Self-Caregiving Strategy #11: Forgiving to Free your Mind and your Heart

Self-Caregiving Strategies Farewell Episode

Thank you for joining Theresa and Alison on this amazing journey. In this concluding episode we reflect back through our journey and we share what's next for both of us. We discuss how the podcast impacted us as co-hosts and our hope that it continues to empower caregivers as they work through the strategies and customize them for their needs. We couldn't have done this limited-series podcast so successfully without the support of Chris MacLellan of the Whole Care Network [https://thewholecarenetwork.com/] or without our fabulous episode sponsors. * Circle Of [https://circleof.com/] * Sustainable Caregiving [https://www.sustainablecaregiving.com/] * Happy Healthy Caregiver [https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/] * Joe & Bella [https://joeandbella.com/] * Connecting Caregivers Radio [https://lindaburhans.com/] * Geriatrx.org [https://www.geriatrx.org/] * Caregiver Warrior [https://www.caregiverwarrior.com/] * Alongside Caregiver Consulting [https://alongsidecaregiverconsulting.ca/] * Advocate for Mom & Dad [https://advocateformomanddad.com/] * the Everyday Nurse [https://www.theeverydaynurse.com/] * Brutally Beautiful Foundation [https://www.brutallybeautiful.life/] And thank you!

Self-Caregiving Strategies Bonus Strategy: Constructing A Caregiving Support System

This is our bonus strategy episode where we wrap up all the self-caregiving strategies to see how they can work together for each caregiver to make a tailor-made caregiving support system. Which strategies help bring you back to your centre? Which can you use to help carry you through a difficult period? As you listen to the episode identify the strategies you are now using and how each strategy strengthens the other strategies for your unique situation. Your tailor-made support system filled with the self-caregiving strategies is available to enhance your caregiving journey. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, Heather Zoccali of Brutally Beautiful Foundation [https://www.brutallybeautiful.life/] Here's the link to the video Theresa created that we mentioned in the episode Sustainable Caregiving Support System [https://youtu.be/CMPtHUSyUII] And a few other links: The Whole Care Network podcast directory [https://thewholecarenetwork.com/podcasts-directory/] Island Treasures podcast for Caregivers [https://pod.co/island-treasures] Navigating the Caregiver River [https://www.amazon.com/Navigating-Caregiver-River-Sustainable-Caregiving/dp/1737982102]

Self-Caregiving Strategy #12: Planning and Preparing

Worries abound in caregiving, and often in life; and so this strategy was designed to help us take the worries out of the infinite loop that may be playing in our minds, by putting them down on paper with a solution.  Planning is an example of practical self-care which can help us clear the fog of worry we may be experiencing. By planning for the unexpected as well as transitions that come along in our caregiving journeys, our awareness and preparation can reduce the anxiety that accompanies change so that we are empowered as we navigate these transitions. Thank you to this episode’s sponsor, Jessica Sima, founder of the Everyday Nurse [https://www.theeverydaynurse.com/]. To check out the resources we spoke about to assist with your planning and preparing, here are the links: Sustainable Caregiving [https://www.sustainablecaregiving.com/] - for information and tips to help with challenging conversations For Advance Care Planning: * Five Wishes [https://www.fivewishes.org/] * The Conversation Project [https://theconversationproject.org/] * My Speak Up Plan [https://www.advancecareplanning.ca/my-plan/] (Canada) * My Voice [https://www.health.gov.bc.ca/library/publications/year/2020/MyVoice-AdvanceCarePlanningGuide.pdf] (Canada) Family Emergency Planning Sessions [https://www.careyearsacademy.com/plan/] (provided by the Caregiving Years Training Academy [https://www.careyearsacademy.com/])

Self-Caregiving Strategy #11: Forgiving to Free your Mind and your Heart

Forgiving can be difficult and there are so many opportunities within caregiving to forgive - starting with ourselves. We can forgive the friends and family members who may have disappointed us as well as the systems that may have let us down. Finally, we may have opportunity to forgive our care recipient. By forgiving we experience a big release that frees up our headspace allowing for more productive thoughts. Forgiving is the gift we give ourselves; but it is a process. We invite you to listen to this valuable strategy of forgiving to free up your heart and your mind. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, Debra Hallisey of Advocate for Mom and Dad [https://advocateformomanddad.com/]

Self-Caregiving Strategy #10: Journaling to Process the Emotions

Journaling has many self-caregiving benefits and it is an affordable strategy for us all to use especially during caregiving. Journaling is a form of venting and a great way to process our emotions while simultaneously capturing our caregiving experience. We can use journaling to record medical information, changes in behavior, changes in health, and we can also use it to record the funny moments, or work through a frustrating situation, or even use it to figure out the best approach to a difficult situation. If we choose to look back at our journals we can see how we overcame challenges and we may appreciate seeing how much we have grown through our experiences. We discuss how helpful journal prompts are to get us started with journaling and thank Happy Healthy Caregiver [https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/] for sponsoring this episode and also for creating a daily self-care journal called "Just for You" which contains helpful prompts. Here's the link to the video Theresa mentioned of the Caregiver in a Superhero Cape [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6rNWmDODutw]