Why Ignoring Fatigue Doesn’t Work for Caregivers | 5 Warning Signs + Ayurvedic Tips
- Jean-Francois Alleno
- Oct 6
- 6 min read
Caregivers are known for their strength, but many of us push through exhaustion until we crash. In this video, I’ll share 5 clear warning signs that you’re pushing too far and a simple Ayurvedic principle that helps prevent burnout before it’s too late.
You’ll learn:
✔️ The early signs of caregiver fatigue (sleep, digestion, emotions, quick fixes, numbness)
✔️ Why quick fixes like coffee or sugar don’t solve the root problem
✔️ A bonus Ayurvedic tip: “Small rests prevent big rests”
Caring for others begins with caring for yourself.
✨ Next Step: Protect Your Energy…
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Caregivers are known for their strengths, but let's be honest, most of us push through tiredness until we crash. Have you ever yourself or someone else says, well, I have a few days vacations coming next month, so I can push through? Well, actually, it might be too late. So today I'm going to share with you five signs that maybe as a caregiver, you are pushing too far.
Make sure to stay until the end. After this five sign, I will share with you a bonus tip that Ayurveda offer. Something very small, something very simple, but something that could prevent burned out today before it's too late.
Intro (00:40)
Hi, I'm Jean-Francois. I'm a registered nurse, an Ayurvedic health counselor, a yoga teacher, and a Vedic astrologer. I support caregivers of aging parents who often give so much that they forget to care about themselves. So on this channel, I share some practical Ayurvedic and holistic strategy to help you protect your energy, stay grounded, and continue caring with love. So if you like the video, please subscribe, or at least give me a thumb up.
It's my first video actually and I'm quite excited to be with you. So let's start.
Sign 1 (01:16)
Here are five clear signs that you are pushing too far or past your limit as a caregiver and that a crash might be coming very soon. Number one, restless or poor sleep. Sleep is one of the first place where fatigue will show up. You might fall into bed exhausted, but then your mind won't turn off. Or maybe you sleep, but then two or three a.m. you wake up,
and then you are replaying conversation, running through your to do list, or just worrying about what tomorrow might bring. Ayurveda considers sleep as one of the three pillars of health. Number one is nutrition, and number three is lifestyle. So sleep is number two.
become interrupted, it's a clear sign that your nervous system is under strain. Caregivers often dismiss that as it's just stress, it's okay, but it's actually your body saying, ⁓ slow down before I make you slow down.
Ignoring this nighttime signal almost always lead to daytime exhaustion, shorter temper
and even physical illness down the road.
Sign 2 (02:28)
Sign number two, poor digestions. Another early warning sign is digestions. Maybe you notice bloating after meal, heartburn, constipation, or even the opposite. Or you find yourself relying on coffee, sugar, salty snack just to go through the day. In Ayurveda, digestion is more just that breaking down the food. It's actually how you process life itself.
When caregiving stress builds, the digestive fire tend to weaken and this show up as craving, indigestion or even loss of appetite. This may seem very small, but your body is waving a flag that your energy is being drained faster than it's being restored. If you catch this early sign, gentle changes like just warm meal or even mindful eating can make a huge difference.
Sign 3 (03:29)
Sign number three, emotional irritability. Have you noticed that little thing suddenly feels big? Like a comment from a sibling or a small request from your parents or even like spilling something in the kitchen and suddenly you want to snap or cry. Well, this isn't a personal flaw, it's a signal. When you are deeply tired, the emotional part of your brain takes over while your steadiness is gone.
Ayurveda sees that as an excess of heat or movement in the mind. And depending on your constitutions, it tells us that the body is running on empty. Caregivers often carry lots of guilt, thinking, I should be more patient, I should be more present. But really, irritability or emotional swings are the body's cry for rest and compassion. And it's not another layer of self-criticism.
Sign 4 (04:28)
Sign number four, and we already touched about it with sign number two, it's the dependence on quick fixes. This one I know many caregivers will recognize it. So you cannot start your day without your coffee, or maybe you need sugar or snacks in the afternoon to get through the day, and maybe you need wine or something else at night to wind down. These quick fixes are like glue that, you know, hold your day together.
Well, the problem, it's actually just some temporary patches. Down the road, it will get when your system is already stressed. And sugar spike and crashes your And alcohol interfere with deep rests.
tell us that relying on these quick fixes actually drain what we call Ojas, your vital reserve of stability and immunity. If you are leaning on stimulant or sedative to go through your death, this is a clear sign that your natural reserve is really running low and your body is asking for a gentler form of energy.
Sign 5 (05:42)
Sign number five, disconnection or numbness. That last sign is very subtle, but it's actually very powerful. Numbness is not sadness, it's not anger, it's feeling not much at all. So you find that the thing that was used to spark joy into your day, comforting food, meeting with friends, or even a walk outside, well, don't do much anymore.
So this one is the deepest sign of fatigue because it means that your system is actually on survival mode now. You are just functioning. Ayurveda will see that as a depletion of ojas again. So that's reserve of energy that give us warmth, vitality, connections.
Caregivers often ignore that sign because again, they are just functioning, but inside, life is really muted.
The good news is awareness is the first steps. When you recognize that, you can slightly slow down or step back a little and start to rebuild that energy before you go into full burn down.
Bonus (06:56)
Now, as promised, here is your bonus. Ayurveda teaches us a very simple principle that I really love. Small rests prevents big rests. What does that mean? Well, it means that if you take the time to have small pauses during the day, even five minutes of rest, of reflection, of breathing, that protects yourself from a big burnout down the road.
So here are three tiny examples that you can do today to just take a few seconds of pauses So first one is just deep breathing. So follow me, close your eyes, take a big inhale through the nose.
and a very slow and deep exhale through the mouth.
Again, big inhale through the nose, feeling the rise of your shoulders. And slow and nice, quiet exhale through the mouth. Maybe feeling the contraction of the belly.
Just by doing that for like a minute or five cycle of breath already send your nervous system that it's safe to slow down, it's safe to soften, it's safe to be present. Number two, it's an invitation for you to step outside. Go outside even if it's just for like half a minute or a minute. Do not take your phone with you though. Just go outside.
If it's sunny, look at the sun, look at the sky, look at the nature around that again will send a signal to your nervous system to slow down, to soften, to be safe.
The last one, it's a quite powerful one. At night, before going to bed, put a little bit of warm oil, sesame oil for example, on your hands. Just rub your hands and massage your feet. This is a very simple trick to send a signal to your body that it's time to rest and they can let go. The warm oil will nourish your nervous system through the roots and will bring you into a nice and deep sleep.
micro-pauses might feel simple to matter, but over time, trust me, that will rebuild your resilience and that will keep you from hitting the wall.
Jean-Francois Alleno (09:32)
So here is the truth. Ignoring fatigue doesn't work. Your body will find a way to rest either through short intentional rest throughout the day or down the road through a big crash. The choice is in this sign, subscribe to the channel for more simple Ayurvedic and mini rest strategy.
And if you know another caregiver that would need these messages, please share with them. Sometimes all you need is a reminder that caring for others begins with caring for ourselves. please visit my website, www.handsoncaregiving.com.
book a discovery call or a full Ayurvedic assessment or maybe a birth chart reading. Remember, you are your most valuable assets, so take care of yourself.
