Are you burning out?  
Are you exhausted, fatigued, or just plain tired?
What’s your stress level? 
What about your anxiety level?
Are you sad or depressed?

How do you feel about your health?  Are you taking care of yourself?  Are you losing weight?  Or are you gaining weight?  

These are just a few symptoms of caregiver stress and caregiver burnout?  

I want to talk today about the ONE thing you can do.  The ONE thing you can take control of.  

I'm here to give you some tough love and hard talk.  

It’s time . Let me say it again.  It’s time.  Time to move!   

I'm here to tell you that you have to move.  

You have to even if you don’t feel like it.  Even if you're tired.  Even if you don’t think you have time.  

Start small -  just 20 minutes a day is all you need.   Or even if it’s 15 minutes.  

A study from Harvard says:   “Exercising as little as 15 minutes of physical activity a day can increase your life span by 3 years." 

Here’s another stat from caregiver.org and the Family Caregiver Alliance:  35% of female caregivers report high levels of stress.  Those symptoms go from headaches to high blood pressure to weight gain.  

Think of movement and exercise as an outlet.  A place to go to recharge, think and take care of yourself

Let me share my story.   

Pre-caregiving, I was very active.   I went to the gym 5-6 days a week.  Prior to my Dad and Spouse getting their cancer diagnosis in Sept 2017, I was training for my 9th half marathon.  

It was a habit and routine I stuck with since I felt better.  I watched what I ate.  Don’t get me wrong, there were days I didn’t want to get up and move my body.  But when I did, I was happier.   

Then Sept 2017 came and I thought I didn’t have time. ...

Navigating the holiday season as a caregiver can be a challenging experience. The pressures of maintaining traditions, meeting expectations, and ensuring the wellbeing of your loved ones can sometimes overshadow the joy and cheer that the holidays typically bring. However, it's important to remember that it's okay to feel overwhelmed, and there are ways to make the holiday season simpler and more enjoyable for both you and your loved ones.

In our latest podcast episode, we share personal stories and practical advice to help caregivers navigate through the holiday season. We understand the challenges and emotions that often arise during this time of year and offer strategies to manage holiday stress and embrace the present.

The episode begins by acknowledging the importance of validating your feelings. Whether you're feeling crabby, dreading the holidays, or experiencing a mixture of emotions, it's okay. Embrace these feelings and share them with close friends, other caregivers, or your loved ones. This acknowledgement of your emotions is the first step in simplifying your holiday season.

The pressure to make everything perfect and over-the-top can be overwhelming. However, letting go of this pressure can bring relief and simplicity. This might mean buying cookies instead of spending hours baking, or reducing the amount of decorations around your home. In this episode, we stress the importance of focusing on what's most important and finding ways to make things simpler.

Setting healthy and realistic boundaries is also a key aspect of managing holiday stress. This might mean saying 'no' to some activities or events to conserve your energy. This could also mean accepting help when offered, whether it's from family members, friends, or charitable organizations.

Creating new traditions and embracing the present is a vital part of managing holiday stress as a caregiver. The episode encourages caregivers to focus on quality over quantity, spending time with loved ones in a...

Caregiving can often feel like a tightrope walk, a delicate balancing act between taking care of a loved one and self-care. It's a role filled with complexities and challenges that can lead to caregivers feeling overwhelmed and burned out. Our latest podcast episode titled "Untangling the Complexities of Caregiving: Asserting Yourself, Setting Boundaries, and Harnessing the Power of 'No'" delves into these complexities and offers practical advice and actionable strategies to empower caregivers.

The role of a caregiver can be draining, physically, emotionally, and mentally. We often ignore the silent signals our bodies and minds send us when we've hit our limits. It's crucial to recognize these signs and respond accordingly. Whether it's feeling exhausted, angry, or resentful, these are all signs that you need to take a step back and assess your commitment, health, and overall situation. By acknowledging these signals, caregivers can take the first step towards setting healthy boundaries and asserting their needs.

One of the most challenging tasks in caregiving is setting boundaries. Often, caregivers feel obligated to say 'yes' to everything, leaving no time or energy for themselves. However, setting boundaries is not just necessary; it's a form of self-care. It's about acknowledging your limits, identifying what crosses the line, and figuring out solutions. The podcast episode presents a four-step process to help caregivers address situations that overstep their boundaries, enabling them to better manage their time and responsibilities.

The episode also delves into the transformative power of saying 'no'. Saying 'no' can serve as an empowering tool in a caregiver's toolkit. It's not about refusing to care; it's about asserting your needs and setting limits that allow you to provide care without compromising your wellbeing. Saying 'no' can open up opportunities to share caregiving responsibilities with others, deepen the level of honesty and openness in your...