Hold Space for Your Finite Resources, So Your Possibilities Are Infinite

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation.” ~ Audre Lorde

What comes to mind when we talk about “holding space” for ourselves?

For me, it starts with MAKING space. It means recognizing that my capacity is finite, and it’s important to intentionally set aside some of it to care for my own needs. At this stage of my life, I’m focusing on the basics: healthy nutrition and hydration, regular movement, and making sleep a priority. These are not luxuries—they are the foundation that helps me continue showing up for the people and causes I care about.

I think of my time, energy, and attention as finite resources. There are only so many hours in a day and only so much of me to give. Yet so much of who I am is infinite. My ability to learn, grow, adapt, cope, love, and hold hope has no fixed limit. Holding space for myself means honoring both realities—respecting the finite resources I have today while nurturing the infinite possibilities within me. When I do that, I am not taking away from others; I am strengthening my ability to continue the journey with resilience, purpose, and hope.

EmpowermentKristi HornerJuly 4, 2026Holding Space For Yourself, Holding Space

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.

Step Back So Someone Else Can Step Forward

“One of the greatest regrets in life is being what others would want you to be, rather than being yourself.” — Shannon L. Alder

Establishing healthy boundaries is important, but caregiving is rarely that simple. When someone we love is struggling, our instinct is to help. We want to ease their suffering, prevent mistakes, and make things better. Yet, by helping, we might also be enabling—unintentionally getting in the way of someone else's growth, independence, or ability to solve problems. The challenge isn't choosing between caring and setting boundaries. It's learning how to do both in a way that protects our well-being while supporting our loved one’s growth and independence.

EmpowermentKristi HornerJune 18, 2026Boundaries, Healthy Boundaries

All It Takes Is a Tap

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” — Maya Angelou

Sometimes, we can make the best progress by returning to what worked in the past. I’ve been facing my own challenges of caregiver burden recently and working very intentionally on managing my stress to better regulate my parasympathetic nervous system which has been working on overdrive lately. I’ve been returning to many practices I’ve used in the past to find the ones that work best and “stick”. A trusted friend and former colleague reminded me about the practice of “tapping” or Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT).

Tapping can strengthen our protective factors such as emotional awareness, coping skills, emotional self-regulation, and hope. Tapping has been found to reduce stress and regulate our nervous system, improve our self-compassion, reduce anxiety or racing thoughts, reduce burnout and ultimately lead to building our resiliency. It can also open the mind and body to new ways of looking at creativity.

EmpowermentKristi HornerJune 4, 2026Tapping Into Creativity, Creativity

JUNE 2025 Newsletter: Empowerment - A Journey of BECOMING

“Just believe in yourself. Even if you don’t, pretend that you do, and at some point, you will.” ~ Venus Williams

What makes you feel empowered? EMPOWERMENT is one of Courage to Caregivers' core values. While we can't always remove the obstacles and stress we encounter in caregiving, empowerment allows us to recognize our skills and achievement in spite of the hurdles we face. According to the American Psychological Association, empowerment is “the promotion of the skills, knowledge, and confidence necessary to take greater control of one’s life.” When we feel empowered, we are able to acknowledge our strengths and abilities and then take action to support our needs.

As you might have heard us say before, empowerment is the process of BECOMING. It's the process of asking ourselves, "WHO do we want to become? WHAT do we want to achieve? WHEN are we taking action to accomplish our personal goals? WHY do we strive toward these goals?" By asking ourselves these questions, we can reflect on what motivates us and what larger goals we plan to achieve.

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 entire June Newsletter here.

Your Complaints May Be Telling You Something

"The things you complain about most often are indicators of where you need better boundaries." ~ Nedra Glover Tawwab, "Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself"

Here’s a confession from a reluctant caregiver (me): I’m a complainer. Or at least that’s how I FEEL right now. Yet, I also like to think of myself as “tuned in”—caring, aware, observant, kind, resilient, determined. I have realistic expectations, hold on to hope, and am realistically optimistic.

Nedra Tawwab’s quote has me reflecting on what all this could be telling me. It highlights a powerful truth: Frustration is often a signal, not just a feeling.

EmpowermentKristi HornerJune 19, 2025Boundaries, Healthy Boundaries

Holding Space, Without Limits

"I'm through accepting limits 'cause someone says they're so."

~Elphaba, Defying Gravity, Wicked

In preparing the social media for this week, I ran across a powerful blog by Heather Plett, from the Centre for Holding Space, "Holding Space and Defying Gravity (on feeling invisible and finding power)," and she inspired me to think about that powerful song from one of my favorite musicals, "Wicked," with regards to holding space for ourselves as caregivers.

The Elphaba quote from "Wicked" — "I'm through accepting limits 'cause someone says they're so." — powerfully reflects what it means for us as unpaid family caregivers to hold space for ourselves.

EmpowermentKristi HornerJune 12, 2025Holding Space For Yourself, Holding Space

Stuck on a Problem? Adopt a Creative Mindset.

“The most creative people are motivated by the grandest of problems that are presented before them.” ~ Neil deGrasse Tyson

If you’re a caregiver, you’re also a problem solver. But have you ever thought about how much you tap into your creativity when you solve those problems?

Using our creative abilities for problem-solving is especially important for unpaid family caregivers (or professional caregivers). Our roles often involve navigating complex, unpredictable, and emotionally charged situations with limited resources, so it helps to develop a mindset to come up with creative solutions.

JUNE 2024 Newsletter: EMPOWERMENT ... You Have the Power in YOU 🙌🏻

Building on our recent themes of common humanity (as humans we all experience pain, suffering, and stress) and growth mindset (we have the ability to grow and learn) - the theme of EMPOWERMENT is nicely layered in. "There is no normal life that is free of pain. It's the very wrestling with our problems that can be the impetus for our growth." ~ Fred Rogers, The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember.

You've heard us say before - we can't remove the stress of caregiving. What we CAN do is empower caregivers to better cope and manage the stress of caregiving. This empowerment is what makes our work sustainable! We believe in empowerment so much that it's one of our core values. We define empowerment as strengths-focused, valuing abilities, goals, and learning.

EMPOWERMENT is a process of BECOMING. WHO do you want to BE or become? WHAT do you want to achieve or accomplish? WHEN are you going to do that next right thing that sets you on the course of accomplishing your personal goals? What's your WHY - that reason you get up and out of bed each morning?

3 TOOLS FOR MANIFESTING EMPOWERMENT

MINDSET: What you THINK you BECOME! Notice - what is your current mindset? How do you feel about it? Do you want to make a change? You can SHIFT your mindset - make a list of your core values - how you want to BE and become - and set a goal (or two) towards pursuing those!
SELF-AWARENESS: A better understanding of yourself and what your needs are is an important component of becoming who you want to BE. Analyze your strengths and opportunities for growth. How do you want to grow and what can you learn? YOUR feelings are important - you are worthy of love and respect (too).
COMMUNITY: Find a community that cares - that lifts you up when you can't stand - that believes in you, and your potential, when you're feeling low. Surround yourself with like-minded, motivated people who empower you to be the best version of yourself.

Check out our entire June newsletter focused on Empowerment here.

Give Yourself the Gift of Saying “No”

"The ability to say no to yourself is a gift. If you can resist your urges, change your habits, and say yes to only what you deem truly meaningful, you'll be practicing healthy self-boundaries. It's your responsibility to care for yourself without excuses." – Nedra Glover Tawwab, Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself

Can you think of saying “no” to yourself as a GIFT? It is – and it’s one of the best gifts you can give yourself. It’s also a responsibility. I see setting self-boundaries as part of my responsibility to care for myself, the same way I naturally see my responsibility to provide care for my loved ones.

EmpowermentKristi HornerJune 20, 2024Boundaries, Healthy Boundaries

You Deserve Some Space, Too

“Only when I am present for myself and compassionate with myself will I be prepared to host with strength and courage.” – Heather Plett

To introduce this week’s topic, here are some insights from How to Hold Space for Yourself First, an article by Heather Plett: “What does it mean to hold space for someone else? It means that we are willing to walk alongside another person in whatever journey they’re on without judging them, making them feel inadequate, trying to fix them, or trying to impact the outcome. When we hold space for other people, we open our hearts, offer unconditional support, and let go of judgment and control.”

What if we could do that for OURSELVES? Let go of judgment and control and give ourselves a huge dose of self-love, self-forgiveness, and self-compassion. As caregivers, we’re good at holding space for others, but we’re not always good at holding space for ourselves.

EmpowermentKristi HornerJune 13, 2024Holding Space For Yourself, Holding Space

Start Your Creative Journey

“UNICORN SPACE: the active and open pursuit of creative self-expression that makes you uniquely you.”

– Eve Rodsky

We talk about a lot of weighty subjects in this email every week, but this week’s topic is all about having fun! Tapping into our creativity is a healthy and fulfilling way to have fun, and it can lead to self-growth and improvement on many levels.

EmpowermentKristi HornerJune 6, 2024Creativity, Tapping Into Creativity

JUNE 2023 Newsletter: EMPOWERMENT ... Grow Through What You Go Through 🌱

We LOVE talking about EMPOWERMENT! Empowerment is a "form of strength that stems from the self and community." It's also a process of BECOMING. Becoming stronger and more confident. As caregivers, empowerment is important for taking care of ourselves - self-empowerment - and providing care to others.

Empowerment might just be the BEST part of our "job." As we work to empower caregivers of ALL kinds - we're working to support them in becoming the best version of themselves! WHO do YOU want to BE or become?

Empowerment has kind of a RIPPLE EFFECT ... as caregivers become more empowered - they set an example for those in their care - they are role models for their loved ones to be more empowered, too!

As we work to prevent caregiver burnout - we love to empower caregivers to be their best selves.

5 TOOLS TO MANIFESTING EMPOWERMENT

MINDSET: What you THINK you BECOME! Notice - what is your current mindset? How do you feel about it? Do you want to make a change? You can SHIFT your mindset - make a list of your core values - how you want to BE and become - and set a goal (or two) towards pursuing those!
AFFIRMATIONS: Use affirmations to inspire you or reframe your thoughts. Affirmations are a great way to focus on positive self-talk and manifest the YOU that you want to BECOME.
JOURNAL: Journaling allows you to remember the good, bad and ugly from your day - a reminder of how you are BECOMING. It helps you to visualize where you've been and where you want to GO.
MEDITATION: “Meditation is an excellent way to start manifesting a better version of yourself. It’s about silencing and clearing the mind of all negative, unnecessary, and disturbing thoughts and ideas from the mind. With meditation, you can develop self-awareness, stress management skills and learn positive thinking techniques.” ~ Seriah Sargenton, Riyah Speaks
COMMUNITY: Find a community that cares - that lifts you up when you can't stand - that believes in you, and your potential, when you're feeling low. Surround yourself with like-minded, motivated people who empower you to be the best version of yourself.

Check out our entire June newsletter focused on Empowerment here.

Saying “No” Is a Healthy Practice

“The root of self-care is setting boundaries: it's saying no to something in order to say yes to your own emotional, physical, and mental well-being.”

~ Nedra Glover Tawwab, "Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself"

Some concepts are so essential to self-care that they keep coming up in our conversations, and this week’s topic is one of them. Ever since we started Courage to Caregivers, we’ve been talking about the importance of setting healthy boundaries. But let’s face it, we can all use a refresher now and then on how to both SET and MAINTAIN healthy boundaries.

EmpowermentKristi HornerJune 22, 2023Boundaries, Healthy Boundaries

Show Empathy and Compassion … For Yourself

Our topic this week puts an even newer spin on a relatively new concept – holding space. Caregivers are typically very good at holding space for others, which means being physically, mentally, and emotionally present for someone who needs us. What we want to talk about is holding space for yourself.

When we hold space for others, we allow them to feel their feelings. We commit ourselves to supporting them when they need our help. We give them our full attention, and we listen in a non-judgmental way.

EmpowermentKristi HornerJune 15, 2023Holding Space, Holding Space For Yourself

Creativity Lets You Be You

Creative expression is a great way to process emotions, vent energy, and have fun! It can increase your happiness, stimulate positive emotions, improve mental health, sharpen brain functions, reduce stress, and even make your immune system function better.

Recommit Don't Quit!

Back in January, we set an intention for our year. As we near the midpoint of 2023, we invite you to look back with reflection at that intention without judgment or shame. How’s it going? What have you learned? What’s working? What’s not working? Good news: You still have more than six months to work on that intention.

We are all about empowerment, which just happens to be our theme this month! Why? Because that is the key to making our solution to caregiver burden sustainable. It’s what makes preventing caregiver burden possible. It starts with an intention – your intention – that something needs to change. That the way you’ve been selflessly caring for someone else has taken a toll on your life and you want to make a change. We know we can’t change our loved ones living with mental, chronic, or serious illness, YET, we can find courage and compassion, and we CAN cope. You can find portable, sustainable tools for coping and managing stress that build and form lifelong habits. With practice, you can build a PRACTICE.

EmpowermentKristi HornerMay 31, 2023Recommit Don't Quit!