When Work Never Ends: Finding Balance Between Career and Caregiving

For many caregivers, the workday doesn’t end at five o’clock.

Once you clock out from your job, you’re basically starting another one — cooking, giving meds, taking them to appointments, just looking after someone you love. It honestly feels like you’re living a whole second life that no one really sees.

All that stress can put you down. Juggling everything like job, your house, your family, and your own well-being is tough. It’s no shock caregivers feel pulled in a million ways.

Traci Lamb gets this completely; she’s a former caregiver who turned her experience into a global mission. She started the Caregiving Worldwide Network (CWN) to create a platform for caregivers everywhere.

Here’s what Traci Lamb had to say:

Q. What’s the toughest part for caregivers who work at the same time?

Caregivers handle a lot of everyday stuff — like cooking — and those things don’t stop just because you’re caring for. Some days, just surviving is all you can do. You give everything you have at work, then come home and give even more. It’s a loop that never ends.

• What I see: Caregivers are balancing two lives.
• What trips you up: You can’t catch a break as both jobs are always there.
• Try this: Understand how much you’re doing.

Q. How can caregivers stop their work life from mixing with their caregiving life?

That’s a challenge. Things get mixed up when you’re a caregiver as their needs come first. Leaving work at work is a good idea, but so much easier said than done. Plus, it’s hard not to worry when you’re at your job. Caregiving is always on your mind.

• What I see: Caregiving changes you.
• What trips you up: It’s hard to separate work from life.
• Try this: Start small, like taking quick breaks to reset or change gears for a few minutes.

Q. Any tips for caregivers to save time and stay organized?

Making a list helped me sometimes. Life doesn’t follow a line. The person you’re caring for might fall, need a doctor, or something unexpected might pop up. Plans might help you but remember everything can change.

• What I see: Plans can bring orders.
• What trips you up: Life changes your plans

Q. How can caregivers move past feeling like a problem?

I used to think everyone was busy, so I just never asked. I’d just handle everything myself. But then people said, “You should’ve told me, I would’ve helped.” And honestly, they’re right — people won’t know what you need unless you actually say something.

• What I see: Caregivers try to handle it all by themselves.
• What trips you up: Asking for help can feel scared.
• Try this: Let people help you handle the little things.

Q. How important is self-care for caregivers?

I didn’t really get what “self-care” meant until I was actually caregiving. I’d heard the word a million times, but it never made sense. But when you’re doing everything for someone else, you realize quickly — if you don’t look after yourself, you burn out. And when that happens, you can’t help anyone. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in caring for your loved one and forget you even exist in the equation. If you burn out, you’ll both suffer.

• What I see: It’s easy to lose yourself in caregiving.
• What trips you up: Caregivers put themselves last.
• Try this: Treat self-care as non-negotiable. Your well-being affects the person you’re helping.

Q. What could companies do to help caregivers?

Giving caregivers a mental health day once in a while really helps. Caregivers can take a break—a day to relax. Constant work can be too tough.

• What I see: Companies don’t see the stress caregivers are facing.
• What trips you up: Caregiver burnout is a real issue.
• Try this: Companies that offer mental health days can have a really big, positive impact.

Sum Up

A caregiver’s whole life turns upside down when you become a caregiver. And honestly, you only start finding some balance when you give yourself a bit of space, ask for help when you need it, and figure out what actually helps you relax.

People like Traci Lamb are making changes happen. Caregivers should be valued, have time to rest, and hang out with the right people who get what they’re going through.

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Get to Know the Expert Better

Traci Lamb

Traci Lamb leads the Caregiving Worldwide Network (CWN), a media platform for caregivers. Traci, a former caregiver and a award winner entrepreneur, started CWN to educate and bring together people caring for others.