What say you and I have a little talk about the art of self-care, nurturing your emotional well-being to be precise? This article focuses on how parents and Carers of children with Leukemia can look after their emotional selves while going through this terrible time. Finding joy and laughter and becoming self aware of where you are at in terms of how you feel, what you need and what to avoid, all contribute to a healthy emotional well being. How can you be joyful and engage in activities that nourish your emotional state while experiencing fear, distress and grief at the same time you ask? It’s not a question of how really, it’s an absolute must, for your sake and your sick child’s sake. They need to feel times of happiness and have fun and to have some semblance of normality to help them remain positive too. There are some great ways to achieve this and can be simple or a bit more complex. Some may be spontaneous and others may require a financial outlay or some planning, but they are all achievable.
Cultivate Emotional Well-being:
Emotional well-being is about understanding and managing our emotions in a healthy and constructive way. Start by developing self-awareness—recognising your feelings, needs, and triggers. How many of you can recognise specific feelings for what they are, or do you just know you feel something, but just can’t put a name to it? Many people move through life without ever really knowing what their triggers are unless you have been working on yourself in that respect. As far as determining your own needs, I guess most people know what those needs are but often ignore their own when looking after other people. Parents and Carers can count themselves in this category, and also healers, because they are usually in Carer mode above all else.
Add Joy to Your Life by Engaging in Activities You Enjoy
So how can you bring about this emotional well-being? Engage in activities that bring you joy and cultivate positive emotions, such as spending time with loved ones, pursuing hobbies, or practicing mindfulness and meditation. Surround yourself with a supportive network of friends and family who uplift and inspire you. Having friendships and good family relationships can have a great impact on a person’s emotional well-being and allow a person to feel valued. Sometimes all you need is a phone call with a friend, or an outing with them, a coffee or chat. Even in the difficult times, make time for this, if only for a few minutes.
It can be as simple as playing a board game together or going on a family outing. I recently bought a game you play in the car, which would be ideal for times when travelling to and from the hospital or if your child is stuck at home due to low immunity and getting bored. It’s called Getting Lost and there are quite a few versions you can buy such as the Well Being edition, the Feel Good edition, Walkers edition and the original Road Trip edition. The great thing is that the games are compact enough that they fit easily into a handbag, hospital overnight bag, or glove box of your car. Hopefully I will be able to provide a link to this one soon.
The game Ticket to Ride Europe is a favourite of ours at the moment, we have played quite a few times lately and even my 7 year old Granddaughter, whom I bought it for her birthday, enjoys it. I love it because it not only is fun and engaging for everyone, it is educational too (always a plus in our homeschooling household) and keeps the kids from fighting. Even my son-in-law, who isn’t a fan of board games, unlike the rest of us, thoroughly enjoys it. Family time imbues positive energy on you, leaving you feeling energised and loved at the same time. I really value quality family time above most things and it helps take your mind off what you might be going through.
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Taking Up a Hobby Is Self-Care
Engaging in hobbies is a fantastic way to improve a person’s emotional well-being. As an example, for just one of my forms of therapeutic self-care, I have a lovely group of friends who get together to scrapbook, even to the point of hiring a house on occasion to use for the weekend to scrapbook to our hearts content while engaging in many wonderful social interactions and conversations. We always have so much fun and find that our time there is very productive too, so it’s a win-win for everyone.
There are so many types of hobbies, of which you can choose however short or long you want it to be and don’t necessarily have to leave your home to do. You might not have time to do a big project like a 2000 piece jigsaw, or a gigantic painted canvas, but you may be able to do something that takes less time and still get the benefits from it. Anything you can do in small increments is ideal, and the kind that you can just pack it up quickly, put it somewhere easy to get to and take it out again just as quickly is the best kind.
Just as a few examples, my granddaughter is currently teaching herself to crochet, which doesn’t take up a lot of room and can simply be put down and picked up again as often as needed. She also likes to do cross stitches, knitting, digital drawing on her tablet, all from her lap, but does attend a pottery class too. The beauty of this is that most of these can also be taken to the hospital and worked on there if you find yourself having to take your child in, or just for the waiting room while waiting for treatment.
Meditation is Good Medication
In terms of meditation, there are many ways you can do this. One very simple method of creating a meditative setting or a state of mindfulness is to look up YouTube videos, such as frequency music or soft, calming music and just choose one that resonates with you. The channel Meditative Minds share some great ones. Listen to the music in the background as you work, or use earphones if you are using your computer or phone, and just sit still and be with the music. In fact I’m listening to one right now by the Healing Melody channel, having the music on in the background not only helps me feel more relaxed, it also helps me block out distracting noise in my home and allows me to focus on what I’m writing instead of stopping and starting constantly to find my place again when I get interrupted (it happens a lot as a live-in Carer who is also a live-in Nana to 4 grandchildren too). It’s 888Hz frequency music which is supposed to bring about abundance prosperity and get rid of any blocks I may have.
But you can use any of the frequency ranges to listen to. Often you can find the right one for you suited to what you are feeling at the time. If you like, you can sit and look at the beautiful scenery or pictures that accompany them, or just sit and relax and close your eyes. I like to put one on at bedtime too, to help me drift off to sleep more quickly because I have trouble winding down.
Alternative Therapies Just Might Save The Day
Looking into alternative therapies are another way to help identify and overcome emotional disturbances in your life, such as working with therapeutic essential oils, which can help you come unstuck from issues that affect you. There are several methods of dealing with emotions and how they have manifested in your body. One such method is Chakra Sutra Balancing where you are guided to search within yourself and become aware of the things that cause you pain, whether it be on a conscious or sub-conscious level. I am a Chakra Sutra Balancing practitioner and will hold sessions once I can get a space ready for me to use. Having a Reiki session (I do that too) or massage are wonderful ways to nurture yourself if you seek relaxation. Psychosomatic Therapy is a great way to delve into the physical manifestation of emotional wounds in the body. There are books available, here’s one example, that can give you an idea of how emotions that are deeply rooted in the past can be discovered through how they manifest in physical form.
There’s a Lot to Be Said About The Healing Qualities of Crystals
Holding crystals, or having them around you can help bring about peaceful feelings. I know it sounds a bit on the woo-woo side, but many people find that creating a space in your home dedicated to relaxing and finding sanctuary is helpful in carrying out self care. You might place a comfy chair and side table in a corner, or by a window, or even in an outdoor area, surrounded by plants, maybe even with a lovely view, and pop a few crystals around the area. Grab a coffee or tea, or water, even a glass of wine, and a book if you like reading, and just sit there for 30 minutes to refresh yourself and calm your mind. Have some worry stones or palm stones to fiddle with and focus on them as a form of mindfulness if it helps. Personally I love having amethyst around because it helps us connect with our higher consciousness and brings clarity to situations that may be on your mind. And purple is my favourite colour too, so win-win both ways for me.
Foster Meaningful Connections
In other words, go places and do things with other people! Human beings thrive on connections and relationships and it’s one of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for a fulfilling life. It’s right up there along with food, water and shelter as being necessary for survival. Nurturing healthy connections with others is essential for emotional and social well-being. Take time to engage in meaningful conversations, support others, and practice active listening.
Meaningful conversations help develop relationships with others beyond the everyday chitchat topics of the weather, TV shows and movies, etc. They are great conversation starters, but then having conversations about the things that you are passionate about or that have meaning to you create the foundations of good friendships. Being able to converse with someone about more important topics helps you to determine who you would like to connect with more deeply and find like-minded people. This is very important as it’s difficult to maintain positive relationships with people who aren’t on the same page as you in your thought patterns because it can lead to tension or disagreements and then creates a negative aspect.
Being there to support others tells them that you care about them and that they mean something to you. Relationships can become personal communities, like those in the days of old, and provide a nurturing environment for everyone within them. They serve to teach younger generations the right way to live your life and pass the best of humanity down through the ages. So being there for others, means that when you feel down, because you have supported others and connected with them more deeply, they will be more likely to return the favour and help lift you up too.
Being a good friend means that active listening is paramount to making others feel comfortable to have conversations with you. When people feel heard, they are more likely to respond in kind. There is nothing worse than having a one-sided conversation with someone, or listening to someone tell you all of their woes only to have them end the conversation just when you were about to talk to them about your own troubling issues. It must be a give and take connection for it to be valuable to you both, so you can use discernment in who you get close to. As you get closer to people, you will be able to see who will be the same kind of friend as you are.
Surround yourself with people who inspire, challenge, and uplift you because it is those people who will be giving you support and uplifting you when you need it and helping you become your best self. If you are, or like to be, a more positive person, then people who have a more negative mindset aren’t likely to be as valuable to your own personal journey as someone who is more positive. This is not to say that they aren’t good or nice people and to not count them as friends, just that when you are needing to grow in some way, or your values are different from theirs, there is the potential for you to be held back by their belief systems or for disagreements. Setting healthy boundaries and fostering healthy relationships to protect your emotional well-being is very important.
Meeting New People and Opportunities for Personal Growth
I wanted to mention here that a great way to surround yourself with people who inspire and challenge you is doing something like joining a good and reputable Network Marketing company. Because of my passion for alternative options and clean living, I joined Young Living Essential Oils to get access to their authentic essential oils with their Seed to Seal promise of purity and their clean personal products, but I never expected the accompanying social and opportunities for personal growth aspects that came with it. Apart from the fact that you get access to life-changing products just by being a member with them without even doing a business, these aspects and potential for growing with other people beside you, cannot be understated. The friendships that have been made with a whole bunch of like-minded people is a great reason to look into it, especially if you are looking to widen your horizons a bit.
A lot of people steer clear of Multi-level marketing companies under misguided beliefs that you have to prey on your friends. But this couldn’t be further from the truth if you are connected with an honest company. I can’t believe just how much I have grown simply by going to events, meetups with other members, their online and in-person training, and the friendships I have made have opened up a whole new world to me, and everyone is supportive of each other. Sure you can still get the occasional negative person, just like with any other social or work-related group, but they are few and far between. If you want to expose yourself to greater learning, better connections and a feeling of solidarity, come and do it with me.
There Can Be Quality Time In Solitude
Remember to also spend quality time with yourself, embracing solitude and engaging in self-reflection. Yes, yes, yes! Do you find yourself feeling like you don’t want to be alone? I can honestly say that I enjoy my own company and spending time with myself because it allows me to have choices in what I do at any given time. I can simply sit and read a book if I want, or watch a show without interruptions, or work on my own personal development, or write my articles, do some art or scrapbooking, grow my business, reflect on where I have come from, where I am and where I am going, or any combination of the above. Being a full-time Carer and a homeschooling Nana, opportunities for time alone are hard to come by. Which is why I embrace these moments with gusto. Don’t fear it, just do it!
Embrace Self-Compassion and Positive Self-Talk
Self-compassion is a cornerstone of self-care. Treat yourself with kindness, understanding, and forgiveness. Being kind to yourself is something I will bet that many of you find hard. Probably even more-so, you might find forgiving yourself almost impossible, I know I struggle with that. Practice self-acceptance and celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how small. In doing so you can learn to love yourself, and so you should, and this will help you see your own self-worth.
Be mindful of your self-talk, replacing self-criticism with self-encouragement because only encouraging yourself can work in your favour. Prioritize self-care activities without guilt, understanding that taking care of yourself enables you to be more present and available for others. This is one of the greatest areas I need to improve on myself. I feel guilty if I try to take time out for just me, but I know deep down i shouldn’t, it’s just part of my Carer nature, and my mother instincts, and how I view my grandmother and homeschool teacher role to feel that way. But I need to tell myself that I am important too. One thing I think we all forget is that we are people too, and we deserve to be happy and fulfilled.
Finally, Do Not Ignore The Support of Professional Help
Additionally, seeking professional help when needed can provide valuable guidance in navigating complex emotions and challenges. Seeking out ways to heal trauma, depressive states and general unhappiness can assist you in dealing with emotional baggage that you may not have even realised you are holding on to. For example a good psychotherapist, psychologist or counsellor can make the world of difference for certain situations. Finding the right one is the tricky part, so if you don’t have a good rapport with one, seek another, don’t give up. My daughter has been helped tremendously by the one we found who has been the right one for us.
In Conclusion The Art of Self- Care: Nurturing Your Emotional Well-Being, is Highly Possible and Not all that Difficult in Reality
To ignore this important aspect in the Art of Self-Care, nurturing your emotional well-being, would be doing a severe disservice to yourself. It’s something I didn’t do a lot of, always found some excuse why I couldn’t do something for me, and I truly regret it now. There are times that I almost feel bitterness for having to go through all of my daughter’s leukemia all on my own and having no-one to share the burden with in terms of having someone to talk to. But I know that I would never change anything except perhaps give myself more time for me and allocate time for my own self-nurturing. This is why I am writing the article, to ensure other people do not leave it like I did.
Thank you for reading this article and I wish you all the best with your own journey through this devastating time. I have been through it myself as a parent who had a child with Leukemia so if you have any questions or just feel you need to reach out to someone, I’m here. You can comment on my article below or drop me a message on my dedicated Facebook Page.
Warm Wishes
Ange
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