Brain injury caregivers are often overstressed and tired.  But when that tired feeling goes on for weeks, or months, or years, exhaustion sets in. Symptoms of exhaustion are many—all of them bad for your health. If you ignore them, you may find that you've gone beyond tired and have become ill and unable to care for your brain-injured family member.

Signs of caregiver exhaustion

Run through this checklist and see how many describe you:

• Extreme exhaustion: You feel so tired you can hardly get out of your chair, yet you might not sleep well even if you have time.
• Over-the-top emotional response: You may get angry over the slightest disruption of your routine or you are very impatient and burst into tears when things don't go right.
• Eating habit changes: You don't feel like putting anything into your mouth sometimes—at other times you stuff yourself.
• Concerned comments: You look overworked and people ask if you're okay.
• Irrational mistakes: You make atypical errors, ones you wouldn't have made before.
• Besieged feelings: You feel totally overwhelmed, to the point where you can't see your way out or make simple decisions.
• Obsessive caretaking: You obsess about your caretaking duties because you sense that you aren't at your best.

Simple ways to fight exhaustion

Prevention of exhaustion is much better than trying to recover from it. It's important that you take time to rest—physically and mentally. Can't imagine how? Here are some simple ways to head it off.

1. Breathe deep—When you feel like you haven't had a moment for yourself all day, go into the bathroom, close the door, sit on the stool or tub and take some deep breaths. If possible, lean back and close your eyes for a full minute. You'll feel your shoulders begin to relax. Even as little as two or three minutes of this will help rest your body and mind.
2. Take a bubble bath—Jasmine, lavender and other flower essences can help you relax. Close your eyes but make sure you have sufficient support to keep your head above water. Trust me, you're likely to fall asleep.
3. Sit in the sunshine—Go outside for a moment (without sunscreen) and absorb the vitamin D. Spend 5 to 30 minutes and you'll feel a mental and physical relaxation as the warmth of the sun's rays penetrate your skin. If the weather's overcast or you're worried about burning, cover up then take a walk and a vitamin D supplement instead.
4. Let your friends help—People often offer to help so ask them to spend just enough time with your brain-injured loved one for you to take a nap or go out for lunch. Ask them to go grocery shopping for you or mow the lawn. They'll be happy they could help and you'll have one less task on your list.
5. Hire help—Consider hiring someone to help with housework or other tasks so you can have more time for yourself.

Use whatever small way you can find to give yourself a mental or physical break from the everyday stress of caregiving. You cannot be a good caregiver without taking care of yourself.

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