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Create a hammock of support for yourself through Sanity Savers.
Are you at the end of your caregiving rope? You can tie a knot and hang out there, swing back and forth, or learn how to make a hammock of support for yourself and your care receiver. Sanity Savers is filled with informative ideas to support caregivers with practical tips, gentle self-care and self-nurturing techniques and a healthy dose of humor, to make life less of a struggle and more a loving learning experience. Learn how to live with high-level wellness and practice safe sanity, starting now... 
Meditate to reduce stress
Meditation is one of the easiest, cheapest and most sure ways to help yourself as you give care to another. There are many techniques, but current research indicates the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (made famous by Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD) is the most effective at reducing stress. You might also enjoy using a guided meditation/relaxation CD, such as Gateway to Peace, or The Healing Waterfall or choose from many others. This is a great way to "detach" yourself from the demands on you, consciously relax and let yourself renew your body/mind. The benefits are tremendous and the time invested very minimal. It's well worth finding a practice that suits you. You will feel the results almost immediately. This type of meditation also helps with hypertension issues, which tend to be a problem for many caregivers. |
Popular Wellness Blog Posts:
Music is a Miraculous Gift
The Heart of a Caregiver A Caregiver's Serenity Prayer The Gift of Now Caring in the Hospital The Worry Tree When You Reach the End of Your Caregiving Rope
Beautiful Compensations of Caring There's More to Life Than Increasing its Speed Legacy Project: Wisdom Captured To Sleep, Perchance to Dream Caregiving, Compassion & ConnectionRosalynn Carter said, "There are only four kinds of people in the world -- those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers."
This website was created to help you on the caregiving journey, no matter at what point you may presently find yourself. You will find connection and comfort, sharing knowledge, understanding, tips, inspirations and solutions. Recognizing that every caregiver and situation is unique, we offer many tools to help you cope with your particular journey. Here you can explore methods for stress reduction, relaxation and self-care, such as aromatherapy, music & meditation, relaxation, yoga and journaling, as well as tapping into current medical research for practical support for your own health & wellness. The hazards of caregiver burnout and "compassion fatigue" are very real and you need skills to avoid them. You will find them here. Self Care Tips & TechniquesSelf care for the caregiver is vitally important, since it can help to keep you strong and in balance while providing the care necessary for your loved one. This self-care can take many forms, but the simple act of nurturing yourself, providing little "treats" for an emotional, mental health boost, finding quiet moments of respite when you feel your composure crumbling, reminders of all the ways that life is good and concentrating on that goodness in a tangible way, centering yourself through prayer, meditation, relaxation -- these are basically what self-care is about.
Research on yoga/meditation to reduce caregiver stress
A study released in Science Daily gives some excellent results from a small study done at UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. Professor of psychiatry, Dr. Helen Levretsky, led the study which shows remarkable improvements in cognitive functions and lower levels of depression in participants who used a simple yoga meditation for 12 minutes daily over an 8-week period. For further information, please read the article linked below:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120313145018.htm#.T2Ci1eI4wa8.email |
| caregiver_serenity_prayer_2014.pdf |
