by Tracey A. Smith,
M.Ed. CTRS
What do you do for you? How do you keep your vitality,
balance and wellbeing while caregiving? How do you balance your home, work, relationships and play? How
do we deepen our sense of wellbeing and resiliency under an accumulation of
stress? In a fast paced society, self-care is often not supported.
Caregivers have the responsibility of caring for another
person’s wellbeing. This includes parents, teachers, therapists, clergy,
medical professionals, and middle-aged children caring for elderly parents. As
caregivers, it is essential to take the characteristics of Care and Giving and
use it for our own self-care, for the role of caregiver includes some level of
exposure to stress, compassionate fatigue, and traumatic experience on a daily
basis.
Compassion fatigue is a process of cumulative exhaustion and
the gradual erosion of our ability to care, brought about by the intense
demands of caregiving without adequate balance and self-care. Stress affects
the mind, body, and spirit. Every person’s stress and levels of
burden are unique. How one copes with the symptoms of stress may vary.
Current and ongoing societal stressors can compound the life
stress of the caregiver. These stressors can include experiences with racial
and gender discrimination, stories of homelessness and violence, natural
disasters, and widespread political unrest. Unaddressed, mounting stress can
give way to feelings of hopelessness and decreased self-esteem, even leading to
withdrawal from friends and family and those communities that help buffer us
from burnout.
Dean Solon’s poem Here
and Now speaks to the climate of stress during our current times. Encouraged
by his perspective, here is an excerpt that I found particularly helpful.
be open to be allowing
yourself to be encountering and engaging with these interesting times
be with attention and
intention to be living with clarity and loving kindness
it is not time to be
shutting down
this is the time to be
opening to all that is
with mindfulness and
heart fullness
There is hope. Wellness is a choice with the personal
responsibility to address our stress. We
can make a choice to practice loving kindness with ourselves. Healing and
transforming stress and maintaining fitness of the mind, body and spirit involves lifelong learning. The better we take care of
ourselves, the better we can care for others. How can we do this?
·
Reconnecting to ourselves and give
attention to our well-being.
·
Increasing self-esteem with mindful
self-care.
·
Recognizing that attention to self-care
is not selfish.
·
Engaging in awareness of the present
moment.
The three “R’s for caregiver stress are Release, Relax and
Rejuvenate.
RELEASE feelings of guilt, fear and shame. Sometimes we think that
we are the only provider of care for a person and may be unable to recognize
the resources that are available, reluctant to use existing supports, or in need
of new support systems. We may believe, “No one else can do it like me.” And
maybe they can’t. But it is still essential that we step away to care for
ourselves. We can learn to allow
another caregiver or professional to cover our duties or client while we caring
for ourselves. We can begin to learn to combat these fears with our own
spiritual fortitude and resilience. Healing
Hints - Spend time doing enjoyable leisure and cultural activities, meditating,
and participating in the expressive arts.
RELAX and begin to experience the art of doing nothing. Taking the
time to learn mindful techniques to quiet mental chatter. It has been said that
Mother Theresa took time off from caregiving for 4-5 years in-between service
assignements to relax and allow time for healing.
Healing Hints – Create self-made
retreats, practice affirmations, spend time with friends who make you laugh, play
and have fun.
REJUVENATE movement, exercise, mind, body, spirit energy work can
increase our vitality and well-being. Stress and compassionate fatigue have a
way of settling in our body and cells. It is imperative to make time for
fitness of our bodies.
Healing Hints - walking,
pilates, reiki, dancing, sport activity.
Tracey A. Smith, M.Ed., CTRS, Owner Wellness W.R.K.S. LLC (well-being, recreation,
knowledge, spirituality), is a Wellness Lifestyle Management Educator, Trainer,
Certified Recreational Therapist. What I love about my life practice is
the opportunity to serve a variety of populations and participants in an
enjoyable fashion. I provide
workshops, trainings, and professional staff development. I create an
atmosphere where participants can feel safe to explore their own issues of
self-care and lifestyle management, while learning alternative ways of healing.
I use Wellness Education and Recreational Therapy balanced with Restorative
Practices to promote emotional, physical, mental, spiritual health and wellbeing.
I am committed to promoting peaceable communities. To learn more and to
schedule a program for your group, visit Tracey’s website [Insert link to:
www.wellnesswrksllc.com], Facebook page [Insert link to contact Tracey at https://www.facebook.com/WellnessWRKSLLC/ ] or
call her at 215-605-3221.
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