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Subject: 😔 Feeling Guilty? Read This If You’re Stuck In The Middle

Stuck in the Middle — Issue 223 — October 16, 2025

👋 Welcome
If you’re new here, hi! I’m glad you found us. This newsletter is for people caring for parents and kids while keeping a job or business (and a relationship) afloat.
Want every issue? Reply “SUBSCRIBE.”

🧠 Big Thought: Guilt Isn’t a Signal You’re Failing — It’s a Signal You’re Carrying Too Much
Caregiver guilt shows up in sneaky ways: you cancel a workout to make a doctor’s call; you say “yes” when your body is begging for “not tonight”; you replay moments wondering if you did enough. Here’s the reframe: guilt is often a misfire of your values (you care deeply) colliding with impossible math (too many needs, too few hours).
This week, give guilt a job: let it point to something specific you can adjust (a boundary, a script, a hand-off), then release the rest. You’re allowed to be human.

🧰 Money Moves (5-step, zero-cost playbook to dial down guilt + stress this week)

1. Name the exact guilt. Write a one-liner: “I feel guilty about ______ because ______.” (Specific beats vague.)
   Then decide: Is this about over-responsibility, over-scheduling, or over-expectations?

2. Set a micro-boundary you can keep.
   Example scripts:
   • “I can talk for 10 minutes now or tomorrow after 6.”
   • “I’m not the best person for that; let’s ask ___ to handle refills this month.”

3. Delegate 2 tasks using a shared list.
   Use the National Institute on Aging’s free caregiver worksheets to split duties (meds, appointments, paperwork). www.nia.nih.gov/health/caregiving/taking-care-yourself-tips-caregivers National Institute on Aging

4. Do a 10-minute “compassion reset.”
   Guided, evidence-based practice from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good in Action: ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/self_compassion_break ggia.berkeley.edu

5. Book respite without the guilt narrative.
   AARP’s step-by-step guide to planning time off (even a day): www.aarp.org/caregiving/life-balance/travel-without-care-recipient/ AARP

🛠️ Tool of the Week — Self-Compassion Break (3 steps, 5 minutes)
A short, free exercise to calm the inner critic and replace “I’m failing” with “This is hard, and I’m not alone.”
Link: ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/self_compassion_break ggia.berkeley.edu

📰 Reads (free, no paywalls)

1. Overcome Feelings of Guilt to Avoid Caregiver Burnout — Practical mindset shifts and boundary ideas from AARP.
   www.aarp.org/caregiving/life-balance/overcome-caregiver-guilt/ AARP

2. The Emotional Side of Caregiving — Family Caregiver Alliance on why anger, sadness, and guilt are normal (and what to do next).
   www.caregiver.org/resource/emotional-side-caregiving/ Caregiver

3. Taking Care of Yourself: Tips for Caregivers — NIA’s core self-care checklist you can print or share with family.
   www.nia.nih.gov/health/caregiving/taking-care-yourself-tips-caregivers National Institute on Aging

🤝 SKOOL COMMUNITY (Free Group)
Swap tips, get accountability, and meet others living the same “middle” you are.
https://www.skool.com/stuck-in-the-middle-community-1730/about?ref=4956bcfb588b4962b89c23002360ff83

💬 Connect With People Who Get It
Caregiving can feel isolating — and so can relationship stress.
Join our private Facebook group to talk to others who truly understand.
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/stuckinthemiddlenews

💸 TOOLS YOU CAN USE — $9.99 Checklist
Overloaded? Start with the What Can I Let Go Of? checklist — a fast scan to offload tasks and breathe again.
https://briansacks.samcart.com/products/sandwich

💬 Reply & Engage Prompt
What’s one tiny boundary you could set this week that would reduce guilt by 10%? Hit reply and tell me the sentence you’ll use.

↗️ Share the Relief
Know someone sandwiched between kids, career, and parents? Forward this — it might be the nudge they need today.

P.S. Next week: “How to ask siblings for real help (and actually get it).” Hit reply with your toughest sibling dynamic and I’ll weave it in (anonymously).