Who Supports the People Taking Care of Everyone Else?
- Kiernan Garvie
- Jun 5
- 2 min read
Most conversations about healing focus on the person receiving support.
The person who needs help.
But what about the people carrying everyone else’s weight?
The Educational Assistant helping students regulate all day.
The support worker managing challenging behaviours.
The nurse finishing another exhausting shift.
The social worker carrying difficult stories home.
The caregiver who never seems to get a break.
The parent holding everything together behind the scenes.
Who supports them?
The Hidden Cost of Helping Others
Many people in helping professions are incredibly good at supporting others.
They’re compassionate.
Patient.
Understanding.
Reliable.
But somewhere along the way, they often learn to put themselves last.
They become so focused on helping everyone else that they stop noticing the impact it’s having on their own nervous system.
Over time, this can look like:
Sometimes they’re actually carrying more than their nervous system was designed to hold alone.
You Weren’t Meant to Carry Everything
One of the most common things I hear from clients is:
“I didn’t realize how much I was holding until I finally stopped.”
As helpers, we become so accustomed to functioning under pressure that stress begins to feel normal.
We adapt.
We push through.
We survive.
Until one day our body starts asking for something different.
Rest.
Regulation.
Space to breathe.
Not because we’re weak.
Because we’re human.
Supporting the Nervous System Before Crisis
Many people wait until they are completely overwhelmed before reaching out for support.
But what if support didn’t have to wait until burnout?
What if nervous system care became part of your regular self-care instead of an emergency response?
Just like we maintain our vehicles before they break down, our nervous systems also benefit from regular attention.
When the nervous system feels safer, many people report:
• Feeling calmer and more grounded
• Improved emotional resilience
• Better sleep
• Increased clarity
• Greater capacity to handle daily stress
• Feeling more like themselves again
The Helpers Need Support Too
If you spend your days caring for others, supporting others, teaching others, guiding others, or holding space for others, your wellbeing matters too.
You deserve support before you’re exhausted.
You deserve care before you’re overwhelmed.
You deserve a space where you don’t have to be the strong one.
Because the people taking care of everyone else deserve someone helping take care of them too.
Ready for Support?
At Ki’smet Co in Saskatoon, I help people slow down, reconnect with themselves, and support their nervous systems through grounded healing and regulation practices.
Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, or simply ready to invest in your own wellbeing, support is available.
🤍 You don’t have to carry it all alone.
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