SEPTEMBER THEME: TENACITY

"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity...You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward."

- Amelia Earhart

When was the last time you didn't give up? What motivated you to persist? TENACITY is defined by Cambridge Dictionary as "the determination to continue what you are doing." However, as we all know, finding and growing this determination is hardly ever simple. Everyday, we feel overwhelmed by our seemingly endless tasks and responsibilities. However, we have the tools within ourselves to keep going.

3 TOOLS TO DEVELOP TENACITY

Growth Mindset - By remembering that we are all capable of learning and changing, we can overcome setbacks and determine what is within our reach.
Adaptability and Flexibility - When facing uncertainty, being able to adapt and pivot is essential to supporting our loved ones and giving them the care they need in the moment.
Positive Mindset - We ALL make mistakes and it's how we learn from them and grow that allows us to overcome doubt and build resilience.

Embracing our inner tenacity can be challenging, but by being PERSISTENT, developing REALISTIC OPTIMISM, and finding our COPING MECHANISMS, we can prepare ourselves for the hurdles we face and discover our determination to keep moving forward. Remember, you got this!

"I live by two words: tenacity and gratitude." - Henry Winkler

AFFIRMATIONS TO SPARK TENACITY
Use affirmations to inspire you or reframe your thoughts

I can move mountains with my persistence
I recognize but refuse to be consumed by the negative aspects of life
By building healthy coping mechanisms, I allow myself to find relief
I transform my life through my tenacity

APPS FOR GUIDED MEDITATION

MindShift CBT supports people with anxiety in overcoming their fears using evidence-based strategies.
ThinkUp-Daily Affirmations provides affirmations to help with motivation, optimism, and self-esteem.
Pixel Thoughts provides a 60 second meditation that can support you through stressful times.
Fabulous is a self-care app with coaching lessons, habit reminders, motivational content, and mindfulness exercises.

PODCASTS

The Happiness Lessons Helping Win Olympic Medals - This podcast episode explores the experiences of US Olympic coaches in preventing burnout and finding their own happiness in order to better support their athletes.
The Problem with Positive Vibes Only - This podcast episode explores how focusing on “positive vibes only” can negatively impact relationships and wellbeing.
Decluttering Your Mind: Strategies for Mental Clarity - This podcast episode dives into how we can recognize mental clutter and what we can do to find relief.

How to Stick to Your Resolutions in 2024 - This podcast episode examines how we can form new habits while finding happiness.

BOOKS

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth explores the role perseverance can play in our lives.
There's Always This Year by Hanif Abdurraqib explores the myth of “making it” and the role of expectation through the lens of basketball.
Becoming Little Shell by Chris La Tray explores the author’s exploration of his own Chippewa and Métis heritage and his journey of recovery and loss
Where Rivers Part by Kao Kalia Yang explores the escape of the author’s family from war in Laos and her mother’s strength through hardship.

ARTICLES

4 Ways Perseverance Increases Mental Health And Happiness - This article explores how perseverance can positively affect our lives and what we can do to develop tenacity.
Realistic and Optimistic: Managing Mindset in Challenging Times - This article describes the importance of being both optimistic and realistic and what we can do to balance both.
Healthy Coping Skills for Uncomfortable Emotions - This article examines how we can use problem-based and emotion-based coping skills in various situations.
Perseverance Cultivates Purposefulness and Boosts Resilience - This article describes how perseverance can help prevent depression, anxiety, and panic attacks.

With the U.S. Election Season well under way, here are some helpful tips for managing election stress:

Check in and acknowledge your emotions - Recognize when you feel anxious, remind yourself that your emotions are temporary, and remember that you have the tools within you to find relief.
Monitor and limit media consumption - Set aside time away from your screen, and when you do read political commentary online, use fact checkers to ensure the legitimacy of the information.
Practice mindfulness - Find activities that ground you in the present moment. Remind yourself it is okay to walk away from unproductive conversations that threaten your values.
Find meaningful ways to get involved - Volunteer with organizations that advocate for the issues you care about, help and encourage others to vote, and engage in acts of kindness.
Stay curious - Respond to disagreement with curiosity rather than defensiveness. Ask questions that acknowledge how different backgrounds and experiences influence other people's ways of thinking.

(Adapted from Prevention Action Alliance's "Know! To Help Young People Manage Election Stress" newsletter)

The Alzheimer's Prevention Registry is inviting caregivers to participate in its caregiver-specific research studies! These studies focus on topics such as:

Stress reduction
Coping strategies
Skills to improve quality of life

The Registry aims to end Alzheimer's disease through conducting research on Alzheimer's detection, treatment, and prevention as well as through addressing the medical and non-medical needs of patients and their families.

You can find studies to join here and join their email list here!

FIRESIDE CHAT

Postvention is Suicide Prevention

Thursday, October 3 at 7 pm ET

Register via Zoom

Join Courage to Caregivers Director of Programs Jenny Woodworth in conversation with Light After Loss Founder and President Shannon Ortiz.

Light After Loss is an official Courage to Caregivers Community Alliance, and is a trauma-focused support system for survivors of suicide and other traumatic loss providing hope for healing through education, resources, and support services surrounding the complicated grief and trauma of losing someone unexpectedly.

October's Book Club will meet on Friday, October 18 at 11 am ET (note change in date cadence) - and we will be discussing this podcast focused on October's theme of COURAGE: Dr. Brené Brown: The Can’t Miss Interview on Shame, Self-Worth, Empathy, and Living a Courageous Life.

October's theme is COURAGE. By learning from our mistakes, finding strength in adversity, and practicing saying "no," we can courageously take on the challenges that come our way. 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 the October's Micro-Challenges Calendar here.

Courage to Caregivers Breathing Practice for October : Deer Seal Breathing

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 October's Breathing Practice - with this practice, we can find focus and calm through taking turns beathing out of each nostril. This is a great breath to do before you have a presentation or meeting and need some extra concentration. You can watch October's instructional video for Deer Seal Breathing 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!