Our strengths are a big part of our character. They can develop from the way we were raised, the way we respond to challenges, the values we hold dear, and the things that interest us the most. They represent the areas where we excel, and they are building blocks for our self-esteem.
Your strengths are a big part of what makes you special. Be confident in who YOU are and what your strengths can help YOU do!
Read MoreOur topic for this week, finding joy, can be a tricky subject for caregivers. With all the emotions and challenges that we experience as part of our role as caregivers, finding joy for ourselves can be complicated. As we focus on the needs of others, we might put off our need to find joy for ourselves, and we might even feel guilty when we do allow ourselves to feel joy.
Read MoreThroughout January we have been focused on the theme of SETTING INTENTIONS. An intention is a personal commitment to YOU - how do you want to BE/what do you want to BECOME?
Setting intentions requires a great deal of self-awareness. We explored mapping your journey as a caregiver - managing expectations (of ourselves and others) - and open-mindedness.
"Self-awareness is important when setting intentions. It’s the ability to possess the knowledge, understanding, and recognition of who you are. Knowing yourself means being mindful of your disposition, character, motives, strengths, weaknesses, passions, and desires. Self-awareness allows us to identify what makes us unique in terms of our thoughts and actions. Having all this information can be empowering; you are more likely to be introspective and ready to decide on your intentions when you know yourself, which is an important element of healing and transformation." ~ Diana Raab
What if setting intentions feels HARD? Maybe you're worried about not living into your intention? Or perhaps you're concerned about facing your fears or are feeling discouraged or even disappointed?
We all get off track sometimes. Practice self-compassion - be gentle with yourself. You've done hard things before - you can do it again! Take a pause - consider where you went off course - and commit to trying again tomorrow. Recommit in a kinder and gentler way.
Today, I will be more present.
This month, I will practice patience.
This year, I will celebrate my progress.
Remember - it's not about perfection - it's about PROGRESS.
I am a perfectly imperfect perpetual work in progress.
Check out our entire January Newsletter focused on Setting Intentions here.
Read More“Until the mind is open, the heart stays closed. The open mind is the key to the open heart.” – Byron Katie
This week, we’re talking about open-mindedness, and how we can grow and improve as people by simply being willing to consider information that challenges our existing thought processes. When we open our minds to the fact that there are beliefs and viewpoints that are different from ours, we may also discover that those beliefs and viewpoints could be an improvement over the ones we currently hold. When that happens, we grow.
Read MoreThis week’s topic is a new one for us, but it plays a hugely important role in our attitude toward ourselves, our relationships, and our place in the world, even if we may not realize it. Have you ever thought about how you respond to expectations? As we’ve heard from many of our participants, caregivers often get wrapped up in the expectations that they have of themselves, that they have of others, and that others have of them. This week, we’re discussing how to manage those expectations.
Read MoreAt the start of a new year, we all tend to both reflect on the prior year and look forward to the coming year. My guess is you’ve grown in many wonderful ways since the beginning of 2022, and that’s worthy of celebrating! But perhaps you also feel stagnant or stuck in some ways, and those would be good things to work on in 2023. And we hope this month’s theme of setting intentions and this week’s topic of mapping your journey will help you continue your process of self-growth and dreaming BIG.
Read More"It's about your outlook towards life. You can regret or rejoice." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
We often think of our OUTLOOK on life as looking outward or looking at our prospects for the future. What if instead we started by looking WITHIN ourselves? With mindfulness, YOU can cultivate the outlook YOU desire.
Throughout December we looked at the theme of outlook through the lens of 1) having a hope-centered mindset; 2) opportunity and possibility; and 3) celebrating your successes.
Your outlook is connected to your resilience. You CAN grow your hope and develop a more positive outlook - you can CHOOSE the mindset you're going to use. Having a growth mindset reminds us that anything is possible ... and that's worth celebrating!
Your outlook is likely ever changing or evolving. If you've always wondered - are you an optimist, pessimist, realist or opportunist, here's a link to a fun (quick) quiz that might give you some insight into your outlook!
Check out the entire December newsletter focused on our theme of Outlook here.
Read MoreThis week’s topic involves a subject that is different for everyone. We all have our own ideas of what success looks like -- whether it’s material possessions, professional accolades, or financial security – or non-material things such as accomplishing daily tasks while struggling emotionally, courageously trying new things in spite of anxiety, resisting temptation while battling addiction, or mastering a new skill. Whatever success is for you, we’re celebrating that success.
Read MoreWhen thinking about this week’s subject, opportunity and possibility, I was reminded of something we recently experienced at Courage to Caregivers. It involved reframing, pivoting, and reimagining our possibilities to turn them into a new opportunity to support unpaid family caregivers to prevent burnout.
Read MoreHope helps us create a vision for the future and motivates us to take action on things we can control. In other words, as stated by Rick Snyder, the developer of Hope Theory, “Hope means … you can get there from here.”
You can be a hope model, too, for others and for YOU.
Read More"Connection is the energy that is created between people when they feel seen, heard and valued - when they can give and receive without judgment." ~ Brené Brown
As caregivers, we often feel isolated and alone in our caregiving.
The journey as a mental illness caregiver is especially lonely, as we feel it isn’t OUR story to tell - it’s our loved one’s story of living with mental illness (or other serious illness).
As caregivers, we often feel judged or shamed for our actions (or lack of actions) - and this makes it hard to connect with those we feel "don't understand" or in relationships where we don't feel safe sharing – or being vulnerable – as our most authentic true selves.
Courage to Caregivers brings together caregivers and has created a community of CARE. A place where you’ll never feel alone in your caregiving again. Where you are accepted for who you are (and that's SO much MORE than "just" your caregiving responsibilities).
We are here to support you - as a caregiver - as YOU - in your personal growth journey towards greater health and well-being. 💙 When you take care of yourself (too), you provide better care to those you love.
Check out the November newsletter here focus on our theme of Collaboration here.
Read More“Every day may not be good, but there’s something good in every day.” – Alice Morse Earle
‘Tis the season for thanks and giving, and Thanksgiving is the perfect time to be with family and friends and focus on our blessings. But being thankful and expressing our gratitude isn’t meant to be “seasonal.” Having an attitude of gratitude is beneficial all year ‘round.
Practicing gratitude has been proven to reduce stress, protect you from depression, help you sleep better, boost your immune system, and improve your relationships. And the Science of Thankfulness shows that by cultivating gratitude as a practice, we can rewire our brains for resilience and optimism.
Read MoreIt's that time of year ... again. The hustle and bustle of the Holidays. We cram a lot into the last few weeks of every year, don't we?
Building resilience is no fun. It's hard and complicated. It has growing pains and is oftentimes filled with mistakes and wrong turns. Life is not always sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns - I know that, yet, I don't have to like it. We don't get to feel joy, happiness, contentment, pride, and peace without also feeling sadness, guilt, shame, embarrassment, and disappointment. We're human - and come with the full spectrum of emotions. These are normal reactions to (mostly) normal situations.
I haven't written a long newsy Christmas letter for many, many years. Maybe this will be the year I find the courage to start again? Maybe someone out there needs to know that in their story of pain and heartache ... they're not alone. Or another caregiver out there needs to know that caregiving is hard, and long, and you can get weary ... and, they are enough.
Today I will remind myself that I am enough. YOU are enough, too.
Read MoreIf we are truly honest with ourselves, we must admit that there are a lot of things we don’t know. Our perceptions are limited by many things, including our experiences, values, culture, personality, family, social skills, and relationships. But despite these limitations, our perceptions are all we have to inform our world view and the way we interact with others.
Read MoreWe actually have two themes this month. First, it’s National Family Caregivers Month, which celebrates, supports, and raises awareness about family caregivers across the country. So this month, we’ll be hosting our third annual Caring for Caregivers Virtual Summit, Getting UNStuck: Moving From Languishing to Flourishing, on November 16 and 17. Both days will feature sessions by professional facilitators on topics ranging from connectedness and empowerment to resiliency and gratitude.
Also this month, our regular Support Group curriculum will be covering topics related to the theme of collaboration, and this week, the topic is your support network.
When we allow others to help us, we give them the opportunity to show their kindness and compassion. When we do the same for others as part of a support network, we return the favor. In other words, having a strong support network is a win-win for YOU and for EVERYONE!
Read More"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes the courage is the quiet at the end of the day saying 'I will try again tomorrow.'" ~ Mary Anne Radmacher
You may have wondered why we chose COURAGE to be a part of our nonprofit's name. For me, courage is something that is essential in a caregiver’s tool box, and it often feels ‘depleted.’ Courage to Caregivers aims to support caregivers by empowering them to channel their ‘inner’ courage - whether it’s a little or a lot. And, yes, it doesn’t always roar!
Brené Brown says it best in her book The Gifts of Imperfection: "The root of the word courage is cor – the Latin word for heart. In one of its earliest forms, the word courage had a very different definition than it does today. Courage originally meant ‘To speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart.’
“Over time, this definition has changed, and today, courage is more synonymous with being heroic. Heroics is important and we certainly need heroes, but I think we’ve lost touch with the idea that speaking honestly and openly about who we are, about what we’re feeling, and about our experiences (good and bad) is the definition of courage.
“Heroics is often about putting our life on the line. Ordinary courage is about putting our vulnerability on the line. In today’s world that’s pretty extraordinary.”
We show ordinary courage in those micro-moments we demonstrate every day as caregivers. It may feel like micro-courage - yet, showing up every day and being vulnerable – that’s ordinary courage. It can be HARD - it definitely takes EXTRAordinary bravery and strength.
Check out the October newsletter here focus on our theme of Courage here.
Read More“The goal is not to be perfect by the end. The goal is to be better today.” – Simon Sinek
I love that quote because it speaks to what we’re all about at Courage to Caregivers. We’re not about perfectionism. We don’t strive to be perfect. What we do strive for is progress … baby steps toward personal improvement … embracing a growth mindset as we deal with all of the challenges we face in our daily lives … recognizing all that we accomplish along our life’s journey … and being “better today.”
That’s why I always say, “I’m a perfectly imperfect perpetual work in progress.” And this week’s topic, progress over perfection, is just another way of saying that our progress is what matters, not perfection.
Read MoreThe strength, resilience, and courage YOU have shown throughout the days and moments of YOUR life’s journey have combined to empower YOU. In our eyes, this is not what defines you, but it’s what makes us BELIEVE in you.
Read MoreAdmitting a mistake can be empowering. By accepting our mistakes and taking responsibility for them, we gain strength and confidence in our ability to learn and improve. So, instead of trying to shift blame or ignoring the consequences the next time you make a mistake – and there will be a next time – accept responsibility for it, and treat it as an opportunity for YOU to make things better.
Read MoreIn my research around our theme for September of attitude - I found a LOT of different attitudes about ATTITUDE. I was looking for an expert, and it turns out a lot of people have a lot of opinions about attitude and the role it plays in our lives. Where I can see they ALL agree: our attitude is OURS - we OWN it.
My #1 SHEro Brené Brown helped me by keeping it simple ... "An attitude is a way of THINKING." She compares it to having a practice: "a practice is a way of doing, trying, failing and trying again."
This really helped me to focus in on attitude and my THOUGHTS. Attitudes are evaluations of “things” (attitude objects) - a person, a product or social group.
Turns out we each hold thousands of attitudes - some of these are inherited and some are learned. AND ... no matter what the attitude is, WE hold the control.
Check out the September newsletter focused on our theme of Attitude here!
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