by Growing Needs | Nov 23, 2023 | Caregivers Support, Caregiving
Taking a break, getting rest is essential – it allows for physical and mental rejuvenation. Caring for a loved one is no easy task and one often is left with little choice but to assume the responsibility as the main caregiver when a family member falls ill. But also because of this responsibility, the act of caregiving becomes easy to be taken for granted and one might find themselves feeling unappreciated. This might take a toll on one’s mental and emotional health. Caregiving might also be physically taxing – this might stem from providing assistance with activities of daily living to ferrying the loved one for hospital visits.
Taking a break would not only relieve one temporarily of their caregiving duties but is also a good avenue to recharge and even gain fresh perspectives from the break. When recharged and rejuvenated, it bodes well for the relationship between the caregiver and the care recipient, leaving the caregiver feeling more motivated and encouraged to continue about their daily duties.
Here are some ways of which caregivers can take a break and seek respite from nursing over the Christmas season. Be it doing it with friends, or even as a family activity together with the care recipient, we hope there would be something for everyone.
Shop until you drop at a Christmas market
A Christmas market is a street market associated with the celebration of Christmas. Nearing the festive season, it is commonplace to see pop-up festive fairs and Christmas markets in Singapore for those who are looking for Christmas gifts for their gift exchange, decorations or even just a gift for oneself.
Find handmade ceramics, wooden home decor, Madagascar award-winning artisan jams at Cluny Court Christmas Fair with over 20 stores. Another one to check out is the Christmas edition of Maker’s Market taking place at Tiong Bahru Plaza this year.
Join a Christmas craft workshop
Creative workshops are a great avenue to display your creativity and imagination. These arts and craft workshops often provide the materials you need to create your masterpiece with an assortment of themed ornaments. Craftyfoxsg’s Glittering Snow Globe Workshop teaches participants how to craft a water-filled snow globe. EPIC Workshops offers Christmas terrarium making workshops where one can learn tips and tricks on terrarium making from their skilled instructors!
Be it whether you want to enjoy these workshops with your friends or with the care recipient, this is a great activity to help one in unwinding and put those creative juices to work. Of course you’ll get to bring your souvenir home and this experience is bound to be an extremely meaningful and memorable one.
Christmas baking classes
Usher in the holiday spirit with specially crafted Christmas dishes and bakes! What a better way to indulge in the festive cheers other than getting your hands dirty and start baking some festive treats. Bake shortbread cookies, log cakes and European pastries under the guidance of pastry chefs. There are many workshops around which offer themed baking classes in which you will learn how to create all the recipes or decorations from scratch. We understand that everyone has different levels of commitments and some might not be able to take as much time off. There are baking classes which require a shorter amount of time so do consider those if you have time constraints.
Here are some festive baking courses to consider – Cooking class Singapore offers courses which range from 3-4 hours long, baking an assortment of pastries from cookies to bread. Bake Fresh studio is another hot baking class option with really pretty looking bakes such as the christmas donut butter cookie, chocolate christmas star tree and even the really hard to master macarons. Chef Tales is another of our favourite picks to enjoy with your loved ones and friends.
Bask in the festive cheer at Winter wonderland
Running from 1 December 2023 to 1 January 2024, Christmas Wonderland is back for its 10th run of stunning light displays. Catch the Garden Rhapsody light and sound show and yuletide performances by local artistes.
Based on the dates you are planning to visit, prices do vary so do plan in advance and get a ticket before visiting. For those that are planning to bring family members that have mobility restrictions to the event, most attractions in Christmas Wonderland are accessible by wheelchair, including the Spalliera, light displays at Merry Lane, Holly Roger, and Walk of Lights. Visitors may refer to Gardens by the Bay for more information on limited mobility access within the Gardens.
Conclusion
It is of paramount importance to care for your well-being and prioritise yourself. Thinking from the perspective of the care recipient, they need you as their pillar of support and what good is it if this pillar of support does not take breaks and burn out as a result. Caregivers need to stay mentally and physically healthy to provide care. So, do not hesitate to reach out if you ever need help!
Growing Needs grew out of our own encounters with caring for our aging parents and reflecting on the Growing Needs that we ourselves would face as we advance in years. We hope to build a community that will learn, share and contribute towards caring for the growing needs of our loved ones.
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