Caregiver Burnout Support: How to Rebuild Your Energy Bank Account

When I created the Your Energy Bank Account workshop, my goal was simple: to help caregivers understand that their energy is not endless—and that protecting it isn’t selfish, it’s essential.

If you’re caring for a child with disabilities, managing therapy schedules, advocating for services, and holding everything together, you already know what it feels like to run on empty. You’re doing the work of multiple people every single day. But unlike an actual bank account, you don’t get alerts when your energy balance is running low. You just feel it—in your body, your patience, and your ability to stay present.

This workshop exists to change that. It’s part of my broader mission through Foundation First PT to help families in Chelmsford, MA and beyond find balance through family-centered physical therapy and virtual caregiver coaching programs that make life feel more sustainable.

What Is an Energy Bank Account?

Think of your energy like a checking account. Every day, you make withdrawals—getting kids ready, attending appointments, advocating at school, cooking, cleaning, working, and managing therapy sessions. Every single task costs energy.

You also make deposits—things that fill your cup. Sleep. Movement. A quiet drive with music. Coffee with a friend who gets it. The problem is, most caregivers are constantly withdrawing and rarely depositing. Over time, that leads to overdraft.

And just like financial overdraft, it comes with fees. But in this case, the “fees” show up as exhaustion, frustration, guilt, and burnout.

The Your Energy Bank Account workshop helps caregivers identify what drains their energy, what restores it, and how to create realistic systems to stay in balance. It’s not about having more time—it’s about managing your energy with intention. This is what I call caregiver energy management—the foundation for confident, sustainable caregiving.

Why Caregiver Support Matters

Caregivers are often told, “Take care of yourself,” but that advice rarely comes with tools or structure. When you’re caring for a child with complex needs, traditional “self-care” doesn’t always fit. You might wonder, When would I even have time for that?

That’s where structured caregiver support programs make a difference. They move beyond surface-level self-care and focus on realistic, evidence-based strategies that actually work for families.

I talk more about this in my post Caregiver Support and PT You Can Trust, where I explain how physical therapy and coaching together can reduce stress for both caregivers and kids.

When caregivers are supported—emotionally, physically, and practically—everything improves.

• Children feel more grounded and secure.

• Families communicate better.

• Therapists can collaborate with caregivers who are calm, confident, and informed.

In short, when caregivers thrive, families thrive.

The Hidden Cost of Running on Empty

One of the most powerful moments in the Your Energy Bank Account workshop comes when caregivers realize how little they’ve been refilling their own account. Many feel seen for the first time.

Running on empty doesn’t just affect your mood—it affects your health, your relationships, and your ability to connect with your child. Chronic stress can keep your nervous system in high alert, leaving you anxious, irritable, and exhausted.

I’ve seen this time and again through my work in family-centered physical therapy. When parents are in survival mode, it becomes harder to follow through on home programs, advocate for services, or enjoy time with their child. The fix isn’t “doing more”—it’s finding the systems and support that allow you to function from a place of balance.

That’s what caregiver burnout support looks like in practice: giving caregivers tools to stay regulated, rested, and resilient.

Learning to Track Your Energy

In the workshop, we practice “energy tracking.” It’s not complicated. You simply notice what activities drain you and what fills you up.

You might realize that:

• Morning transitions deplete you faster than anything.

• A five-minute walk restores more energy than scrolling your phone.

• Saying “yes” to every request drains your reserves instantly.

Once you see your patterns, you can plan deposits before big withdrawals and communicate your needs more clearly. That’s where virtual caregiver coaching often comes in—helping families create boundaries, routines, and systems that protect their energy even on the hardest days.

Awareness is powerful. Small changes create momentum.

The Power of Community and Advocacy

One of my favorite parts of Your Energy Bank Account is the community that forms. Caregivers share stories, laugh together, and realize they aren’t alone. That sense of connection often reignites their ability to advocate for accessibility—for their child, for themselves, and for their families. Here are just a few of the ideas to "fill your cup" that caregivers came up with together.

In my blog Supporting Families Together: OT, PT & Coaching for Real Life, I talk about how collaboration across disciplines helps families thrive. The same is true in this workshop—community builds capacity.

And in my conversation with Merge Inclusion Consulting, Inclusion, Caregiving, and Building Stronger Communities, we explored how inclusive community workshops create stronger, more resilient families. When caregivers are supported, they become advocates—not just for services, but for inclusion, accessibility, and belonging.

That’s what true neurodivergent family support looks like.

Building a Healthier Foundation

The truth is, you can’t pour from an empty cup—but you also can’t refill it if you don’t know what’s draining it. The Your Energy Bank Account framework helps you notice, adjust, and rebuild.

Through my coaching, I’ve seen caregivers:

• Recognize their energy cycles and triggers.

• Create daily routines that fit their real lives.

• Set boundaries without guilt.

• Reconnect with their values and joy.

This process mirrors what we teach in physical therapy—awareness before action. Whether through in-home pediatric PT or parent coaching for special needs, the goal is the same: sustainable, confident caregiving.

A Mindset Shift

Many caregivers believe their needs come last. But when you think about energy like money, that belief falls apart. You wouldn’t pay everyone else’s bills and ignore your own balance. Why do we do that with our energy?

The Your Energy Bank Account workshop is about rewriting that mindset. It helps you see yourself not just as a caregiver, but as a whole person—with value, limits, and needs. When you protect your energy, you model healthy boundaries for your children and create a home rooted in stability, not stress.

My Why

I built this workshop because I’ve seen what burnout does—to parents, to families, and to kids. I’ve also seen how quickly things change when caregivers start to prioritize their energy.

When you manage your energy intentionally, you show up more grounded, patient, and connected. You rediscover who you are outside of caregiving—and that ripple effect transforms everything around you.

That’s why I’m passionate about caregiver coaching for parents—especially through my Virtual Caregiver Coaching Program, which offers individualized guidance, accountability, and a supportive community you can access from anywhere.

Ready to Learn More?

If this message resonates with you, I invite you to learn more about my Balanced Foundations Coaching Program—a six-month journey designed to help caregivers create lasting systems that protect their energy and well-being.

Because when you thrive, your family thrives with you.