October is my birthday month and birthdays are a reflective point in my life. Engaging with water has become a vital part of my self-care routine. I recall years ago promising myself to always make the effort to engage with water whether it’s a beach, lake, or water spa day, something where I can remind myself of how fluid, flexible, powerful and healing this element is and reflect on how I have applied that mindset to that year of my life journey.
When I look back to last year and the way I navigated my instant role of caregiver/support person for 5 different family members all within 16 months, I see firsthand how essential my self-care practice is in my life. From a diagnosis of prostate cancer, a brain tumor, mental health concerns, homelessness, sepsis, dementia, assisting loved ones through these obstacles was emotionally draining, but we did it! We managed to stabilize these conditions and even though some are chronic I found a way to calm my waters so that I can not only stay afloat but turn over swim and continue to support my loved ones.
So my message is, if you feel like you are sinking or about to drown, consider your self-care practice as reaching for your floating device. Refocus on your shoreline and find moments to
play with the waves. Trust me you will feel liberated when you briefly look back to see what you navigated and even more empowered when you look forward to all things possible in your future.
Not sure how to move gracefully through caregiving then consider these important aspects:
- Sleep: Allow your body to rest deeply. You can explore our sleep resources here which can serve as a helpful starting point.
- Start your morning: Gratitude, breathwork, prayer, mindful movement, tapping, these things help you find perspective and realign with your intention
- Boundaries: I cannot stress the need for setting boundaries enough and releasing the guilt that comes with setting the boundary is essential too. Connecting with trees helped me with this process. Being rooted, and feeling embodied within dense forests provided me with the feeling of safety when I knew I had to compassionately create a new boundary to preserve my own mental health.
- Release: Scream, cry, rip paper, practice the Breath of Fire. Do something to acknowledge and release the anger or rage that comes with this role. It’s all part of the process of grieving and healing.
- Self-Compassion: We often convince ourselves that we should be able to do more instead of accepting it might be best to acclimatize ourselves into this role & appreciate what we have done, they matter.
- Ask for help and/or accept help: If you are used to doing things independently, this can be a challenge. This role can consume you and you will most likely experience compassion fatigue if you try to push through it alone. Accepting help can make the experience more manageable.
If you are at a reflective point in your life and are wondering how you can sustain it, consider applying one of these strategies to nurture yourself in your caregiving role. Visit our resources page for more insights and support or simply reach out at info@nurturingourwellbeing.com
We all need somebody at some point to throw us a life-jacket, remind us to preserve our energy/float and encourage us to adjust our life’s stroke. This helps us find our individual rhythm of graceful sustainability as we continue to provide our support to those we love and remain in the role we are privileged to be able to assist in.
Remember self-care is the best care. Why Wait, Start N.O.W
