JULY 2025 Newsletter: Embracing Wholeness through Wellness

“But the real secret to lifelong good health is actually the opposite: Let your body take care of you.”

– Deepak Chopra

Wellness is all about our journey to become the best versions of ourselves! Through wellness, we embrace wholeness by taking a holistic view of our health. Whether it be through physical exercise, connecting with our friends and loved ones, or caring for our environment, we are taking steps toward our wellness.

You might be saying, "Wait, but I thought Courage to Caregivers was all about cultivating a growth mindset. How can we become the best versions of ourselves if we are always learning?" And you would be right to ask that question! Wellness is not a straight path forward. Often constructed as possessing at least six different dimensions (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, and environmental), wellness encourages us to take a multi-faceted and active approach to our health and wellbeing (Global Wellness Institute). As cliché as it may sound, wellness is about the journey, not just about the end goal.

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.
Remember to Breathe - If you've watched any of our breathing exercises, you know all about the power of the breath in shaping our physical and mental wellbeing. If you are looking for joy, try Laughter Breathing! Feeling anxious? Try Bellows Breath. Simply want to cool down? Sitali Breath may be for you.

Wellness when broken down into its various dimensions may feel overwhelming, but just keep in mind that every step you take in caring for your health and wellbeing matters. When we take care of our own bodies and minds, we learn how to care not just for ourselves, but for our loved ones and community as well. You got this!

Check out our entire July Newsletter focused on Wellness here.

Your Sanctuary Can Be Your Lifeline

“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.” ~ Herman Hesse

For unpaid family caregivers, the home is often both the caregiving environment and the only place available for rest and recovery. So when that space becomes chaotic, emotionally charged, or overwhelming, caregivers can quickly move from compassion to exhaustion—and into burnout.

Creating a sanctuary and maintaining a peaceful atmosphere at home serves as a buffer against chronic stress and is vital, for many reasons:

The Environment Shapes the Mind. A peaceful space signals safety and calm to the nervous system. It helps reduce chronic stress and anxiety that fuel burnout.
Caregivers Deserve Spaces That Give Back. So much of caregiving is about giving—attention, time, effort, patience. A personal sanctuary is a space that gives something back to the caregiver: stillness, beauty, comfort, and a moment to breathe. It’s a daily reminder that “I matter, too.”
Peaceful Atmosphere = Emotional Regulation. When the home feels peaceful, caregivers are more likely to respond with calm, handle challenges with clarity, compassion, and creativity, and lower the emotional “temperature” for everyone in the home.
You Can’t Pour From an Empty Space. Your energy, patience, and compassion come from somewhere. A calm and nurturing environment helps restore your caregiving capacity, especially during long days with no clear endpoint.

WellnessKristi HornerJuly 24, 2025Sanctuary, Peaceful Atmosphere at Home

JULY 2024 Newsletter: Your Journey to Wellness Starts Today

There are 8 dimensions of wellness. If we think of wellness as a journey towards the healthiest, best version of ourselves - focused on our mind, body, and soul, we can embark knowing that, as caregivers, when we're healthy, we provide better care to those we love.

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) defines wellness as "a broad approach for things individuals can do at their own pace, in their own time, and within their own abilities, that can help them feel better and live longer."

Wellness is also an essential component of RECOVERY. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines "recovery from mental disorders and/or substance use disorders as a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential."

SAMHSA has delineated four dimensions that support a life in recovery:

HEALTH - Overcoming or managing one's disease(s) or symptoms;
HOME - A stable and safe place to live;
PURPOSE - Meaningful daily activities, such as job, school, volunteerism, family caretaking, or creative endeavors, and the independence, income and resources to participate in society;
COMMUNITY - Relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love, and hope.

According to SAMHSA, "Recovery emerges from hope: The belief that recovery is real provides the essential and motivating message of a better future—that people can and do overcome the internal and external challenges, barriers, and obstacles that confront them. Hope is internalized and can be fostered by peers, families, providers, allies, and others. Hope is the catalyst of the recovery process."

While we see ourselves in the caregiver burnout prevention business - empowering caregivers to better cope and manage the stress of caregiving - we know that our work falls solidly in the area of RECOVERY.

Recovery IS possible. Both for our loved ones AND ourselves. Recovery isn't linear - it's a journey - with all the twists and turns that life brings. Recovery as a caregiver involves focusing on OUR health and wellness, too. If we don't take care of ourselves - sleep, movement, hydration and nutrition, as well as our mental health - how can we possibly care for someone else?

Check out our entire July newsletter focused on WELLNESS here.

Take a Break, Find Your Sanctuary

My time in my garden is precious to me. It feels very therapeutic to dig in the dirt. I love how the colors, scents, textures, and sounds activate ALL of my senses while I’m gardening. And there’s something magical about watching things grow and thrive before my eyes. My garden shows me that change for the good may be hard, but it is possible. My garden shows me HOPE. It’s my sanctuary.

WellnessKristi HornerJuly 25, 2024Sanctuary, Inner Peace, Peace

Restore the Physical You - June 2020 Newsletter

Restore the Physical YOU!

Read our June Newsletter here.

Physical WellnessKristi HornerJuly 2, 2020Sanctuary, Self-Care, Monthly Newsletter

Courage and Sanctuary

Current events have a way of shining a spotlight on society. With everything that’s happening in the country right now, the spotlight is showing that we are all a work in progress, and we have much to do to improve.

Physical WellnessKristi HornerJune 4, 2020Sanctuary, Peace, Black Lives Matter, Courage

You Don't Need to go on Vacation if You Want to Get Away

With nicer weather finally here and the kids getting out of school, many of us have vacations on our minds. But there’s another way to relax and recharge.