Managing Emotional Burnout in Foster Care

Many caring professionals, especially those supporting foster carers, come in with love, commitment and a sense of duty. But over time, the emotional load can start to wear you down. Love alone isn’t enough to sustain the work without strategies for rest and repair.​

Emotional burnout often creeps in quietly.

You might feel irritable, numb, exhausted or start questioning your purpose. These are signs that you need care too.

Ways to manage emotional burnout:​

• Acknowledge your feelings without guilt or shame.​

• Create a simple, regular routine for winding down after work.​

• Find supervision or reflective practice that nurtures you.​

• Use annual leave as actual rest time, not catch-up time.​

• Say no to guilt-driven decisions.​

  
  

  Make Your Self-care Inevitable. ​

Recommended reading:​ Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski.​

The Art of Being Brilliant by Andy Cope and Andy Whittaker – an easy read, humorous and uplifting take on staying positive and energised.​