Stretched Thin: Staying Organized While Juggling Work and Caregiving
New survey explores how working caretakers are managing their to-dos
Ever feel like your workday doesn’t end when you clock out? If you’re a working caregiver – whether you’re juggling a career, raising kids, or looking after aging parents – you’re not alone. For most working caretakers, the “second shift” starts the moment their paid job ends. Suddenly, it’s time to manage calendars, coordinate appointments, and somehow keep everyone fed, safe, and happy.
Sound familiar? You’re in good company. Atlassian recently teamed up with Wakefield Research* to ask 7,000 working caregivers across seven countries about their biggest task management headaches. Turns out, 76% of them say it really does feel like a whole new workday starts when they switch over to caregiving mode.
And those to-dos? They never seem to stop. In fact, 78% of working caregivers say their caregiving list is just as long (or even longer) than their work to-do list.
This juggling of to-do lists can also take an emotional toll. When responsibilities at work and caring for a loved one conflict, 74% often feel stressed and guilty that they can’t be in two places at once, or anxious that they’ll let one or the other down. That’s a heavy load to carry.
Overtime overload
Most working caregivers (71%) end up working overtime or on their days off just to catch up on tasks they missed because of caregiving. In places like India and the U.S., it’s even more intense: more than 80% are clocking extra hours, and 40% are doing overtime at least three days a week.
It’s no wonder so many caregivers feel like they’re falling behind at work. In fact, 61% say that trying to balance caregiving and their job has had a negative impact on their career.
Some periods of the year are more stressful than others. Gaps in caregiving support, such as school breaks or sick days for paid help, put the most stress on caregivers’ ability to balance work and personal responsibilities (44%). For comparison, only 22% of caregivers consider the end-of-year holidays their most stressful time of year.
The Sandwich generation
Many working caregivers aren’t just looking after children – they’re also caring for adults, such as parents or grandparents. This “sandwich generation” is feeling the squeeze more than anyone. They’re more likely to feel stressed or guilty, and the mental load is heavier: nearly half say their caregiving to-do list is longer than their work list. They’re also the most likely to work after hours, with a whopping 84% saying they have to catch up on work outside regular hours, and half putting in overtime at least three days a week. That’s even higher than the average for all working caregivers.
When sticky notes and memory fail
For working caregivers, keeping track of everything is a daily juggling act, and surprisingly, many are still relying on analog solutions like notebooks and sticky notes. Sure, most use their phones or devices to jot down notes (59%), but about half still reach for pen and paper (50%), and nearly as many just try to keep it all in their heads (48%). In France and Spain, nearly one in five caregivers don’t use any digital tools at all, compared to 13% across all countries surveyed.
With so much to remember, it’s no wonder things sometimes slip through the cracks. Sixty-three percent of caregivers admit they forget tasks at least once a week. And for those looking after both kids and adults, it’s even tougher: 72% say they struggle to remember everything, and nearly a third forget something every single day.
While traditional methods are still hanging on, most working caregivers are open to trying something new. Eighty-six percent are open to tech solutions such as apps, spreadsheets, or productivity tools to keep everything on track. But while digital tools for to-do list management are catching on, AI is still finding its place – only about a third of caregivers use AI to manage their lists. That said, it’s gaining traction in India and among those caring for both kids and adults.
Trello: helping caretakers stay on top
The majority of working caretakers (91%) believe their personal life could benefit from taking a more structured approach to time and task management.
Imagine having one place to manage both your work and personal to-dos – over half (53%) believe this would help them feel more in control, and 28% say it would finally put an end to double-booked meetings and missed appointments.
That’s where Trello comes in. Trello’s flexible boards, lists, and cards enable caregivers to capture, organize, and prioritize every task—big or small. Features like Quick Capture make it easy to add new tasks to your Trello board on the fly, ensuring nothing gets forgotten, even in the most hectic of days.
Trello Planner takes it a step further, giving you a unified calendar view of all work and personal commitments. When you spot free time, you can drag tasks over from your to-do list onto your calendar, so that precious time is utilized to its fullest.
For anyone balancing a career and caregiving, Trello isn’t just another productivity app. It’s a way to lighten the mental load, reclaim a sense of control, and focus on what matters most. No matter what you’re planning, from meals for the week to self-care or even your next family adventure, Trello has a pre-built template to help you stay one step ahead.
*About the survey methodology
This survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 7,000 working caregivers across 7 markets (US, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Australia, and India), between July 14th and July 22nd, 2025, using an email invitation and an online survey. Working caregivers are defined as parents, guardians, and those caring for dependent or aging adults who are employed full or part time.
Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 1.2 percentage points in the global sample and 3.1 percentage points in each market from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.