Monday, October 13, 2025
Written by
Diana Kremzar, MPH, CHES

If you’ve ever felt like you’re being pulled in multiple directions caring for aging parents while raising your own children, you are not alone. This experience, often called “sandwiching” or the “sandwich generation,” has become more common across workplaces, including at the University of Iowa.

But sandwiching isn’t just about age, it's about responsibility. Many of us are managing multiple caregiving roles while juggling demanding jobs, and the mental health toll is real.

Whether you are early in your career or in a leadership role, the emotional weight of caregiving can affect your focus, energy, and well-being. And yet, it’s often invisible. Let’s talk about it.  

What Sandwiching Really Looks Like 

About 23% of U.S. adults are part of the sandwich generation—simultaneously raising children and supporting aging parents (Pew Research, 2022). Among adults in their 40s, 54% have a living parent aged 65 or older AND are either raising a child younger than 18 or supporting an adult child financially (Pew Research 2022).

The caregiving load is often carried alongside full-time work. That’s a lot of hats to wear and a lot of pressure to manage. 

Sandwiching isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes it’s subtle: Coordinating a parent’s doctor’s appointment between Zoom meetings; helping with homework while preparing for that big meeting the next day; or managing your teenager’s emotional ups and downs while checking on a sibling with health issues.

It’s the constant mental juggling that wears us down. And that fatigue can present itself in the workplace by affecting our productivity, attendance, morale, and mental health.  

The Mental Health Connection

The American Psychological Association (APA, 2024) notes that sandwich generation caregivers are:

  • Twice as likely to report financial strain
  • More likely to experience emotional distress
  • At higher risk for overload and burnout

Constantly in “go mode” means our nervous systems rarely get a break. Over time, this can lead to emotional fatigue and even physical illness. 

Bite-Sized Takeaways You Can Use Today

  • Name the mental load: Just acknowledging the invisible work you’re doing: scheduling, worrying, and planning can be powerful. Write it down. Share it with a friend. Naming it helps validate it.
  • Use micro-planning: Instead of trying to organize everything at once, plan in short bursts. A 10-minute Sunday night check-in with your calendar can help you feel more in control.
  • BreatheWELL: You don’t need an hour-long meditation. Try three minutes of deep breathing between meetings. A short walk. A quiet coffee. These micro-breaks help reset your nervous system.
  • Ask for flexibility: University of Iowa encourages flexible work options when possible. Talk with your supervisor about what may work for your role.
  • Talk about it: You don’t have to share everything, but opening up to a trusted colleague, supervisor, or mental health professional can help reduce isolation. You may be surprised how many others are navigating similar challenges.

Fortunately, the UI’s liveWELL program offers a variety of programs and resources to support employees.

Tap Into UI Support Systems

You’re Not Alone

Sandwiching can feel isolating, but it’s a shared experience. Across our campus, employees are quietly managing incredible responsibilities. By talking about it, supporting each other, and prioritizing mental health, we can build a workplace that’s not just productive, but compassionate.

Photo Credit: Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash