“One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone.”
- Shannon L. Adler
We can't go through life without collaboration. Whether we're listening to and acting on our loved one's needs or scheduling a meetup with friends, we are constantly collaborating with those around us. However, as caregivers, opening ourselves up to collaboration can feel particularly complicated. It's not uncommon to find ourselves feeling isolated as we wonder if our peers and coworkers can understand our journeys and as we feel pressured to take on our responsibilities alone. We may even question whether or not we have the right to tell our stories as it is our loved one's stories of living with mental illness and other chronic or serious illnesses.
At Courage to Caregivers, we make it clear that you are not alone. When we recognize and honor the strengths and wisdom of both the people around us and ourselves and become open to collaboration, we are able to work together to care for not just our loved ones but also ourselves. We are much stronger together than we are alone.
3 TOOLS FOR COLLABORATION
Practice Active Listening - By listening to understand rather than to respond, we can better connect with those around us.
Be Empathetic - By feeling "with" others rather than "for," we can more strongly understand where people are coming from.
Ask for What You Need - By being specific about what we need from the people who want to be there for us, we can help others in supporting ourselves.
Check out the complete November 2025 Newsletter focused on Collaboration here.
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