We have two topics this week, and they’re often considered to be opposites, but they’re really both forms of kindness and self-empowerment. Forgiveness is about being kind, making peace with life when we don’t get what we want, allowing ourselves to be vulnerable, remembering that we all fail at times, and retelling our story with us as the hero instead of the victim. Gratitude is recognizing the good things that happen and appreciating the gifts that we are given.
Read MoreAs caregivers, we can be hypersensitive about perceptions. How do others perceive our loved one, and how do they perceive us? How do we perceive them, and how do we perceive ourselves? Our perceptions are the lenses through which we all view the world, and if negative perceptions are left unchallenged, whether they’re our own or someone else’s, they can lead to failure or heartache.
Read MoreAs we turn the calendar to November, we begin National Family Caregivers Month, a month that celebrates YOU – the unpaid family caregiver. At Courage to Caregivers, you are our “WHY” – why we do what we do – providing hope, support, and courage to caregivers of those living with mental illness. And that leads right into our topic for this week – support network – as part of this month’s theme of collaboration.
Read MoreWe KNOW that COURAGE is an essential element to resilience as a caregiver. We're sharing with you some of our favorite resources to build your courage. You can find our Courage Tool Kit on our website here. We LOVE talking about COURAGE - after all, it’s IN our name! We’re all about empowering caregivers, which is why it’s Courage TO Caregivers. We’re here, cheering you on, supporting you by your side in every way (and see below for details about our webinar on preventing caregiver burnout on November 18). We believe in YOU - oftentimes before you believe in yourself. It takes COURAGE to ask for help.
Read the full newsletter here.
Read MoreIt takes more courage to recognize that we are imperfect than it does to strive for perfection. That’s why I say all the time, “I’m a perfectly imperfect perpetual work in progress,” and it’s why progress over perfection is our latest topic in this month’s theme of courage.
Read MoreCaregivers share many positive traits. Among these are strength, patience, tenacity, and courage. All of these help us respond to the unforeseen challenges that come our way along the road that is our life’s journey. They give us resilience and help us survive. But they also do much more than that … they help us GROW.
Read MoreIt takes courage to admit when we make a mistake, but admitting, accepting, analyzing, and learning from our mistakes are all important steps in personal growth. As I say often, I’m a perfectly imperfect work in progress. That’s because I know I make mistakes, just like anyone, but I also know that mistakes can be learning opportunities. I try to think of them as guideposts to help me on this journey – not as a sign of failure or weakness.
Read MoreSeptember Theme: Attitude
Persistence + Realistic Optimism + Coping Mechanisms = Attitude of Tenacity
With September's theme of "attitude" we started our exploration of the domain of resilience of TENACITY. Tenacity is your ability to stick with it when things get hard. Caregivers are no strangers to HARD things. The challenges come at us daily. Sometimes they knock us down - and sometimes we're ready.
Having tenacity doesn't mean that we'll never FALL. AND, it's not about how long we're DOWN when we do. Tenacity is all about the getting UP. Getting up requires STRENGTH of all kinds - physical, mental and emotional. When we fall down - and we all know we will fall again - start by pausing. Notice. Take the time and space you need to rest and recover. You'll need your strength to both get up and be ready for the next time. It can be cold and lonely when we fall - yet, we're here to support you as you STRENGTHEN your tenacity muscles 💙
Check out the September Newsletter!
Read MoreIn stressful situations, people turn to all kinds of things to help them cope. Some of these coping mechanisms are healthy, and some are not. By adopting healthy coping mechanisms, we can get through stressful situations faster and with less negative impact on our physical and emotional health. Healthy coping skills come in many varieties, but what matters most is what works for you.
Read MoreWhen we have an attitude of realistic optimism, it helps us develop a growth mindset by looking at problems as challenges that we can overcome, not roadblocks that prevent us from meeting our goals. This enables us to realistically evaluate the situation, productively explore the solutions that are available to us, and rationally accept the outcome even if it doesn’t fully meet our expectations.
Caregivers often face tasks and responsibilities that feel never-ending. We may even be so overwhelmed with it all that we are tempted to give up, but we never do. What is it that keeps us going in spite of all obstacles, that keeps hope alive in us and relentlessly pushes us forward? It’s persistence, a characteristic that’s so common in caregivers, and it’s our topic for this week as we turn to September’s theme of attitude.
Read MoreWe have spent most of this year talking about ways to nourish your soul, but it’s equally important to NOURISH YOUR BODY. Throughout August, we shared ways to NOURISH your body, develop a positive body IMAGE, MOVE your body, and REST your body with good sleep hygiene.
Check out the entire Your Body is a Temple - August 2021 Newsletter here.
We’re closing out this month’s theme, “Your Body Is a Temple,” with the topic of sleep hygiene. This is an important topic for many caregivers because we often feel overwhelmed by our responsibilities, and there never seems to be enough time to get things done.
Read MoreThere's no denying that moving our bodies benefits our physical health. It protects and strengthens our muscles and leads to better mobility, balance, and coordination. Movement also benefits our mental and spiritual health.
Read MoreHaving a positive body image is part of the journey to self-love. You don’t have to meet any expectations for how you look, simply accept that you look great! YOU are perfect, just the way you are!
Read MoreMuch of the time, our discussions on self-care focus on topics related to the nourishment of our soul, but nourishing our body is also important, and that’s our topic for this week. Our physical health has a strong impact on our mental and emotional health, and proper nourishment can help us maintain our energy level, keep our mind and memory sharp, improve our mood, and make it easier to tackle the challenges that come our way.
Read MoreMost people want to become better versions of themselves. This isn’t easy. It takes effort, hard work, a degree of risk, and having a growth mindset.
Read our July Newsletter here.
Read More“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
– George Bernard Shaw
What’s a better stress reducer than play? Think about how your mood changes after tossing a ball to your dog or molding play dough with your child.
Read MoreDisconnecting from technology at times can help us reconnect with the rest of our world. When we step away from our phone or computer, even for a short time, we may find new and different things to do and people to interact with. Doing so can allow us to grow, which is why this topic is part of this month’s theme, “You Have the Power to Grow.”
Read MoreSelf-discipline and motivation are two important components of a growth mindset. Self-discipline is the ability to make yourself do things that you know you should do when you don’t want to do them. It’s about identifying “what to do” and then actually doing it. Motivation is our willingness and excitement to do those things that are necessary to achieve a goal. It also includes the understanding of “why” we want and need to do something.
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