JUNE THEME: EMPOWERMENT

Building on our recent themes of common humanity (as humans we all experience pain, suffering, and stress) and growth mindset (we have the ability to grow and learn) - the theme of EMPOWERMENT is nicely layered in. "There is no normal life that is free of pain. It's the very wrestling with our problems that can be the impetus for our growth." ~ Fred Rogers, The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember. 

You've heard us say before - we can't remove the stress of caregiving. What we CAN do is empower caregivers to better cope and manage the stress of caregiving. This empowerment is what makes our work sustainable! We believe in empowerment so much that it's one of our core values. We define empowerment as strengths-focused, valuing abilities, goals, and learning. 

EMPOWERMENT is a process of BECOMING. ​​​​​​​​​WHO do you want to BE or become? WHAT do you want to achieve or accomplish? WHEN are you going to do that next right thing that sets you on the course of accomplishing your personal goals? What's your WHY - that reason you get up and out of bed each morning? 

1. MINDSET: What you THINK you BECOME! Notice - what is your current mindset? How do you feel about it? Do you want to make a change? You can SHIFT your mindset - make a list of your core values - how you want to BE and become - and set a goal (or two) towards pursuing those!
2. SELF-AWARENESS: A better understanding of yourself and what your needs are is an important component of becoming who you want to BE. Analyze your strengths and opportunities for growth. How do you want to grow and what can you learn? YOUR feelings are important - you are worthy of love and respect (too).
3. COMMUNITY: Find a community that cares - that lifts you up when you can't stand - that believes in you, and your potential, when you're feeling low. Surround yourself with like-minded, motivated people who empower you to be the best version of yourself.

"Don't fake it till you make it, fake it till you become it." 

~ Amy Cuddy, Presence

EMPOWERMENT AFFIRMATIONS
Use affirmations to inspire you or reframe your thoughts

• When I tap into creativity, I find new perspectives to the problems in my life

• Holding space for myself allows me to acknowledge where I am now so I can better support myself and those around me

• By setting healthy boundaries, I maintain my values and balance my needs and the needs of others

• I am always learning from the challenges I face which empowers me to keep moving forward

APPS FOR EMPOWERMENT

• Brainsparker - This app provides words, quotes, images, questions, and more that will inspire your creativity and creative thinking skills.

• Daily Diary - This app allows you to create a personal diary for free where you can share your thoughts and emotions and add images.

• Help Guide - This website has a wealth of resources on mental health, relationships, meditation, aging, and more.

• Mindshift - This app is great for handling anxiety and helping you find ways to relax and be mindful using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques.

PODCASTS 

• Repair, Repurpose, Reimagine - This episode discusses alternative ways of engaging with the items we throw away.

• Treat Yourself with Care - This 8-minute episode provides a visualization exercise that will help you to care for yourself.

• Making Difficult Interactions More Respectful - This episode delves into one person’s experience with learning how to better engage with patients through building respect.

• Growing after the Pain - This episode discusses the reality of painful experiences and how we can find ways to grow even after experiencing pain.
• How to Become Self-Empowered - Becoming self-empowered is the path to feeling happier, more secure, and reaching your full potential. Learn how to become self-empowered and build the life you envision for yourself.

ARTICLES

• The science behind creativity - Understand how creativity works on a psychological level and how we can boost our creativity.

• Holding Space for Yourself: What is Yours to Know and Hold and Keep - Explains the differences between holding space for yourself and others and what you can do to access that personal space for yourself.

• Maintaining Boundaries as a Caregiver: Go From Guilt To Glow - Tips around setting healthy boundaries specifically for caregivers.

• How to Grow as a Person, No Matter What You're Going Through - Three steps we can take to find empowerment through our challenges.

• Achieving Personal Empowerment - Personal empowerment is about taking control of your own life, and making positive decisions based on what you want.
• 7 Tips for Achieving Self- Empowerment - If your self-confidence is shaky or you’re insecure about your ability to achieve your ambitions, you can take several steps to live a more empowered life.

BOOKS

• Just Jerry: How Drawing Shaped My Life - This memoir by Jerry Pinkney explores his experiences growing up in postwar, segregated Philadelphia and how he built up his artistic skills.

• The Power of No - This book by James Altucher and Claudia Azula Altucher explains the power behind saying no and how we can use it effectively in our lives.

• The Better Boundaries Workbook - This book by Sharon C. Martin provides helpful information for how you can set up healthy boundaries in your life.

• Rotten Evidence - This memoir by Ahmed Naji explores his time in an Egyptian prison and how he found freedom for his mind even though his body was trapped.

"The only person you are destined to become is ... the person you decide to be."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Peer Support is Empowerment in Action in Community

"A certified peer supporter is someone who has direct lived experience with behavioral health challenges, or someone who has navigated services on behalf of an individual with behavioral health challenges. Certified peer supporters are trained and certified in using their lived experience to help others impacted by mental illness or substance use disorders. Ohio offers three types of peer supporter certification: Adult, Family, and Youth/Young Adult." ~ Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) 

Courage to Caregivers is certified by OhioMHAS to provide Peer Recovery Services and offers several ways to connect with another caregiver with lived experience.

Certified Family Peer Support

We have several Certified Family Peer Support Specialists (CFPS) offering Family Peer Support. Our CFPS have been trained by NAMI Ohio and certified by OhioMHAS. “A CFPS supports an individual’s or family’s ability to address needs, navigate systems and promote recovery, resiliency, and wellness. They promote services that are family driven, youth guided, trauma-informed, and culturally competent. A CFPS can provide both basic and intensive family support services and participate as an active member of treatment teams in a variety of settings.” (OhioMHAS)

Group Peer Support

Group Coaching on Wednesday evenings is our newest Support Group.  Offering Group Peer Support and facilitated by Amy Zell, one of our CFPS, the group helps caregivers to identify goals, navigate support services, and build skills of resilience through our Group Coaching curriculum. 

Courage to Caregivers One-to-One Caregiver Support

Our One-to-One Caregiver Support connects caregivers with volunteers who have experience caring for someone else. The purpose of the program is to provide participants with a listening ear, support and resources so they are better able to take care of their loved ones. Volunteers are trained by Courage to Caregivers staff through a series of online webinars and monthly ongoing training opportunities.

BECOME A CERTIFIED FAMILY PEER SUPPORTER

• Ohio Certification - through Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services
• Other States - check out your states Mental Health and Addiction Services Department for certification requirements
• National Certification - through the National Federation of Families 

BECOME A COURAGE TO CAREGIVERS One-to-One Caregiver Support Volunteer

• Courage to Caregivers offers onboarding, training and monthly ongoing training

Caregivers may register to receive support from another caregiver or for all of our programs on our website here. 

We envision a world where healthy carers

lead to healthier families and communities. 

JULY'S BOOK CLUB - Friday, July 26 at 11 am ET via Zoom

July’s theme is WELLNESS, which "is about how we live our lives and the joy and fulfillment and health we experience." ~ SAMHSA, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. In July, we will be focused on sleep hygiene, moving with courage, self-discipline vs. motivation, and creating your sanctuary. As we continue on the journey of discovering our true selves, setting micro-goals will guide us. With micro-goals, it’s easier to take the next right step - as Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles, begins with a single step.” Check out July's Micro-Challenges Calendar here.

Courage to Caregivers Breathing Practice for July: Breath of Joy

As we support caregivers to make breathing and meditation a practice, we're pleased to share our Breathing Meditation Facilitator Cathy and her monthly breathing practice how-to videos. You can join us for July's Breathing Practice - Breath of Joy. With this practice, we will find joy through movement. This is a great breath to energize your entire body, mind, and soul. You can watch July's instructional video for Breath of Joy here, and remember to subscribe to our 2024 Monthly Breathing Practices playlist to stay updated each month. You can also subscribe to our Breathing Meditation playlist, where we upload our weekly breathing meditation recordings, and follow along on our Spotify Breathing Meditation playlist.

The mission of Courage to Caregivers is to provide hope, support, and courage to caregivers and loved ones of those living with mental illness. We're in the caregiver burnout prevention business!

©2024 Courage to Caregivers, Inc.