47 WWW.CHARLESTONWOMENPODCAST.COM | WWW.READCW.COM | WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/CHARLESTONWOMEN I am a caregiver—both to someone living with dementia and to a 13-year-old girl finding her way in the world. Some days, those roles blur together in surprising ways: missing remotes, resistance to showers, emotional outbursts and snacks that vanish as quickly as I restock them. Then somewhere layered beneath those epic responsibilities is the rest of my life—being a wife to my twin flame, tending to two dogs and a cat, leading a business, captaining a tennis team and serving as president of the local chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier. I do a lot, and most of it requires heart. In this season, self-care is not indulgence. It is survival. It is how I stay regulated enough to keep showing up with compassion instead of depletion. I've stopped searching for grand fixes and started building small anchors—simple, repeatable practices that steady my nervous system, lighten the mental load and bring me back to myself. I am not trying to perfect this life. I am trying to sustain it—with grace, honesty and small moments of rest woven into the everyday. DEMENTIA SUPPORT AND DISABILITY RESOURCES One of the most important supports I rely on is the GUIDE Program, a national CMS initiative designed to help caregivers of people living with dementia. Through local providers like MUSC and Carolina Caring, the program offers care navigation, education and help coordinating resources. It reminds me I do not have to figure everything out alone. I also know many caregivers are parenting children with disabilities. Resources like Make-A-Wish and the Trident Brain Injury Association offer advocacy, guidance and moments of hope for families navigating complex care needs. Simply knowing these programs exist can ease the feeling that everything rests on one person's shoulders. FIVE MINUTES WITH G.U.S. AND GUIDED MEDITATION Most mornings begin with what I call "Five Minutes with G.U.S."—God, Universe, Source. I sit with a cup of coffee or tea and do nothing else. I pray. I breathe. I listen. No phone. No list. Just five minutes of stillness before the day asks anything of me. When my thoughts feel especially scattered, I add a short guided meditation using the ZENDO meditation headband, made right here in Charleston. I use it in short, focused sessions to regulate my breathing and bring my body out of fight-orflight. Even a few minutes can soften the edges of a demanding day. BECOMING A BIRD NERD Birdwatching surprises me with how grounding it is. I set up feeders and watch birds come and go throughout the day. I joke that I have become a "bird nerd," but there is something deeply calming about observing life that asks nothing of me. It slows my breath and reminds me that rest can be observational, not earned. Here in Charleston, I've even started following Holy City Birding, a local group that shares sightings, tips and the best spots to catch glimpses of migrating species. Their posts make me feel connected to something bigger—this whole hidden world of feathers and flight happening right alongside my everyday life. THRIFTING AS THERAPY When the walls start closing in, I go thrifting. I set my rule—15 minutes or $15, no exceptions—and let the hunt reset me. I stop by God's Goods on Highway 17 or a local Goodwill, searching for small treasures. The simple act of looking pulls me out of my head and back into my body. ART AND WRITING AS EMOTIONAL RELEASE I keep markers, paper and a journal within arm's reach, always ready for whatever feeling needs a place to land. I wander my backyard collecting heartshaped leaves and small blooms, tucking them into a bowl to weave into my art later. When For the ones who carry everything BY ANGIE COLYER DUPREE WELLNESS + BEAUTY
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