Please remember as bad as our disability is or how bad the caregiving gets we are still responsible for our behavior towards others. Let’s not think ourselves into self-induced pity and pointing fingers. To help cultivate a resilient mindset I have some tips on helping to nurture yourself.
Nurturing yourself in 5 tips:
Learn something new outside of our own disability… have some fun and do it often!
Set up some rituals that will help you function without thinking about it. This is proven to relax the anxiety and stress life piles on us. Just a few daily things we need to get done if we get into a habit (a ritual) our brains do not have to work so hard.
Relationships, this took me 8 years after my unwelcome companion entered my life to even think about. But a few years later I find it nice to have a couple people to call on to talk about the weather, sports, or the movies with.
Movement, like just changing positions in our chair or bed. Movement may also mean a walk to the end of our block or the length of our building hallway indoors. Just move your body safely.
Volunteer… the ultimate climax to a disabled body and mind. Just to do something for some else is volunteering or the thought of being nice to the next person you encounter is VOLUNTEERING. We may not do this often but when we do it momentarily gets us out of our own situation and we can “love” on someone other than ourselves!
Thomas Quinlan