by Lu Lu, LPC

What happens when the person who holds everyone else together starts falling apart quietly?

This is a question I often carry with me when sitting across from caregivers in session — adult children caring for aging parents, partners tending to spouses with cognitive decline, home health aides balancing long hours with their own families.

Most of them show up with weary eyes and steady hearts. They don’t ask for much. But if you listen closely, you’ll hear it:

• “I’m so tired, but I don’t feel like I can stop.”
• “My body is breaking down, but I feel guilty resting.”
• “I love my family, but I’m starting to lose myself.”

Caregiving is sacred work. It’s an act of love, duty, faith, and sometimes survival.

But it’s also heavy. And while most caregivers focus on the needs of others — appointments, medications, transportation, meals, emotional regulation — few pause long enough to ask, What do I need today?

We live in a culture that often applauds self-sacrifice but forgets to protect the soul of the one sacrificing.

The emotional, spiritual, and physical toll of caregiving can lead to burnout, compassion fatigue, anxiety, and even depression.

That’s why I believe self-care for caregivers isn’t a luxury — it’s essential.

In my workshop on September 9th,  you can experience space for you to breathe — to recognize your own humanity, reconnect with your body, and practice gentle self-compassion in community.

Think of it as a deep exhale in the middle of your caregiving journey.

We’ll spend time on the following:

• Recognition & Empathy: What caregiving really costs — physically, emotionally, spiritually — and how to name what we carry without guilt.
• Self-Care Isn’t Selfish: Reframing rest and self-care as survival, not indulgence. We’ll explore simple, realistic habits that can restore nervous system balance.
• Stress Management Tools: Small practices like grounding, breathwork, micro-boundaries, and emotional awareness that fit into real life (even on a busy Tuesday afternoon).
• Resource Sharing: Oregon-based services that support caregivers — including free or low-cost programs you may not know exist.

Whether you’re a family caregiver, a nurse, a spiritual caregiver, a professional support worker, or just the “strong one” in your family, I invite you to show up as you are.

No performance needed. No pressure to have it all together. Just a soft place to land.

Join us for the Caring for the Caregivers virtual workshop
September 9, 2025: 5-6pm over Zoom

This workshop is offered in English.