental, physical, and emotional resources. Add a job to that and it can be overwhelming. At least one study showed that employees named rising stress and burnout caused by a rise in caregiving and a lack of social connections, as their primary wellbeing and mental health issue. Some larger companies are finding ways to attract people with their benefits, such as family leave, eldercare leave, EAP, and the like. They want to support their employees so they can show up at their jobs and show up as focused on their job. Do your company’s benefits support your lifestyle? Do you know what all of the benefits are? You might be surprised to find that your company has an eldercare program; or use their EAP program if you need a place to vent. A health coach can help you make lifestyle changes and establish new habits. You can use our online directory on our website Caregiverhealth.org for health coaches.

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Growth

Some caregivers have no qualms about telling their employer that they have taken on extra responsibilities such as eldercare or childcare. On the other hand, some may rightly fear that this knowledge might bar them from job advancement or pay raises. Kate Whyte is quoted by PH Spot. She suggests that people not be afraid to ask for what they want, but always make sure the employer knows how this will benefit them. For instance, if you want a day off, you might ask “working at home one day a week will help me be more creative and productive” rather than “I need to take care of my mother.” Furthermore, she suggests that like-minded caregivers/working people can support each other and create a social network that will help each other out of a jam or act as emotional support. Don’t try to do everything, but make sure you do what is urgent and/or important in your job and as a caregiver. A health coach can help you make lifestyle changes and establish new habits. You can use our online directory on our website Caregiverhealth.org for health coaches.

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Competent

Do you feel you have received enough training for your job? How about caregiving? At a job, there might be a training program, or a person to walk you through. But if you are already on the job, you might be suffering from imposter syndrome, or you might indeed need more training. The question “what is the best way to ask for training on the job” was asked on Quora. Here is a compilation of replies. If you suffer from imposter syndrome, then just continue to fake it ‘til you make it. If you need more training, then you might need to sit down with your supervisor and discuss what areas you feel you need training in, in detail. Perhaps you might want to take advantage of some programs that your company offers; or tuition benefits for a college program; maybe you could shadow someone. Make sure you are clear about the programs you are thinking of and be open to other ideas your supervisor might present. You also might have the same feeling about caregiving, that you don’t have enough training. There are online courses available at Udemy (2022) and Association of Oncology Social Work (2006). A health coach can help you make lifestyle changes and establish new habits. You can use our online directory on our website Caregiverhealth.org for health coaches.

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Progression

You may find that your job does not offer you satisfaction and meaning. When you feel bored and dissatisfied for most of your workday, it is likely that you will experience high stress levels which will damage your physical and mental health and might find it hard to advance without proper enthusiasm for your job. According to Smith & Robinson (2024) you can either change jobs to a job that you feel passionate about, or “find purpose and joy in a job that you don’t love.” When you are a caregiver as well, the stress from boredom or unrelenting demands at your job, compounded with caregiver stress, may bring you burnout in both arenas. In order to find purpose and meaning in a job that you don’t love, Smith & Robinson suggested that you try to find some value in your role, by focusing on aspects of your position that you enjoy, or aspects that you value, such as helping others or providing a service; make friends at work, which will reduce boredom and help relieve stress; and find balance in your life. Even if your job doesn’t provide meaning, perhaps you can find that outside your work, in your caregiving role, volunteering, or a hobby. A health coach can help you make lifestyle changes and establish new habits. You can use our online directory on our website Caregiverhealth.org for health coaches.

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Life-Work Balance

It is important for you as a caregiver, an employee, and so many other roles, to obtain a good life-work balance. It is important in your caregiver role, so that stress does not overwhelm you. This will help both you and your loved one. It is also important that you obtain this good life-work balance so that work stress does not overwhelm you and you are able to take care of yourself and give good value at work. Some ways to obtain a life-work balance are to set boundaries and work hours, both as a caregiver and an employee. Take some time for yourself right after work, whether it is a walk or reading a book. Prioritize your workload and don’t allow yourself to be distracted for any reason. Finally, don’t be afraid to say no (Devonshire Recruitment Agency, 2021). A health coach can help you make lifestyle changes and establish new habits. You can use our online directory on our website Caregiverhealth.org for health coaches.

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