The Me-Time Mixtape: Three essential hand-curated links and resources on creative self-care. Carve out some me time this week!
Those of you with aging parents or ill friends and family will know the unique torture of taking care of a loved one who has been hospitalized. As my mom's Alzheimer's progresses, she is prone to infections, and even small infections can throw her system off and cause major life-threatening illness. She was recently hospitalized, and once again I had to shore up my mental and physical energy to be at her bedside each day.
We don't like to talk about it, but someone we love will inevitably get sick. At times you will have to be your loved one's voice, health advocate, champion, and source of love and compassion (all while being exhausted or emotionally swept up). To help support you, I offer the first article in today's newsletter on navigating hospital visits (and my recent podcast episode on accepting the gradual loss of my mom). When you need support, these resources are here for you.
#1 Practical Tips to Fortify You During a Parent's (or Loved One's) Hospital Stay
This is a smart, very practical article with sound advice to help fortify your mental reserves when your parents (or any loved one) have a hospital stay. Numbers 1 and 2 on the list I learned the hard way – know and communicate your parent's medical status and prepare for the possibility of a parent becoming disoriented while in the hospital.
⭐The biggest takeaway: you have the right to advocate for your loved one (and yes, it's exhausting, so be kind to yourself along the way).
#2 Write Your Anger Away (Then Release It)
As someone who tends to repress my anger, when I do let it out, it can feel very out of control and uncomfortable. Journaling about something that has made me angry and then tearing up what I have written, has been an effective way for me to let go of anger. There's research to show this works.
📝First, you acknowledge the anger, give it space and room to exist by writing about it in your journal; let your anger flow freely, then you shred it or tear it up and let it go. Read more about the positive effects of this journal practice.
Jennifer M Wood
#3 Moody Nature Videos
Johan David Buran's Instagram page is one of the few that I return to again and again. His nature videos, especially the water ones, calm me down, center me, and remind me to breathe. All that good stuff. If you are scrolling, why not scroll to something restorative?
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Episode #40: Forward Facing: Fight for Your Creative Passions
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