The Boundaries Series (Part 1): Protecting Your Time and Energy as a Caregiver

By Wendell Covell, LCSW 5.4.26

We are officially reviving our Caregiver Tip of the Week series with a deep dive into an incredibly vital topic: Boundaries.

Over the next four weeks, we will feature a new installment each week written by Wendell Covell, LCSW. Our ultimate goal is to help you establish healthy boundaries in your relationships to keep your caregiving workload manageable and find the time to prioritize yourself. We hope you find this series helpful!

Part 1: What Is the Role of Boundaries in Our Relationships?

Caregiving is a full-time job, and let’s face it—it comes with a lot of unpaid overtime.

Sometimes, extended family members or friends try to influence what we are doing as caregivers, or step into other areas of our lives. This often ends up adding more to our already full plates (sometimes they realize they're doing it, and sometimes they don’t).

Before we look into the different types of boundaries and how to identify them in the coming weeks, we need to talk about what boundaries actually are.

Defining the "Normal" in Relationships

There is a different “normal” that lives within every single relationship we have. That normal is defined by:

• Rules

• Patterns

• Limits

  
  

These are all established through the boundaries that exist between people. A boundary's job is to clearly define what is okay and what is not okay in a relationship.

What we allow and don’t allow is entirely influenced by the amount and the intensity of the boundaries we choose to set. When done right, these boundaries keep us safe and protect our precious energy. When they are missing or weak, they can leave us feeling completely drained, isolated, or taken advantage of.

You Owe It to Yourself

As a caregiver, you owe it to yourself to set boundaries in your relationships that meet your true needs.

Over the next three weeks, I will identify three different types of boundaries, explain how to recognize them, and share how to actively work away from unhealthy patterns when you realize a boundary is missing.

Stay tuned for Part 2 next week!

Wendell Covell, LCSW