A Moment of Awe
As I watched them, it was hard to say who was demonstrating more patience, and who seemed more inspiring. Certainly, it was impossible for me to understand the depth and complexity of their relationship.
Fresh Air: Fall Reflections for Caregivers
Three minutes outside will help put things back into perspective.
Pause and Breathe: The Value of Simple Reminders When Caregiving
When we can’t shift the content of what’s on our plate or what our daily schedule looks like, we can at least pay attention to how we’re relating to these activities.
A Reminder to Empty
When our lives are full with day-to-day responsibilities and the ongoing demands of caregiving, emptying out—in one or many forms—is often just what we need.
Having compassion for our circumstances
When we’re feeling overwhelmed as caregivers, sometimes the best gift we can offer ourselves is to have compassion for the difficulties we’re experiencing, and to realize that it’s natural to feel the effects of our life circumstances.
The gift of humor as caregivers
I’m often struck by how great a gift it is to be able to laugh at ourselves and the predicaments we find ourselves in.
Stop! Please?
It seems a hard message to hear when it’s the message we need to hear.
Even This: Finding Gratitude for the Annoying, the Irritating, and the Painful Moments
Yes, even those moments, in a strange way, were what I had been looking for.
New Seeds
This quote strikes me as the perfect phrase to discover inside of a fortune cookie on a day when, before opening it, we decide, “Okay, whatever this says, I’m going to take it as a sign—as a personal message meant just for me.”
Seeing Beauty in the Ordinary
As I was eating my breakfast the other morning, I happened to look out the window just as the sunlight broke through the clouds and illuminated the snow-covered ground and the icy branches. The effect was like nothing I had ever seen—as though fairies had sprinkled...The Art of Offering Blessings
In his book, “To Bless the Space Between Us,” John O’Donohue describes an experience he had when he was a young priest visiting a group of nuns.
Sticky Notes and Sighs
After spending years studying psychology, I’m often humbled to see that the tools which seem most useful to myself and to others are usually very simple things—ideas that come from life experience as opposed to thick textbooks. This is certainly true when I think about my two favorite tools for reducing stress in day-to-day life: sticky notes and sighs!
The Thirsty Spirit of a Caregiver: Self-Care is Possible and Here’s How
Self-care, take care of yourself, self-care, self-care—okay, we get it. How many times can a caregiver hear this before s/he gets sick of the phrase? Self-care articles glance over the logistics (and financials) of respite care; repeat the same familiar directives (eat right, sleep right); or miss the point entirely. Walk a day in our shoes: see how easy it is to carve out time for ourselves, when our day is spent taking care of others. It’s no wonder many caregivers roll their eyes when the subject of self-care approaches.
So it’s with a considerable amount of sensitivity that I draw closer to this article’s focus: a book on self-care. Full Cup, Thirsty Spirit
Practicing Self-Compassion
The types of New Year’s resolutions we often make involve doing more, being better, and becoming stricter with ourselves. I often think, however, that the most important resolution we can commit to is practicing compassion with ourselves. When I refer to...
50 ways to take a break
When our lives are busy and we’re actively taking care of others, we can sometimes forget about the possibility of taking a break.
Flexibility is the key to avoiding burnout
Guest post by Karen Horneffer-Ginter, Ph.D.
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