Sensory Self-Care for Caregivers

My day-to-day looked really different for 12 years of my adult life as a caregiver to my mom who passed in February 2023.

As a former caregiver, I can tell you - I poured a lot of love and energy into my supportive role to the point of burnout and a serious decline in my health and well-being. It was not due to a lack of trying to care for myself but I was often faced with depleted energy or motivation when I got around to it.

Moving on autopilot

I moved through our days on autopilot, just getting through the motions, without taking time to savor in the present moment. But 6 years into caregiving I realized it did not have to be that way!

Sensory self-care helped me connect to my senses, stay grounded in the present and care for myself more mindfully. I will be sharing the different self-care tips that I used when I was a caregiver and how I am learning who I am again, post-caregiving.

Sight

Our eyes, the windows of our soul right? Right! They allow us to take in the beauty of the world around us and connect with others through eye contact. When I was a caregiver, I often felt overwhelmed and rushed, which caused me to overlook the simple pleasures that my sight had to offer.

Here are some tips that helped me stay present and connected through my sense of sight:

• Taking a walk outside: Instead of rushing from task to task, I started scheduling moments in the morning and afternoon to step outside and go for a short walk.

While outside I focused my attention on the colors, shapes, and movements around me. I reflected on how the trees swayed in the wind, how blue the sky was and the fluffiness of the clouds. Doing this helped me feel more grounded and appreciative to be able to see these things.

• Practicing gratitude when doing mundane tasks: Whether I was folding laundry or washing dishes, I tried to find something visually pleasant in these tasks.

Just like the social media craze of "romanticizing your life", I have discovered a new way to infuse beauty into my world post-caregiving. By adding vibrant colors to my wardrobe. I have experienced a truly transformative effect on my mood! It is incredible how something as simple as color can make life so much more captivating.

Smell

Scent has also had a powerful effect on my mood. Using aromatherapy for my mom and myself as a self-care practice helped to keep us both calm. For my mom during sundowning, using my diffuser to add drops of lavender oil helped her to relax.

I still use scents like lavender, vanilla, or even citrus only now they help me with my social anxiety, which has been perfect for calming my mind.

Is it just me but grief sometimes feels like phantom loss? When I go out post-caregiving I forget that there is no need to rush back home to relieve my aid. I can't be alone on that, am I? Using lavender has been my saving grace when I am commuting or socializing.

Some of the products I use the scent in: hand sanitizers, room sprays, lotions and detergent.

Touch

The power of touch was something I learned to appreciate even more as a caregiver. Taking care of my mom often involved physical tasks such as bathing her or helping her with daily activities. However, after she passed away, I realized how much I missed that physical connection.

To continue incorporating touch into my self-care routine, here are some things I have done:

• Massage therapy: Engaging in regular self-massages or booking a professional massage helps me to relax and release tension.
• Pet therapy: Hugging my fur baby (my dog) has been effective in helping me cope with my grief and feelings of loneliness.

Sound

As a caregiver, there was always some form of noise present whether it was the TV, medical equipment, or just everyday sounds of caregiving. This made it difficult for me to find moments of quiet and peace. But now that I am no longer actively caregiving, I have been able to incorporate sound into my self-care routine in a different way.

• Listening to calming music: Playing LoFi music or guided meditations helps me relax and allows me to focus on the present moment and regulate my nervous system.

Taste

Taking time to enjoy my meals rather than rushing through them; I savor the flavors and textures of each bite. I did not realize I was practicing mindful eating while caregiving but every time I was meal prepping, I was connecting with my senses. Post-caregiving that looks like me incorporating new flavors, trying out new recipes, and even just adding spices to my meals to have more fun and engage my taste buds

Sensory self-care for you

As a caregiver, it was easy to get lost in the responsibilities and demands of my role, but incorporating sensory self-care practices into my daily routine helped me stay present and connected, even during the challenging times.

Today as I am navigating a new life for myself, I continue to feel supported as I pour love and gentleness into my care. Even after my caregiving journey ended these self-care practices have stayed with me, helping me heal and rediscover who I am. So, I encourage all caregivers to take a moment for yourself and give sensory self-care a try - you deserve it!