BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — In May, Grounded in Health went over ways to keep kids active and healthy now that school's out. But in July, the focus is on the well-being of parents and caregivers with city officials saying that in order to give proper care you must also receive it.
Director for Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Stacy Kuwahara says the workflow that comes with being a caregiver can sometimes be unbearable.
“Self-care is not selfish and on the contrary, it’s essentially so that we bring our best selves into caring for others.”
With having to put other people's needs before their own, Kuwahara says parenting can also be emotionally draining, which is why it's important to emphasize self-care.
“It can be as small as five minutes. It can be as small as the things that we’re doing or prioritizing the amount of sleep we take and get, what we eat, or how we’re moving through our day.”
Director for Kern County Public Health Brynn Carrigan says oftentimes, caregiving is the backbone of people’s homes. She says self-care is key, but things like eating healthy, getting more rest, and exercising daily can dramatically improve someone’s quality of life. She says the role of a parent or caregiver is often a 24/7 job.
Health officials understand that it can be hard to take time for personal needs when also acting as a caregiver but are urging the public to not wait until you are extremely overwhelmed.
One organization in Bakersfield is ready to provide relaxing services to stressed parents. Located in downtown Bakersfield, Happy Whole You is a brain health-focused wellness center providing a multitude of services focusing on relieving stress, and pain, and ensuring people are overall more relaxed.
Owner and doctor of neuropathy Anna Marie Frank says once in one of their theatapods you don’t realize it's spinning and mimics the feeling of floating.
“The pod turns while you’re in it as you can tell, this gets the hemispheres of the brain talking again, creating new neuro-pathways connecting old neuro pathways. It's like a deep meditative state that we put you in and we program the machine for whatever you’re working on, PTSD, anxiety, depression, euphoria, memory enhancement.”
Frank says they also offer a theta chair meant for people who don’t want to be in an enclosed state but still want that feeling of relaxation.
However, theta technology isn’t the only service that Happy Whole You provides.
“We have red light therapy. We have detox pods. We have bio charger therapy, Bemer therapy.”
With each service, Frank says clients also receive a pair of headphones to increase their levels of meditation.
She says care is always based on personal needs.
Thursday’s Grounded in Health press conference was a way to alert the public that when caring for yourself it's not just the physical aspect to look out for, but it's also taking care of yourself both mentally and emotionally.
Frank says her services are unique to Bakersfield as it combines old Chinese medicine with modern technology. However, she credits their success based on the fact that they listen to people's needs before treatment going as far as scheduling a 2-hour consult.
Frank says she believes in the importance of treating each client differently as she, too, has overcome struggles and remembers feeling like a number when going to her care physician for help.
“I spend 5 or 10 minutes with them and I feel like I’m just a number and I don’t feel like I have that connection and so when you give people hope and you remind them about their purpose and help them really have something to live for and look forward to, they show up in a whole new way.”
Frank says while they are pleased with the services they already provide new expansions are coming in the future and want people to understand that they are an education company before anything else.
