Does it feel to you as though time is speeding up? People have always said the older one gets the faster it all goes by. I'm finding some truth to that. But I also know the secret of slowing time down. Wish I could patent it :) But, just for you, my caregiver friends, here it is: Stop the distractions. Yup, it is just that simple -- and also that hard to do!
I am fortunate enough to have a place to go where there is no phone, no TV, no internet (well, unless you count smart phones, which allow you internet access anywhere). There are virtually NO distractions, unless I invite them. There is an elastic quality to time in this place that is so healing and rejuvenating -- it expands and slows down and it is simply wonderful! I usually choose to go on a news "fast" when I go to this special place -- the point is, I can choose exactly what I want to occupy my thoughts, fill my head with images, or I can choose silence, nature sounds, reading inspiring books, doing a puzzle, watching grass grow. This may not sound very exciting to you, but I can tell you the transformation in me from having shifted to the "slow motion" time, is nothing short of miraculous! Unfortunately, this place is 600 miles from my home, so it is a challenge to get there as often as I need it and it was especially difficult when I was caregiving 24/7. The really tough part of this for all of us is to find that special place "here" --wherever you are. You can do it. It takes a little planning, a lot of perseverance, and some good escape skills, but you can do it. If you don't have access to a quiet retreat, create one. I'm perfectly serious. You can do it in your backyard or your bathroom. Or a closet or corner of your home that you claim for your sanctuary. Here's how. If you choose the outdoor route, find a little place in your yard where you can be in solitude -- you can screen it using plants (scented herbs & flowers work beautifully for this), a room divider, a fence (or bamboo or reed fencing that you buy in 6' lengths) or even a cloth draped over a rope. If you want to get fancy, you can make a mini-meditation garden, but it's not necessary to go overboard. What you are after is a small space where you can just go and sit -- apart from any outer distractions. Make it comfy with a chair & cushions, or blanket on the ground. You can add a water fountain if you'd like that sound. Your objective is to make a peaceful place just for you. If the backyard doesn't work for some reason, you can create an escape "spa experience" in your own bathroom. Close the door, run a bath, add lavender or other essential oil for relaxing scent, or bubbles, light a candle and sink into oblivion and lovely relaxation. The whole idea is that you control the distractions, even if only for a brief time. These mini-respites from your daily care can save your sanity. Trust me on this. I know. The same idea can apply to a small space in your home -- the key ingredients are: privacy, quiet, control over distractions of noise or interruption, inspiring peacefulness in your being -- whatever that means for you, personally. You'll be surprised how quickly you can "shift" into slow time with this method. If you can meditate, it happens even faster and you'll learn to do it pretty much anywhere, anytime you need. Experiment with some ideas. Consider this part of your saving lifeline, because this skill truly is just that! I invite your comments and thoughts about slowing time. Comments are closed.
|
About Karen
Karen is a compassionate, enthusiastic student of life, who cared for her mother for 17 years. She brings her insights, compassion, experience and desire to share knowledge and healing to this ongoing conversation with others on the caregiving path. If you are caring for a parent, spouse, friend or other loved one this site offers sanity-saving tips, open-hearted self-care ideas, and an open forum for discussion, connection and sharing resources for the journey. Archives
October 2021
CategoriesAll Acceptance Aging Together Alan Cohen Alive Inside Movie Alzheimer's Alzheimer's Prevention A Mind Of Your Own Anxiety Aromatherapy Audio Therapy For PTSD Austin Air Hepa Filter Autism Back Care Video Beginner's Mind Being Present Blessing For Caregivers Books Brain Insulin Butterfly Story Calm Calm.com App Care For Veterans Caregiver Advocate Caregiver Coalition Caregiver Comfort Kit Caregiver Guilt Caregiver Retreat Caregiver's Serenity Prayer Caregiver Stress Caregiver Support Care Giving Caregiving Vulnerability Care In Hospital Caterpillar Into Butterflies Chamomile Tea Cindy Laverty Comedian Computers & Exercise Crisis Dan Cohen Deepak Chopra Delirium Depression Diabetes Disaster Preparedness Distractions Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa Dr. Oliver Sacks Eden Alternative Eldershire Elizabeth Dole Foundation Emergency Planning Emergency Preparation Emerson End Of Caregiving Enough Already Escapism Essential Oils Food Safety Forgiveness Funny Stories Gaiam.com Gail Sheehy Gift Of Alzheimer Gift Of Healing Presence GMO Food Green House Project Gregory Fricchione Md Grief Guilt Happy Light Healing Holding Hands Home As Sanctuary Hope Hospital Caregiving Hospital Stay Humor Inspirational Reading Ipods For Nursing Homes Isolation Jacksonville James E. Miller John Denver Johns Hopkins Study John T. McFadden Jon Kabat-Zinn Kelly Brogan Kirtan Kriya Meditation Lao Tzu Laugh Laughter Lavender Loneliness Loss Of Purpose Love Love In The Nursing Home Maya Angelou Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Blog MD Meditation Meditation Garden Melatonin Memory Memory Cafe Military Caregiver Mindfulness Meditation Mr. Bean Music Music & Alzheimer Music And Memory Neurological Research Noise Pollution Operation Family Caregiver Opportunity Overnight Respite Care Pandemic Passages In Caregiving Patience Paul Coelho Peace Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Power Of Love Prayer PTSD Quality Of Sleep Radical Contentment Relaxation Releasing Problems Renewal Research Respite Rewind Rodney Yee Rosalynn Carter Rosalynn Carter Institute For Caregiving Rowan Atkinson Sanctuary Sanity Self Care Serenity Silence Sleep Slowing Time Solutions Soothing Music Stress Stress Relief Sun Sunshine Support For Caregivers Tai Chi Thanksgiving The Care Company The Kiss Time Traumatic Brain Injury Travel With Alzheimer's Person Treat VA Caregivers Valentine's Day Verilux Veteran Farms Veterans Veteran Suicide Vitamin D Wayne W. Dyer Wellness Wendell Berry White Noise William H. Thomas Worry Yoga Yoga Video |
Caregiver Wellness
Popular pages on this site:
|
Self-Care Practices
Explore what works for you:
|
Original content © 2012-2023 Karen Bonnell all rights reserved