Determining your level of social wellness is a good indicator of whether or not you are burning out as a caregiver. Social wellness is supported by healthy interpersonal relationships and access to support from family, friends, church and community while caregiving.

I really like this social wellness evaluation scale developed by Dr. Eboni Green and they are a good set of questions to ask yourself. Assign two points (2) for always agree, one point (1) for sometimes agree and zero (0) points if you do not agree

I am able to take time away from caregiving to attend to my spiritual needs.

Despite the fact that I have caregiving responsibilities, I continue to have contact with friends at the same level as I did in the past.

There are people at work I can talk to about caregiving.

I am satisfied with the number and quality of social supports available from family, friends, church, and my community.

I participate in at least two social gatherings or social activities per month.

Evaluate your social wellness score

A score of 7 or higher may indicate that you are socially well.
A score between 4 and 6 may indicate that you are doing okay with social support.
A score between 0 and 3 may indicate that you might want to reach out to improve your social network.

If your social wellness scale needs bolstering consider putting time into building your social network or taking time to do things outside your role as a caregiver. Keep up with outside interests that help you maintain balance and perspective. This simple steps can help you maintain your own health so that you can continue to care for your loved one.