It is National I Care About You Day. Be grateful for your friends and loved ones on this day and always.

Taking care of another person can be both incredibly draining and amazingly rewarding. Most research on caregiving has focused on the benefits to the person receiving care. Still, an emerging body of research suggests that – under the right circumstances — providing support also benefits caregivers.

There’s often an assumption that the person who receives care reaps the benefits at the expense of the person providing care. Previous research has shown that caregiving is often associated with increased stress – both emotional and financial.

However, University of Pittsburgh psychological scientists Tristen K. Inagaki and Edward Orehek have identified two factors that can determine whether providing support might also benefit the caregiver: When providing care is a choice and when support is perceived to be effective. Read more at Association for Psychological Science.

Mindfulness is a form of self care. Here are some mindfulness exercises.

https://at250.org/2022/01/31/simple-mindfulness-practices-you-can-use-anywhere/

https://nationaltoday.com/national-i-care-about-you-day/