This week the My Doable Self-Care Plan Small Group participants touched upon a self-care topic common to many long-term caregivers: insomnia. Holistic recommendations for addressing this challenge include:
1. Exercise: A group member shared that despite being exhausted from her dementia caregiving role, the days she exercises she experiences an emotional pick-me-up and she sleeps better.
2. Relaxation before Bedtime: Taking 20-30 minutes before bedtime for relaxation helps to signal the body/mind that it is now time to rest and stop (the lists, the to-dos, the worries, the anxieties). Try: a warm bath or shower followed by a hot cup of camomile tea; a 5-minute guided chair relaxation meditation or a 10-minute restorative posture. Listen and practice: 5-min Compassionate Release Meditation AND 10-min Relaxation Pose
3. Alternate Nostril Breath: This breath is recommended before bedtime and anytime during the night for getting back to sleep. Listen and practice: 2-min Alternate Nostril Breath
Moving forward with a listening heart,
vision, inquiry, and action,
~ Mary