Uplift! What is it and why is it important for carers?
- Suzanne Bourne
- Jun 23
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 27
What do we mean by uplift?
Uplift says we matter. It could be as simple as a piece of cake or some nice biscuits at a carers group. (Believe me, the choice of biscuits really matters). Uplift is a safe place to land at the end of a conversation.
Uplift could be:
A gentle pause at the end of a 1-1 call, reflecting on what we've learned or looking ahead.
A reason to laugh after a tough week.
A chance to notice what (or who) is helping us through.
Uplift is a reason to laugh at the end of a tough day, or week. Some fun activities or games, or just spending time with people that make us smile. When we hang out with people who get it and understand, we might find ourselves crying one minute - but together, because we care about each other, we find ourselves laughing at the silliest of things.
Uplift can’t be forced on someone, only made available. As carers we can choose if it’s helpful for us at that moment, it’s never compulsory.
Uplift can feel impossible sometimes too. On our bad days, uplift can seem like something very far away, in our established cuppa groups we’ve seen carers move from this impossible feeling to times where uplift shows up naturally and is part of what everyone brings to the group.
Uplift can happen naturally, but it is too important to leave to chance, we can be intentional. When we make it intentional it becomes a habit, when it becomes a habit we can begin to access it whenever we need it.
Why does uplift matter?
For many of us, the challenges we face each day don’t have an easy fix. We look at the road ahead and see that things are unlikely to change soon, in fact our situation might be likely to get worse. We need to find ways to keep going, simple things that we can access every day. Uplift isn’t a solution but it’s a way to keep going, and a reminder that we’re not alone.
Can we plan for uplift?
While uplift can happen naturally, it’s too important to always leave it to chance. When we start making room for it on purpose, it becomes a habit and over time, something we can reach for even on tough days.
That doesn’t mean we always have to feel uplifted. Some days, it might feel completely out of reach but the more we get to know what helps us in those moments, the easier it becomes to reach for those things when we need them.
Where can we get some of this uplift?
The Mobilise community is pretty intentional about uplift. Feel free to sign-up for our weekly newsletter to receive more carers' top tips and hacks that can bring us a bit of uplift. We can also join the Mobilise Hub, a free online community of carers where we can swap stories, ask questions and share what’s helped (and uplifted) us.If we prefer real life meet ups your local carer service is a place to find uplift and connection too. It’s all about making uplift available in small, meaningful ways to brighten the everyday and gently carry us through the tougher moments too. Our next read...
