Blossome Encourages People to Take Time for Themselves This Self Care Week

This Self Care Week (17-23 November), Essex-based self-care community, Blossome is encouraging anyone who has been affected by another’s addiction to take the time to care for themselves and start their self care journey now, using its range of simple, easy to use resources.

Many people who live with or love a person with an addiction find themselves putting their own needs last because they are trying to keep the other person and their lives going, often by themselves.

Blossome is a not-for-profit self care community based in Colchester that supports anyone affected by a loved one’s addiction through peer support, gentle tools and guided programmes. This week they are highlighting their simple bank of self-care tools to help people in that position stay steady and feel cared for. These include:

A self-care check in – a short 2 minute personal reflection tool, that helps people take the time to notice how they are doing, conducted with no pressure and no judgment.
A downloadable self-care guide – a kind, practical guide that offers suggestions on small, compassionate steps that people can take to care for themselves as they also care for someone else.
The Sunday Self Care Reminder – an email providing supportive and helpful self-care information on a weekly basis
Self care activities in and near Colchester every month, ranging from cold water dips to slow stitching, yoga and more, all in small, easy to access groups.
Those not able to come to an in-person meeting can join a weekly self-compassion group online which offers people a chance to drop in, learn self compassion and gain the ability to self-regulate emotions from the comfort of home.
Kim Moore, Founder of Blossome said: “When we are caring for someone who has an addiction, the focus is always on that person and, especially if there are other dependents, your own self-care needs fall right down, if not off, the list of priorities. However, it’s important to recognise that you cannot pour from an empty cup and many people living in this situation suffer from prolonged stress, complicated grief and isolation. By taking care of yourself, even in the smallest ways, you are giving yourself the tools to be a better caretaker of others.

At Blossome we shift the focus from the person with the addiction to their loved ones, because they are often forgotten and reluctant to seek out support because of the stigma attached to addiction. We offer a safe space to connect with others who understand, and provide guidance with small steps that help people build healthy self-care habits, taking time for self care. We also  teach people how to resource themselves with self compassion. There’s always a choice in how they engage with us, through peer support, online tools, in-person activities and guided programmes so no one has to cope alone.”

Anyone carrying heavy emotions and looking to start their self-care journey can find out more about Blossome here: https://www.blossome.support/

Further information:

Registrations are now open for January group programmes designed to ease suffering through building steadiness and self‑compassion.

Self Care for Grieving Hearts – a 12 week programme for anyone grieving life before, during or after a loved one’s addiction. Register here.
Self‑Compassion for Widows – an 8 week programme to help anyone who has been widowed to learn to transition from ‘we’ to ‘I’, with self-compassion skills, in a small, supportive group of widows. Register here.
Cultivating Self-compassion for Families affected by Addiction – an 8 week programme to help ease family suffering in difficult circumstances. Register here.