Care for the Caregiver
Breathing technique:
- Focused breathing exercises help relieve stress and relax tense muscles.
- Recommended at least twice a day, four repetitions.
- Sit with feet flat on the floor, back straight, shoulders up/back/down,
tongue behind front teeth, eyes closed
- Inhale through nose for a count of 4, hold for a count of 6, release through
mouth for a count of 8
General stretches and exercise:
- Stretches allow for improved blood flow and improve the integrity of muscles
and joints. Exercise helps control stress hormones.
- Stretches: Sink Pose, Crescent Moon, Cat/Cow in chair, Seated Twist in chair
- Exercise: Walk or march in place, bicep curls with soup cans, use exercise bands
Aromatherapy:
- Lavender, sage, sandalwood, coconut help with stress relief. Citrus scents
help boost energy.
Hand-held stress relievers:
- When we're stressed, we tend to hold tension in various parts of our
bodies, including the jaw, shoulders, neck and head. Redirecting that
tension to an object can help bring stress down.
- Examples: worry stones, foam balls, song bowls, 'jinglers', koosh
balls, sand bags, pin block, labyrinths
Visual stress relievers:
- Colors, plants, flowers, photos or videos of sceneries, perpetual motion
sculptures.
Audible stress relievers:
- Ticking clocks, instrumental music, sound machines (oceans, birds), white
noise machines.
Journaling:
- Buy a journal that has a look and feel that you like.
- Use colored pens that represent different feelings (blue might mean sad,
purple might mean at peace).
Self-Massage:
- Best areas: face, eye area, brow, shoulders, neck, hands, feet. Warm scented
oils/lotions help.
Nutrition:
- There are foods that heal (pure and whole foods) and foods that harm (comfort
and fast foods).
- PROBLEMATIC: sugar, trans-fats, most white foods (bread, pasta, rice, pastries), alcohol
- HELPFUL: whole fruits and vegetables, beans, essential fatty acids, whole
grains, water, walnuts, almonds
Time in nature:
- We are Nature, so it makes complete sense for us to spend time in and with
Nature often.
SLEEP:
- Use white noise machines, eye masks, timed music, guided imagery videos (YouTube)