If you’re caring for an aging parent — or you’ve just lost one — there’s a kind of exhaustion that doesn’t always look like burnout. It can look like guilt, mental load, and that quiet feeling of “I’m doing everything and I still can’t make it okay.”

In this episode of Nervous System Reset for Caregivers, I’m joined by Ingrid Hanson-Popp, author of Becoming an Orphan: A Caregiver’s Guide to Loving, Letting Our Parents Go. Ingrid walked the last days with her mum, and she’s now navigating caregiving for her in-laws — and she shares why those seasons can feel completely different, even when the love is the same.

We talk about:

• The emotional exhaustion that shows up as caregiving “guilt” and constant mental load
• Anticipatory grief (grieving while your parent is still here) and the invisible losses along the way
• The role shift from “adult child” to organiser/advocate — and how to protect dignity while still speaking up
• Why aging-parent caregiving can feel uniquely lonely
• Practical micro tools you can use in real life: one breath, one priority, one boundary, one next step
• The power of building a team (so you’re not taking the brunt of the load alone)

Gentle note: this episode includes aging, loss, anticipatory grief, and end-of-life themes. Please listen in a way that feels supportive for you — you can pause, skip, or come back at any time.

Chapters

00:08 Navigating Caregiving and Emotional Exhaustion
01:22 Understanding Anticipatory Grief and Loss
02:13 Practical Tools for Caregivers
02:45 Introduction to Ingrid’s caregiving story

Connect with Ingrid Hanson-Popp

Website: https://www.droppedpencil.com/Becoming-an-orphan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555285872868
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ingridhansonpopp/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingrid-hanson-popp-5248665/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCebmAA9KQDYGtDy6_YGFv8A

Caregiver Resources (J and B Inspired)

Gratitude Journal (free gift): https://jandbinspired.com/radiant-moments-gratitude-journal

90 Second Reset Program: https://jandbinspired.com/90-second-reset-program

Mission Statement for Caregivers: https://jandbinspired.com/jandboasis-mission-statement

Caregiver to caregiver: you’re not alone. Take what helps, leave the rest, and take gentle care of your radiant moments — and of yourself.

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Music by Iros Young (via Uppbeat)

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