New Perspectives Bring New Connections
“We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.” — Commonly attributed to Anaïs Nin
Early in my caregiving journey, I believed I needed to have all of the answers, stay strong, and handle everything myself. I've since learned that changing our perspective doesn't always change our circumstances, but it can change how we navigate them.
This month, we're exploring Collaboration, one of the six domains of resilience. Managing our perceptions helps us recognize opportunities for collaboration through connection, shared responsibility, and support—all protective factors against caregiver burnout.
When we make room for different perspectives, we make room for connection. And connection creates hope.
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OCTOBER 2026 Newsletter - Courage:
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” — Lao Tzu
As family caregivers, we often face fear and courage simultaneously. We know what it feels like both to be afraid and to keep going in spite of our fears. Whether we are learning from our mistakes, finding our own inner strength, choosing progress over perfection, or practicing saying "no," we are embracing courage. It can be scary not knowing what any given day will bring, but as this Lao Tzu quote emphasizes, when we care for someone else, we gain courage as a result.
Courage isn't the absence of fear, but the acceptance of our fears and our perseverance in spite of them. We are courageous when we admit we don't know something or when we apologize after inadvertently hurting someone. Courage doesn't require perfection, just our own ability to keep growing and learning.
3 TOOLS TO DEVELOP COURAGE
Notice and Accept Your Thoughts and Emotions - It is natural to feel scared, stressed, and overwhelmed at times. Life is hard, and unexpected situations and events occur! There is no shame in experiencing emotions. What matters is what we do with them.
Embrace Your Fears and Share with Others - Recognize which of your fears are legitimate and which are unfounded. Remember, you are NOT alone. Find your community of support. Join our group coaching here!
Own Your Power and Choose Courage - Courage is something we can learn. Take stock of your strengths and room for growth and courageously take action. You've got this!
Check out the entire October 2026 Newsletter focused on Courage here.
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Interrupting the Automatic “Yes”
“Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others.” — Brené Brown
As I prepare to pass the leadership of Courage to Caregivers to Angel, I’ve been thinking about what it really means to empower someone else to lead. I’m discovering that it isn’t simply handing over responsibilities. It’s also making room for a new leader to find her own voice—even when that voice might say, “I think we should do this differently.”
That may sound obvious. In practice, it’s harder.
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Small Steps Lead to Big Success
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” — Robert Collier
We can put enormous pressure on ourselves to get it right—to make the right decision, find the right resource, say the right thing, anticipate the next crisis, and somehow keep everything else moving, too. But perfection is an impossible standard, especially when so much of caregiving is outside our control.
Progress asks something different of us.
It asks: What can I do today? What have I learned? What's the next small step?
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Building a Community of Strength
“You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.” — Bob Marley
When I founded Courage to Caregivers ten years ago, I’m not sure I would have described myself as “strong.” I was a caregiver who had experienced firsthand how hard caring for someone you love can be—and I saw a problem I wanted to solve. What I brought to that problem were the strengths that came most naturally to me: kindness, compassion, caring, active listening, and problem-solving. Those strengths became woven into the roots of Courage to Caregivers. We listen. We care. We meet caregivers where they are. And we help them find a way forward.
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Honor the Past by Learning from It
"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing." ~ Henry Ford
When I founded Courage to Caregivers nearly ten years ago, I knew one thing with absolute certainty: caregivers needed care, too.
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SEPTEMBER 2026 Newsletter - Tenacity: Embracing TENACITY through Our Hurdles
“You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.” ~ Bob Marley
Tenacity is how we persist even as we face challenges. We can't always control what obstacles we encounter. As family caregivers, we sometimes understand this all too well. While we aren't always as prepared as we would like for the hurdles that come our way, we can choose how we react.
We are tenacious when we choose to keep growing and learning in small and big ways, when we recognize the pain that exists while also acknowledging the opportunities that persist around us, and when we channel our energy into coping mechanisms that give us the space we need to move forward.
Tenacity is not always the big, dramatic actions we see on screen and on page. It can be the little things we do each day to keep going through tumultuous times. You got this. We are here for you. 💙
3 TOOLS TO DEVELOP TENACITY
Embrace Adaptability and Flexibility - Change is a constant in life and while that may on the surface seem to contrast with tenacity, by embracing adaptability and flexibility, we can better navigate the challenges we encounter and find the creativity needed to keep moving forward.
Find Your Support Network - While sometimes we need independence to persist, at other times, a little help and encouragement from others may be what we need to keep going. Whether your support network is just a couple people or a large group, having others you can count on can give you the boost you need.
Cultivate a Positive Mindset - As we discussed this month, it's possible to be realistic and optimistic. By recognizing the negative aspects of life without becoming consumed by them, we can more accurately tackle the hurdles we face and move forward.
Check out the entire September 2026 Newsletter focused on Tenacity here.
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When Life Gets Difficult, How Do You Respond?
"You don't have to control your thoughts. You just have to stop letting them control you."
— Dan Millman
A few weeks ago, we talked about managing stress and shared healthy strategies for navigating the stress of caregiving. So, this week's topic—coping mechanisms—might sound like more of the same. Yet, there's an important distinction.
We recognized early on at Courage to Caregivers that while we'd love to say we reduce the stress of caring for someone you love, that's not really what we do. To remove the stress, we'd have to provide the transportation, schedule the appointments, manage the medications, navigate the hard conversations, make the meals, clean the house—you get it.
We can't remove the stress of caregiving. But we can help you become better equipped to cope with and manage the stress.
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Hope Is Within Your Control
“Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.” - Casey Kasem
I LOVE thinking about optimism through the lens of being realistic. I may have been accused a time or two of being overly optimistic—and to me, that sounds like unrealistic optimism.
Because caregiving can make optimism HARD.
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Tenacity Helps Us Adapt and Persist
"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out." — Robert Collier
Do you have a “favorite” word? One of mine just happens to be this month’s theme: tenacity—the determination to hold on to what matters, adapt when things get difficult, and keep moving forward, even when progress is slow or the path changes.
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AUGUST 2026 Newsletter - Advocacy: Acting with Empathy and Compassion
“Advocacy is empathy, compassion and community at work.” - Janna Cachola
For family caregivers, advocacy is deeply intertwined with our lives whether we name it as such or not. The Missouri Foundation for Health defines advocacy as “any action that speaks in favor of, recommends, argues for a cause, supports or defends, or pleads on behalf of others.” Whether we are listening to our loved ones' needs, speaking up during appointments, or forming our support networks, we are engaging in advocacy.
There are numerous ways we can be advocates not just for loved ones, but also for ourselves and others in our communities. The West Virginia University Health Science Center defines three different types of advocacy: self-advocacy, individual advocacy, and systems advocacy.
Self-advocacy relates to how we are able to communicate our own needs and defend our rights. We engage in self-advocacy when we understand our own needs, believe in ourselves, and communicate effectively with others.
Individual advocacy refers to when one or several people work together to protect the rights of another person. We become individual advocates when we nurture our support networks and speak up on behalf of our loved ones.
Systems advocacy focuses on changing institutional policies, laws, and rules in order to protect groups of people. When we share our stories, join campaigns, and volunteer with dedicated advocacy groups, we are participating in systems advocacy.
As we head into September, we urge you to reflect on how you are and can be an advocate. Like Janna Cachola emphasizes, “Advocacy is empathy, compassion and community at work.” How will your empathy allow you to find connection and stand up for your loved ones and community today?
Check out the entire August 2026 Newsletter focused on Advocacy here.
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Every Conversation Is an Opportunity
"Seek first to understand, then to be understood." — Stephen R. Covey
Advocacy begins with communication, and communication begins with listening. By truly listening, we can better understand another person's perspective, experiences, and needs. Once we gain this understanding, we can build trust, strengthen relationships, and create opportunities for collaboration instead of conflict.
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Taking Action Against Stress
"It's not the load that breaks you down; it's the way you carry it." — Lou Holtz
Caregiving is inherently stressful. Most unpaid family caregivers cannot simply eliminate the responsibilities they carry. We don't get to choose whether a loved one has a mental illness, developmental disability, chronic illness, or substance use disorder. What we can influence is how we care for ourselves while carrying those responsibilities.
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Make It Easy for Others to Say “Yes”
"We are not meant to do life alone." — Brené Brown
Caregiving was never meant to be a solo journey. By staying connected to a support network, we are better equipped to care for those we love.
Creating a support network isn't a sign that we're struggling. It's one of the most powerful ways we protect our own health and well-being. Along the behavioral health continuum, connection serves as a protective factor that can reduce stress, strengthen resilience, and help prevent isolation, compassion fatigue, and burnout before they become overwhelming.
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JULY 2026 Newsletter - Wellness: Growing Hope Together
“Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” – Eleanor Brownn
This month, we have emphasized the importance of both giving and receiving hope. When we act with compassion toward ourselves and others and allow ourselves to receive others' care and kindness, we make meaningful differences in all of our lives. Wellness cannot be disconnected from our relationships with our loved ones, our environment, and the world around us.
By practicing self-care through sleep hygiene, movement, self-discipline, and mindfulness, we can re-energize ourselves and find the motivation and strength we need to keep living purposefully. And, we don't have to do this alone! By asking for help when we need it, letting others support us, and taking the time to listen to those around us, we can build our support networks and find community in one another. Together, we can grow and share hope.
3 TOOLS FOR STARTING YOUR WELLNESS JOURNEY
Slow Down and Focus - Resting is just as important--and at times even more important--than being active. By allowing ourselves time to recharge and reflect, we can more accurately see our areas of improvement and what steps we can take toward growth.
Don't Forget to Move Either - This month we discussed how moving with courage means moving with love for ourselves and our bodies. By taking care of our physical health, we can feel better not just physically, but emotionally as well.
Identify Your Hope Anchors - Recognize the people, practices, and beliefs that anchor us to our goals and values. By acknowledging what motivates us, we can find the strength to persist.
Check out the entire July 2026 Newsletter focused on Wellness here.
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Create Your Own Pockets of Peace
"Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself."
— Hermann Hesse
Caregiving will always include challenges, uncertainty, and responsibilities that we cannot control. But we can find small pockets of peace that help us recharge and reconnect with ourselves when we create our own personal sanctuary.
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The Bridge Between Intention and Action
"Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing." — John C. Maxwell
As unpaid family caregivers, we often talk about finding the motivation to take care of ourselves. We know self-care matters. We know we need healthy boundaries, support, rest, and time to recharge. Yet knowing what we should do and actually doing it can be two very different things.
That's where understanding the difference between motivation and self-discipline can help.
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Find the Courage to Move
“Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live." — Jim Rohn
This week, we have a challenge for you: Move your body for just five minutes each day. Notice how you feel before and after. Pay attention to your energy, mood, stress level, and sense of well-being.
When we move our bodies, we support both our physical and emotional well-being. Movement can reduce stress, improve mood, increase energy, support better sleep, and help protect against burnout. Yet sometimes the hardest part is finding the courage to begin, especially when we're tired, overwhelmed, or convinced we don't have time.
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When You Rest, You Thrive
"Sleep is an investment in the energy you need to be effective tomorrow." — Tom Roth
As caregivers, we invest so much of ourselves into the people we love. So much so that sleep is often one of the first things we sacrifice. We stay up worrying, responding to needs, managing responsibilities, or simply trying to find a few quiet moments for ourselves.
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JUNE 2026 Newsletter - Empowerment: Taking Charge of Our Own Lives
"No matter your features
We're all the same tender loving creatures
Taking steps upon the earth
Don't need anyone to tell you what you're worth"
-"Power," MILCK
At Courage to Caregivers, we view EMPOWERMENT as vital to our roles as family caregivers. Empowerment, put simply, is the state of being able to take charge of our own lives. Through empowerment, we are able to embrace the courage we need to think creatively, ask for help when we need it, and take advantage of our strengths and skillsets as caregivers.
We find empowerment through reflecting on who we are as people and how we want to learn and develop. From there, we can recognize how capable we already are, and how we can keep growing. Empowerment doesn't mean we have to struggle alone. Instead, it's about recognizing and embracing our ability to make change in our own lives. As singer-songwriter MILCK says in her anthem "Power," you "don't need anyone to tell you what you're worth."
3 TOOLS FOR BECOMING EMPOWERED
Shift your mindset - Empowerment is all about taking control of your own life, and this includes your mindset. As we discussed in May when we covered growth mindset, we have the ability to shift our thinking away from "I can't" to "I can learn."
Reflect on your values and goals- In order to know what you need, it's vital to take a moment to reflect on what you care about and how that relates to what you would like to become. What strengths do you have? Where would you like to grow?
Find your community- Caregiving can feel incredibly isolating at times. That's why finding a caring community that can support and cheer you on can be instrumental in lifting you up and empowering you to be your best self.
Check out the complete June 2026 Newsletter focused on Empowerment here.
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