When You’re Caring for Everyone Else and Running on Empty: A 5-Minute Reset

Let’s start having more honest conversations about caregiving—because the way so many of us have been carrying it is leaving us depleted, overwhelmed, and quietly resentful.

I’ll say this first: some days, caregiving fills your heart. You see your mom smile when you bring her favorite tea, or your dad finally laughs at one of your terrible jokes, and you think – this is why I do it. This matters.

And then there are the other days. The ones where you’re managing six different refills, fielding calls from different doctors’ offices, your phone is buzzing with family group chat messages, and you realize you haven’t eaten lunch and it’s 3 PM. Dinner, practice, homework…

 In those moments, that love never leaves. But you’re also just… so tired.

The Thing Nobody Tells You About Caregiving

Here’s what I’ve learned, both as a nurse and as someone navigating the sandwich generation trenches: caregiving can be deeply meaningful and completely overwhelming. Both things are true at the same time.

You can be grateful for the chance to care for someone you love while also needing a break so badly you want to cry in the Target parking lot, tear-stained receipt (check).

Self- care sounds wonderful, however, most of the people talking about self-care routines and practices have never had to coordinate a Medicare appeal while simultaneously helping their kids with homework. 

“Just take a bubble bath!” they say. With what time? “Practice mindfulness!” My mind is very full, thanks – that’s the problem. Personally, most of this advice usually feels like it takes too much time, seems complicated, or doesn’t make me feel more reconnected or recharged.

When Rushing Becomes Your Baseline

You know what I’m talking about, right? That feeling of always being in rush mode – even when you have nowhere to be or no reason to rush at all. Your shoulders are up by your ears, your jaw is clenched, and your mind is racing in circles even though you’re just sitting on the couch.

It’s not that you’re anxious about one specific thing. It’s that your nervous system has gotten stuck in overdrive. Your body thinks it needs to be ready for the next thing, the next check-in time, the next phone call, the next emergency.

And here’s the thing—you can’t just tell yourself to calm down. We’ve all tried. The more we tell ourselves not to worry, the louder the worry gets. What has actually helped me are real-world anchors: simple, tangible things that interrupt the cycle and gently bring me back into the present moment, where I can finally take a breath.

Real-World Anchors That Break the Cycle

I’m right here with you in the messy middle of this. These are the 5 practices I fall back on when I know I need to break the mental loop. You don’t need to practice all 5 at once, simply 1 or 2 depending on how you feel in the moment. The moment I notice I am rushing, especially when I have no reason to rush, I know it’s time to stop for a few minutes and anchor.

These aren’t complicated, and that’s why these 5 are my favorites:

• The Brain Dump (2 minutes) – Get all those swirling thoughts out of your head and onto paper. Just dump it all out.
• The Breath Reset (3 minutes) – Box breathing that calms your nervous system down. In for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4.
• The Boundary Reminder (2 minutes) – Text yourself one thing you will NOT do today. Then honor it. This gives you back a sense of control.
• The Tiny Joy (5 minutes) – Do one small thing just for you. Sip a hot coffee, listen to your favorite song, step outside and do nothing.
• The Permission Statement (1 minute) – Say out loud: “I am doing enough. I am enough. I don’t have to be perfect.” Repeat 3 times.

These are the real-world anchors that draw me out of the cycle and back into the moment where I can remember to take a breath and support my very overloaded nervous system.

 

I put all 5 of these resets together in a simple one-page kit you can print out and stick on your fridge, keep in your car, or fold into your wallet. Because when you’re already overwhelmed, you shouldn’t have to remember what to do.

The kit includes:

• All 5 reset techniques with clear, simple instructions
• An Official Permission Slip to rest without guilt (I made this because I needed it myself. I leave it taped to my mirror).
• Quick-reference format you can use when you need it most.

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE RESET KIT HERE:

https://caregiverscoffee.myflodesk.com/reset

No email course. No 30-day challenge. Just practical tools you can use today.

Let’s say this out loud: caregiving is hard.

There are days you feel patient and steady.
And there are days you lose your temper, forget things, or wonder why everything feels so heavy.

None of that means you’re failing.

It means you’re human—and you care deeply.

You are showing up in ways most people never see. You’re making dozens of quiet decisions every day, carrying emotional weight alongside logistical responsibility, often without much acknowledgment. That matters.

If one of these resets is all you can manage today? That’s enough.
If you only use one of them once this week? That still counts.

Small pauses add up.
Moments of grounding matter.
And tending to your nervous system is not selfish—it’s what allows you to keep showing up with more presence.

I hope this reset kit meets you exactly where you are today.
Not as another thing to do—but as a gentle reminder that you’re allowed to stop, breathe, and be supported too.

I hope this serves you!

—