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Something Worth SharingExpressions of Care I’m sure you’re a caring person, but what does that actually mean? I had a fascinating conversation with someone recently that centred on ‘care’; what care is (and isn’t) and how we express it. The person I was chatting to was talking about the physical version of care - being present and in the room, providing what an ill person needed and doing what was necessary to ‘take care’ of them. They were saying that it took a toll, and that the person who was ill had actually asked them to leave so they could rest. When we unpack what it is to ‘care’, we have to understand that ‘to care’ for someone isn’t always what we are doing. True caring can actually be doing nothing or even require us to leave. Does it mean that we don’t care about someone when we aren’t with them physically? - no! Does being with someone physically mean you care for them? - also, no! In very simple and basic terms, here are 10 thoughts and learns I think are worth sharing when it comes to ‘genuine and authentic care’: Care begins as a state of mind Pause and listen to the needs of others and ourselves Care needs to be balanced (not too much or too little) Care is personal and not one-size-fits-all Timing, pace and energy are important Caring isn’t ‘expectations’, ‘imposing’ and ‘shoulds’ (or social acceptance) Caring is not a competition Caring can be painful, tough and challenging There are infinite ways to express care If you don’t care for yourself, you can’t care for anyone else
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