Introducing our Carers Wellbeing and Support Project

Working with our partners Sheffield Mind and Sheffield Flourish, Space to Breathe will be running a special project aimed at providing support to Carers who are caring for someone with a mental health challenge.

We are all too aware of the challenges of being a carer. This project is aimed at lifting some of that weight and giving you easy to access support to help you as you care for others.

The project offers practical help, support when someone’s going through a crisis and then ongoing wellbeing support.

You can make a referral or self-refer to the project using this form.

We also really want to promote the work of Sheffield Young Carers.

Sheffield Carers Centre (for carers aged 18+) https://www.sheffieldcarers.org.uk/

Sheffield Young Carers (for young carers/young adult carers aged 8-25) https://www.sheffieldyoungcarers.org.uk/

They also have a brilliant bank of resources on their website - https://www.sheffieldyoungcarers.org.uk/support-for-young-people

carers wellbeing pack

Caring for someone else can be challenging and at times can take a toll on your own wellbeing. Carers often put the needs of others first, which can lead to physical exhaustion, emotional strain, and feelings of isolation. It's easy to become so focused on the person you're supporting that you forget to look after yourself. Over time, this can impact your mental health, relationships, and even your ability to continue providing care. Recognising your own needs is not selfish – it's essential for maintaining the energy and resilience you need in your caring role.

Looking after your wellbeing as a carer means finding space to recharge, asking for help when you need it, and staying connected to others. This Wellbeing Pack is all about giving you the tools that can help you to look after your wellbeing whilst you care. Prioritising your wellbeing helps you to stay strong, cope with stress, and continue caring in a sustainable way. Remember, you matter too.

These tools and techniques are all useful to help you manage stress and anxiety and to help you prioritise your wellbeing. You can download them below - our PDF version of the Carers Wellbeing Pack includes ten techniques to try.

You can also find these tools and loads of others on the Space to Breathe app which is free to download.

CARERS WELLBEING RESOURCES

idea #1

BREATHING EXERCISES

Sometimes you feel stressed or anxious and it’s hard to settle. Doing a breathing exercise is a great way to calm yourself in these times. Why not listen to the MP3 below or download it to your device? Other great ways to ground yourself are to place something cold (like a coke can) on your breastbone or to use a stress ball. Check out the app for more.

idea #2

Images

Many of us think about our emotions in different ways but it’s amazing how often we are only asked to put our emotions and feelings into words. But what if we could use sounds, words or even images to help us reflect.

Try this …

CS Lewis once said “Grief is like a long valley, a winding valley where any bend may reveal a totally new landscape.” Look at these three images as reflective tools to look back on the last 12 months. Where have you come from? What are the twists and turns you’ve gone through? What new landscape might you be heading into?

IDEA #3

SURROUNDINGS

One useful tool for your wellbeing can be to take meaning from things around you. This practice is called meditation or reflection.  Sometimes one of the most helpful things for anxiety and stress can be practicing being present – especially if our worries are in the past or the future.

This meditation can be done anywhere – at home, in the garden, in the supermarket, in the kitchen.

Try this …

Wherever you are, be aware of your body and how it connects to where you are. This could be your feet on the ground. Your bottom on a seat. Your back against a seat. Be aware of your body as it connects.

How does it feel?

Be aware of your head, neck, spine, legs, feet. Are you holding any stress or pressure? Be aware of it and, if you can, relax it. Breathe deeply and allow calm to settle.

Be you in this moment, in contact with your surroundings. Notice the sounds around you. Feel the wind in your face or the sun on your face. You are alive and you are part of this world. Because of that, you matter. You feel, think and are involved. Other things and people depend on you.

Use this reflection to learn how to be present in a moment.

What do you feel? Is that feeling happy or sad? What are you experiencing right now? What things are stopping you from being present (worries, pain, tiredness)?

Breathe out and let them go.

Make a conscious effort to be present today.

IDEA #4

SILENCE

Being silent is a wonderful and simple way to take stock and reflect. Silence has been researched and been found to have a number of wellbeing and health benefits.

Give this a try:

Find a comfortable place and sit in whatever way feels relaxed and still. Have your eyes closed or open depending on what feels most comfortable.

Be completely still and silent. Allow the sounds around you to be there but you do not have to do anything about them. When you get distracted refocus. Try and do this for a few minutes at least. Use the resources to help or find something to focus on

When you have finished, relax and slowly come back into the room Four further ideas you might try:

1. When you feel yourself rushing stop for one moment and slow yourself.

2. In meetings when progress is hard or dialogue heated encourage everyone to be silent for at least one minute. Then ask if any new ideas have emerged.

3. Take up doodling. This is a perfect aid to silence and lets your mind wander to new places and new ideas.

4. Want a different perspective on an idea. Ponder it in silence for a few minutes and scribble ideas that arise. Let the silence allow you to see things differently.

IDEA #5

Mindful meditation

Lastly, we’ve prepared a simple mindful meditation. This MP3 track can be listened to here or download onto your phone or laptop. It takes you through the steps of mindful meditation in a very easy to understand way and is perfect if you’ve never tried this before. This can be a few minutes of peace and calm and can be used again and again.