Carers Spotlight: *Michelle's Blog

Michelle's Blog: My chance to be carefree

Being a carer can be challenging at times. It can seem never ending. The constant worry and demands placed on you. Waking up each day and not really knowing what to expect – will it be an easy day, or will you end up feeling exhausted? Sometimes you just want to escape away from it all and have some freedom. However, these feelings are counteracted by guilt. Do I deserve it? What will happen whilst I am away? Will they be able to cope without me?

Michelle cares for her husband who has a physical disability after being left paralysed following a work accident. After talking to Carers First staff about how she was feeling, she was referred to Carefree for a break. Carefree is a charity that connects unpaid carers with donated hotel rooms in the UK. It aims to create a caring economy that supports the wellbeing of carers and the community.

Within a few months Michelle had booked two nights stay at a luxury spa hotel worth £250, for just £33 This was the type of hotel Michelle had always wanted to stay at but have never had the money to do so.

“I wanted to treat myself the hotel was perfect; steam room, sauna, jacuzzi and swimming pool. A great opportunity to relax and unwind”.

Michelle describes her break away as amazing, which allowed her to focus on herself. She explored areas of the country that she would never have been able to if she had visited with her husband. However, this left Michelle with some feelings of sadness  as it wasn’t something they were experiencing together where they could share happy memories. Despite these feelings Michelle was determined to enjoy herself and reminded herself that this was her break and one of the few chances she would get to prioritise themselves.

“It was an amazing feeling, knowing I could get a good night’s sleep and wake up the next morning and do what I wanted, when I wanted. I would encourage all carers to book a break with Carefree, it gave me chance to be me with no added burden of responsibility. Coming home I definitely felt more relaxed and confident about the future”.

Talking through feelings of sadness can be a powerful way to process and alleviate those emotions. Carers First can support you with one to one emotional support and with connecting you to our carer events where you can express your feelings in a safe space without the fear of judgment.

For more details, visit our Carefree breaks for carers page. All carers registered with Carers First can be referred to the service, please contact us on 0300 303 1555 or email fundraising@carerfirst.org.uk 

*Name changed to protect anonymity.