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Caring for someone living with dementia can be tough and overwhelming. It can be rewarding but let’s be real, it’s super challenging too. The emotional roller coaster, always being on alert, and the unpredictable nature of it all can leave you feeling swamped, stressed, and wiped out. So, how about finding some moments of peace and clarity to keep your sanity intact? That’s where mindfulness comes in handy for caregivers like you.
What’s Mindfulness Anyway?
It’s about being totally in the now, no judging or clinging to thoughts or feelings. Just intentionally focus on what’s happening right here, right now – your thoughts, feelings, body sensations, and everything around you. It’s about accepting whatever pops up, helping you stay cool and balanced, even when things get tough.
How Mindfulness Can Help Caregivers:
- Chill Out: Caregiving for someone with dementia can really crank up the stress levels. Mindfulness techniques, like deep breathing exercises and body scans, can help you unwind, lowering those stress hormones. Regular mindfulness practice can help you find your inner chill and stay strong when things get tough.
- Feel Better: Looking after someone with dementia often means dealing with a lot of heavy feelings, like grief, frustration, and guilt. Mindfulness helps you face these emotions with kindness and compassion, without letting them get on top of you. This builds emotional resilience and helps you handle tough situations with a clearer mind and balanced feelings.
- Stay Sharp: Caregiving can make you feel like your brain’s all over the place. Mindfulness practices, like meditation and mindful breathing, can help you stay focused and clear-headed. This means you can be more in the moment and attentive to your loved one’s needs, making you a better caregiver.
- Be Kind to Yourself: Caregiving can take a lot out of you, and it’s easy to put your loved one’s needs before your own. Mindfulness reminds you to be kind to yourself, and that looking after yourself is key to being a good caregiver. By taking care of your own needs, you can avoid burning out and keep up the caregiving for the long haul.
Some Handy Tips for Starting Your Mindfulness Practice:
- Start Small: Kick off with short, easy mindfulness practices, like a five-minute guided meditation or a mindful breathing exercise. As you get the hang of it, you can gradually up the ante.
- Make It a Habit: Get mindfulness into your daily routine by eating mindfully, taking mindful walks, or even washing dishes mindfully. These are all chances to be fully in the present, helping you stay calm and centered.
- Get Some Backup: Join a mindfulness group or go to mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) classes for some extra support and guidance. Hooking up with other caregivers who get what you’re going through can also give you a sense of belonging and understanding.
- Cut Yourself Some Slack: Remember, mindfulness is something you practice, and like any skill, it takes some time to get good at it. Be kind to yourself, and don’t beat yourself up if some days it feels hard. That’s totally okay.
When you’re in the thick of dementia caregiving, mindfulness can give you some breathing space. Dementia is a disease that keeps a person in the present because they cannot remember the past and thinking of the future is disorienting. By being aware of the here and now and being kind to yourself, you can navigate the journey with more ease and balance. As you start your mindfulness practice, I hope you find moments of peace, clarity, and deep connection in the middle of the caregiving craziness.
Curious to know more?
Interested in learning how to engage your person with dementia using the arts? Click that button and schedule a time to chat.
Start working with Sivan
I’m an online art therapist for individuals living with dementia and their care partners. I am located in Salisbury, MD and provide online art therapy to clients living all over Maryland and Delaware.
Get started in online therapy for dementia
You do not have to lose yourself to the disease–as an individual with the diagnosis or as a care partner. I believe that with guidance, art can help you intuitively reconnect, or even discover and reclaim, those parts of yourself that were set aside to make room for others. All you have to do is make the first mark. Or follow the four easy steps below.
Take the steps to get started in therapy. Here are four easy steps to get you started:
- Book the Consultation: Schedule your free 20 minute chat on a day and time that works for you.
- Complete the Questionnaire: Within 24 hours you will recieve a short questionnaire that will help me make sure we make the most of your 20 minutes
- Be Ready for the Chat: You will recieve a zoom link when you schedule. I will log on at the time you chose and will have reviewed your completely questionnaire. This is a time for us to get to know one another, have your questions answered, and set up an intake appointment to get the therapy going.
- Your Intake Appointment: Meet with me to get started in therapy
