Cultivating Caregiver Wellness
I don’t think there is any time during the
year when I’m not anticipating one or more of Mother Nature’s hat tricks. Forsythias in bloom,
sometimes referred to as the “Easter Tree,” bear the hope and good news of early spring.
If you’re a caregiver, I’m sure there are times when you find yourself
neglecting your own nutritional needs for the good of your care receiver. The great thing about
nutrition, though, is that if you take the time to prepare healthier meals, even just once a day,
benefiting from the built-in healing mechanisms within the food, it can be good for both of you.
One metaphor for this journey of vitality is that of a tree. Like a tree, we need strong roots to withstand the challenges of life. These roots can include social support systems, healthy coping mechanisms, and self-care practices. Just as a tree requires sunlight and water to grow, we also need to nourish ourselves with positive experiences and healthy habits
Being a caretaker for a loved one can be a rewarding experience, but it can also bring feelings of loneliness. We spent the month of February talking about loneliness and the Think Caregiver™ Simple ‘Self-Care’ Suggestions helped with those feelings. We also talked about being alone versus loneliness and then the word, solitude entered the conversation.
After my dad died in 2005, I struggled with feelings of loneliness. I could be in a room surrounded by people, with love and attention, but still feel completely lonely. I retreated to nature as a way to heal. In and with nature, I found peace. For me, it wasn’t about being alone, it was about understanding what grief did to my soul. To this day, when I am feeling overwhelmed with tasks, technology and noise, I prefer to escape somewhere, preferably nature, and just experience solitude. It offers a place of separateness from everything coming at me. A temporary restorative place to remove myself, even if it is for “just 10 minutes”.
Resiliency is needed to help with loneliness. So how does one use nature to build resiliency? I think it begins with evaluating our strength and looking into nature to see what radiates strength. We then need to look at what helps us stay anchored and grounded when the storms of life bend us almost to the point of breaking. The ever-changing landscape and how well we adapt to change is important to know about ourselves. Being strong builds resilience and we need resilience to help with loneliness. Below are some ways in which you can engage with nature.
By using the resiliency of nature as a source of inspiration and support, we can help build our own resilience and find meaning and connection, even when we’re feeling lonely. Looking into the natural world, you can begin to see many examples of resilience and adaptation, such as the ability of a tree to stand tall after senescence. This is because trees have deep roots that anchor them to the ground and help them withstand the forces of nature. They also have a system of growth and renewal that allows them to replace old and damaged parts with new ones. Trees adapt to change remarkably well and are strong with flexible stems and branches that bend, but don’t break, in the face of strong winds and storms. These characteristics of trees can serve as a metaphor for our own resilience in the face of challenges, reminding us that we too can adapt, grow and stand tall in the feelings of loneliness.
Lisa Story
Executive & Clinical Director
“When it’s inhospitable outside, what other forms can nature therapy take?”
The past month at Hope Grows has been one of new beginnings. The December ribbon cutting
marked a new era as the Iris Respite House is finally poised to welcome its first guests. Hope
Grows now has a brand new (big!) sign that is actually readable from the road. And, the winter
solstice heralded the return of the sun, returning light to the land, which, in my book, is always
something to celebrate.
Nature is never lazy. Not one plant has ever simply refused to grow when provided with the
proper environment and care. But they do unashamedly and deeply rest, willingly leaving behind
any outworn plant parts, and entering into their period of quiet self-renewal. Every winter, when
the temps dip below freezing, the annuals complete their lifecycle, and the perennials retreat
underground, the garden goes to sleep. They make no apologies for this, it’s simply understood to
be necessary for growth and survival. I have studied the process in school, and observed it year
after year since I started gardening, but it never gets boring. There hasn’t been a winter yet where
the stark transformation doesn’t leave me in awe.
Hope Grows’ theme for 2023 is Rest–Relax–Restore. January’s focus is art and creativity through
therapeutic respite. Nature herself provides endless inspiration for artists, with plants and flowers
taking center stage in countless paintings. However, when I researched plants that actually
symbolize creativity, I came up with surprisingly few: 1) Emilia, or tassel flower, which was a new
plant in my vocabulary; 2) lupine, which actually symbolizes imagination, among other things; and
3) verbena, also symbolizing multiple attributes. (Amaryllis, on the other hand, possessing
gorgeous trumpet blooms, symbolizes artistic achievement, so if you want to reward someone who
has just won an artistic prize, present them with an amaryllis.)
I did a little reading on verbena and found the folklore fascinating. I would actually regard it as a
sacred plant. The Egyptians claimed it sprang from the tears of the goddess Isis, and legend has it
that verbena was used to stop the bleeding of Jesus’ crucifixion wounds after he was taken down
from the cross. It is said to offer protection from vampires, witchcraft, depression, negative
emotions, harmful dreams and evil intentions. Scatter some verbena around the home if you want
to bring peace. And, fittingly for Hope Grows, verbena can also mean hope in darkness!
So, this month, I encourage you to lose, or find, yourself in a personal creative endeavor, no
matter what it is. If you’re at a loss for ideas, try taking a walk out in nature and let it serve your
senses and inspire your inner creative. Be true to you, do something you’ll enjoy, or at least think
you’ll enjoy, don’t be afraid, and have fun. Hopefully, by the end of the month, you’ll have little
tassel flowers, lupines and verbenas dancing together in crowns above your heads to inspire you.
If, perhaps, you need to rest, relax or restore, think of those perennials. Make no apologies or
excuses, know it is for your own strength and survival, and take some time to quietly self-renew.
