This Week: Selfish is good!

(Editor’s Note: On Wednesdays, we share a journaling tip as part of our series, Journaling 101. This is tip No. 23.) You spend most of your day being self-less. It may seem out of character to feel selfish.  But, for your own well-being, it’s critical to be selfish during the day, even if for five minutes. This week, write down your ideas on how to spend time on you and how...

Ask Denise: Do I Confront Him About His Lack of Help?

Dear Denise, I’m new to your website. After scanning the pages and looking for an answer, I was wondering, should I confront my brother who lives two blocks away from my mother? He won’t offer help at all….not making decisions or in her care. He “stops” for literally two minutes every other weekend and stands in her foyer looking like a jack rabbit ready to run. There are three...

Green

Image by Axel-D via Flickr We’re all looking to live a lifestyle that’s green, one that’s good for the world and for our future. You can go green, too. Go green to use your energy wisely—focusing on relationships, activities, and responsibilities that honor you. Go green by respecting your environment—clearing clutter, believing in yourself, inspiring others. Go green by...

Friday Fun: Give Us the Guffaws

It’s Friday, so let’s share some funnies. What’s a humorous experience that’s happened to you in your caregiving role? It could be something that happened years ago or just yesterday, as long as today it makes you giggle. We’ll giggle with you. Share in our comments section; one of our commentors will win a $25 Visa gift card as part of our September Send-Off...

Holding an Effective Family Meeting

On Thursday’s edition of Your Caregiving Journey, Jeannie Keenan of My Health Care Manager, joined us for a discussion on how to hold an effective family meeting. (You can listen to the show via the player, below, at the bottom of the post.) Jeannie suggests holding a family meeting when: Caregiving begins and one individual takes on the role of primary family caregiver; Your care recipient experiences a...

This Week: Letting Go

(Editor’s Note: On Wednesdays, we share a journaling tip as part of our series, Journaling 101. This is tip No. 23.) Caregiving has brought so many changes in your life that you may find yourself holding onto parts of your old life–old relationships, old habits, old expectations. At one time, it probably was comforting to hold onto to these parts of your old life. But, at some...

Tell Us: What Are You Withholding?

Last night, Joe Skillin joined us for our monthly book club discussion; his book, “Confessions of a Caregiver, When Alzheimer’s Come to Your House,” was our September pick. (You can listen to the show on the player at the end of this post.) During our discussion, we spoke about any worries Joe might have had about disclosing too much personal “stuff” in his book. His book, he said, actually started as a...

Finding, Then Keeping, the Happiness

I often wonder: Am I my own worst enemy? You may ask yourself that same question after losing patience with your care recipient, or letting a family member get your goat, or when you regain the weight you worked so hard to lose. These situations can make you very, very unhappy. Seemingly, happiness is reserved for actors in a sitcom television show. It just doesn’t seem to show up in our living rooms. We can...

It’s Not a Task, It’s an Attitude: Self-Care Sensibilities

Yesterday, Anna Stookey joined us on Your Caregiving Journey. I love having Anna has a guest because she offers amazing insights; she has a beautiful way of looking at life and life within caregiving. Our show topic, “The Why’s of Self-Care”, was inspired by our August show (“Realistic Relationships“–a must listen!). During that show, our discussion about healthy relationships...

Friday Fun: Give Us the Guffaws

It’s Friday, so let’s share some funnies. What’s a humorous experience that’s happened to you in your caregiving role? It could be something that happened years ago or just yesterday, as long as today it makes you giggle. We’ll giggle with you. Share in our comments section; one of our commentors will win a $25 Visa gift card as part of our September Send-Off...

Insight

Image via Wikipedia At times, you may find your care recipient reacting to the present as if he or she were still in the past. The aging process may unleash emotions and actions based on events that occurred fifty, sixty, even seventy years ago. To gain insight into your care recipient’s past, take time to review old photos with your care recipient. Ask questions about your care recipient’s first love,...

Learning to Accept Help

A healthy life is a life of balance; including the ability to give and receive. When I first started my caregiving journey, one of the hardest things to accept was HELP. So many people in our lives wanted to help. I definitely needed the help. But, like so many people, I didn’t know how to ask. And I didn’t know how to accept help when it was given; I felt guilty. And I didn’t even know what I...

This Week, Put Priorities in Order

If you could take just a carload of your possessions, what you would take? Consider this question this week, jotting down your thoughts in your journal. Your answers will give insight into your priorities, perhaps overlooked priorities. As you gain insight into your priorities, you’ll also gain knowledge of the relationships, interests and hobbies that are deserving of your time. When you spend your time on...

Remember Your Future

Last night, I attended a seminar given by Alan Seale; Alan taught us his take on how to manifest our goals and dreams. One tip he suggested was to “Remember the future.” Sounds like a oxymoron, doesn’t it? How can we have a memory of an event that has yet to occur? The more I gave thought to this, the more I thought: What a cool idea. When you remember the future, you focus on the outcomes of an event or...

Mixture of Joys and Sorrows

It is a beautiful autumn day here as I write my blog. How did the summer past so quickly? We had so many cool summer days that it feels as if we really didn’t have summer this year. Our autumn season is usually nice here, however, so perhaps we will still have many nice days yet this year. Caregiving like the weather always has its ups and downs. Some days feel stormy, and on those days I feel I can’t do it...

Stormy

Drowning in the storms of caregiving? Some days, it may seem as if you are paddling upstream in a canoe weighed down by worries, regrets and non-decisions. It doesn’t have to be. Paddle downstream toward those who love you, support you and honor you. They can help you release your worries, minimize your regrets and take steps toward the best decisions. Leave the rest at the edge of the water fall–they...

Friday Fun: Give Us the Guffaws

It’s Friday, so let’s share some funnies. What’s a humorous experience that’s happened to you in your caregiving role? It could be something that happened years ago or just yesterday, as long as today it makes you giggle. We’ll giggle with you. Share in our comments section; one of our commentors will win a $25 Visa gift card as part of our September Send-Off...

Where Were You?

Eight years ago was a beautiful, sunny day in Chicago. Then, it wasn’t. I remember watching the second plane hit the second tower as I ironed a skirt to wear to work. I went to work, but spent the morning watching TV and talking to my sister on the phone. We were shocked, devastated. I worked in a office building in downtown Chicago; we left work early. I’ll always remember the stunned silence on my...

This Week, Write the Life You Want

Image by Barnaby via Flickr It’s often said that the first step toward creating the life you want is visualizing the life you want. This week, visualize, then write, the life you want. Ignore any pangs of guilt about the life you want, simply sit back, relax and picture yourself living the life you want. Re-visit this picture regularly. Then, write what you see: Where you...

Fall…This Time A New Season With A New Start?

Happy Labor Day, Everybody.  I know that sounds twisted…all most of us ever do is “labor” — so I mean that I hope that everyone saved some time for themselves to have a block of space of peace and serenity, even mentally, sometime today.  I think I’m like a lot of people that Labor Day Weekend pretty much signals a change of seasons already.  At the community college where I work,...

Teaching Prosperity to Your Kids and Grandkids

Yesterday on Your Caregiving Journey, Ellen Rogin, our wealthness expert, joined us for a discussion on teaching prosperity to our kids and grandkids. During our conversation, Ellen mentioned a values exercise about money. We’ve attached the exercise as a PDF so you can print and use. You can listen to our show via the player,...

Friday Fun: Give Us the Guffaws

It’s Friday, so let’s share some funnies. What’s a humorous experience that’s happened to you in your caregiving role? It could be something that happened years ago or just yesterday, as long as today it makes you giggle. We’ll giggle with you. Share in our comments section; one of our commentors will win a $25 Visa gift card as part of our September Send-Off...