by Dr. Michelle Irwin

Something that I have been continually working on as a caregiver and doctor is making sure to take care of myself just as much as I take care of others. As we care for those around us, we take away from ourselves, and if we don’t take the time to step back and replenish our energy supply and our own health we eventually run out of fuel to take care of others. It is not being selfish or uncaring to do this, it is actually the most caring thing we can do. Being healthy and strong for those we love is the best gift we can give; it means we want to be around them for as long as time allows.

The first exercise I want to introduce you to is mindfulness meditation. Most people cringe at the thought of meditation because we imagine it to be like the monks who sit for days on end in quiet seated meditation with no movement or sustenance. But that is not so, mediation can be as simple as taking deep purposeful breaths for about 1-5 minutes. Breathing in through the nose for a count of 4-6, holding that breath for 4-8 counts, and breathing out through the mouth for 4-8 counts. Easy, right? Then we get into more mindful meditation, this where we are purposefully clearing our mind of thoughts in order to sit in the quiet and letting our body soften and relax. What this does is it takes us to a state of deep relaxation where our body can begin some repairs or get us into a state that is ready to sleep deeply and soundly. A way to begin this is either with prayer, a mantra specific to your goals, or a guided scenario that takes you to a place of peacefulness. I have done all of these and continue to do so depending on what my goals are for my meditation. A mantra that I use and have found in my guided meditations is repeating, “Peace, Love, Tranquility” because these are what I want my heart to be full of during my meditation. Yours can be whatever works for you! For guided meditations, there are several apps and YouTube videos that can be of great help. Right now, I am using YouTube mediations recorded by people who have soothing voices to me in order to help me get into the deeper state of mindful healing, relaxation, or sleep.

As I work on my meditation practices more, I find myself being able to reach a deep state of relaxation as I am sitting still in the quiet of the yard or my living room without really trying. I am starting to realize that this is something my dad would do as we sat in the living room in the evenings together. He would say “I am just resting my eyes.” We would insist he was sleeping but he was always aware of what was happening around him. I don’t think he was consciously meditating, but maybe he was. Taking time to stop, appreciate, and enjoy our world is a great form of self-care and can take anywhere from 1 minute to several hours for those who are more advanced. I usually get 10-30 minutes in a day. It recharges me and helps me serve others at a higher level.