When Caregivers Forget to Rest

The other day, I was watching my granddaughter. She was running around, busy and full of energy, moving from one thing to the next. Suddenly, her behavior shifted; she started acting silly, tripping over her own feet, and ultimately, she ended up having a meltdown.

I looked at her, and I knew instantly: it’s time for her to rest. She was exhausted. But of course, she kept fighting me, not realizing that I could see something she could not.

And isn’t that exactly how it is for caregivers?

Fighting What We Really Need

As caregivers, we’re constantly “on the move”—managing appointments, supporting loved ones, and juggling daily life. We push through the tiredness. We ignore the stress. We convince ourselves that we’ve got it handled.

But like my granddaughter, we don’t always realize what others can see so clearly: we’re exhausted, and we need to stop and rest.

The Risk of Pushing Through

When we keep fighting rest, we start to see it in our own lives—

• We trip over little things that normally would not bother us.
• We become short-tempered or overly emotional.
• Our bodies ache in ways that are hard to ignore.

The truth is that exhaustion always shows up. We just don’t always want to admit it.

Giving Yourself Permission to Pause

Caregiving was never meant to be a marathon you run without breaks. Just as children need the loving guidance of someone who can see when it’s time to stop, caregivers need permission—sometimes from others, but often from ourselves—to pause and replenish.

Rest is not weakness. Rest is wisdom.

You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

If you’ve been running until you trip, fight, or melt down, I want you to hear this: you deserve rest. You deserve support. And you deserve to share this caregiving journey with others who understand.

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Let’s remind each other that it’s okay to rest. Together, we’ll find a healthier rhythm for this journey.