Put Your Oxygen Mask On First

Easy, quick, and versatile meals were highlighted during the Cooking for Caregivers class

When getting pre-flight instructions, they tell you to put your own oxygen mask on first before attempting to help others. As the mother of a young adult with profound autism, I’ve often heard this about caregiving a child with disabilities. You can’t take care of someone if you’re not taking care of yourself. Yet the inevitable guilt creeps in, and you feel like you’ll miss something if you focus on yourself. 

Put your oxygen mask on. It has taken me years to figure out that I can’t be the parent I need to be without putting myself first sometimes. Self-care doesn’t have to be expensive spa days or long vacations. It’s simple snapshots of joy: a yoga class (like Caregivers’ Yoga that we offer at Open Up), a cooking class, reading something for fun (and not just reading school and medical reports), a neighborhood walk, time in your garden, making the perfect cup of coffee (or tea or mocktail). 

I recently took a caregivers’ cooking class. Learning new ways to use pantry staples to make a quick, easy, and nutritious meal for my family wasn’t just good for my culinary skills, but good for the soul. Talking to other caregivers, learning that we’re not alone in this, no matter what the diagnosis, made for a wonderful afternoon. 

Caregiver fatigue is real, and it’s hard. Take the slivers of time you can to rest and recharge. It is not a selfish act to bring a better version of yourself to your loved ones.

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Written by Jennifer Salamon, Communications Coordinator

Jennifer has over 10 years of experience in non-profit communications, community outreach, and fundraising. She is a lifelong advocate for her teenage son who has autism, intellectual disability, and epilepsy.