Creating a Canopy of Support for Caregivers

Summer is one of the most intensely overwhelming seasons for parents, many of whom are worn out from chronic mental and physical overload of juggling a variable family calendar, bridging gaps in childcare, bringing in an income, and keeping up with the relentless demand of maintaining a clean, safe, and well-stocked domestic space. To complicate matters further, millennial caregivers are being thrust into sandwiched caregiving roles as their own parents age and grapple with health challenges, and are finding themselves with less and less hands-on support, more unmet personal needs, and increased “mom rage,” relational strife, and symptoms of caregiver burnout as a result. In this imbalanced life stage of serving/giving/caretaking, who and what can help refuel us in order to maintain optimal mental health and keep these lifestyles sustainable? Do we ever outgrow a need to be taken care of?

Mother Nature offers inherent wisdom around the power of community care. Trees spread nourishment through shared roots below the surface and lean together to create shaded canopies to block out intense heat during scorching summer months. Humans are naturally wired toward tribal relationships for survival, but the rugged individualism and solipcism of social media alongside late stage capitalism have made us forget this kind of symbiosis.  If Baby Boomer parental figures are no longer available to provide emotional or physical shelter, what other meaningful interpersonal relationships–mentors, teachers, gurus, role models, or brother/sisterhoods–can be fostered, outside of the already overtaxed marital partnership or traditional grandparent family structure? Creative problem solving and emotional wellbeing thrive on supportive collaboration. Perhaps if we can seek out, nurture, and lean into more nourishing roles that allow for greater fluidity between Giver/Receiver and Teacher/Student, we can refill those dried out personal reserves and expand our emotional bandwidth to restore crucial self-care practices where we can reconnect with and restore our ever-evolving sense of self. #caregiverburnout #millenial #sandwichedcaregiving #mentalhealthmatters #communitycare #selfcare #creativeresilience

Post by Sharon Itkoff Nacache ATR-BC LCAT LPAT PMH-C
Original photograph by Stephanie Klepacki via Unsplash.