There are 8 dimensions of wellness. If we think of wellness as a journey towards the healthiest, best version of ourselves - focused on our mind, body, and soul, we can embark knowing that, as caregivers, when we're healthy, we provide better care to those we love.
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The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) defines wellness as "a broad approach for things individuals can do at their own pace, in their own time, and within their own abilities, that can help them feel better and live longer."
Wellness is also an essential component of RECOVERY. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines "recovery from mental disorders and/or substance use disorders as a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential."
SAMHSA has delineated four dimensions that support a life in recovery:
- HEALTH - Overcoming or managing one's disease(s) or symptoms;
- HOME - A stable and safe place to live;
- PURPOSE - Meaningful daily activities, such as job, school, volunteerism, family caretaking, or creative endeavors, and the independence, income and resources to participate in society;
- COMMUNITY - Relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love, and hope.
According to SAMHSA, "Recovery emerges from hope: The belief that recovery is real provides the essential and motivating message of a better future—that people can and do overcome the internal and external challenges, barriers, and obstacles that confront them. Hope is internalized and can be fostered by peers, families, providers, allies, and others. Hope is the catalyst of the recovery process."
While we see ourselves in the caregiver burnout prevention business - empowering caregivers to better cope and manage the stress of caregiving - we know that our work falls solidly in the area of RECOVERY.
Recovery IS possible. Both for our loved ones AND ourselves. Recovery isn't linear - it's a journey - with all the twists and turns that life brings. Recovery as a caregiver involves focusing on OUR health and wellness, too. If we don't take care of ourselves - sleep, movement, hydration and nutrition, as well as our mental health - how can we possibly care for someone else?
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“Happiness depends upon ourselves.” – Aristotle
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AFFIRMATIONS TO INSPIRE WELLNESS
Use affirmations to inspire you or reframe your thoughts
- An empty lantern provides no light. Self-care is the fuel that allows my light to shine brightly.
- By resting, I release anxiety and offer myself peace.
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I move with courage every day.
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When I lack motivation, I practice self-discipline.
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I find little ways to make my home a sanctuary.
BOOKS
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Why We Sleep - This book by Matthew Walker explores the science behind sleep and how sleep impacts our bodies.
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The Courage Habit - This book by Kate Swoboda delves into how we can be more courageous in our lives in spite of our fears.
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Whiskey Tender - This memoir by Deborah Jackson Taffa examines her life moving from a Quechan reservation to Navajo territory and how she found identity and belonging.
APPS FOR GUIDED MEDITATION
- Glo - This website provides online yoga classes and meditation
- Noisli - This website allows you to mix together different sounds and playlists to create your own white noise machine.
- Insight Timer - This app provides guided meditations, courses, and talks that will help you sleep better and release stress and anxiety.
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In 2008, BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month was formally recognized to honor Bebe Moore Campbell's advocacy and research on the mental health needs of Black and other marginalized communities. While it is important for us to account for the unique needs of BIPOC communities every month, whether as BIPOC caregivers or as allies, July gives us the time to specifically acknowledge the distinct challenges BIPOC caregivers face and the networks that exist to support them. Below are resources for finding support and learning more.
- Courage to Caregivers' BIPOC and Allyship Resource page on our website has links to all of our favorite community partner resources for caregivers.
- Mental Health America (MHA) provides a list of fast facts on caregiving in BIPOC communities and the different cultural expectations that exist between different groups regarding caregiving responsibility.
- View more of MHA's BIPOC mental health resources here.
- The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) has a series of articles on supporting BIPOC communities.
- The Trevor Project provides a list of resources specifically for BIPOC individuals of the LGBTQ+ community.
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It's NOT too late to support our 5th Annual Day of Giving!
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Wednesday, July 24, 2024 was International Self-Care Day, and our 5th annual Day of Giving! International Self-Care Day stresses the importance of self-care as the cornerstone of wellness. Please consider supporting our mission with your donation as we continue to guide caregivers through their journey of self-care and wellness, equipping them to better care for their loved ones. ALL donations are matched dollar for dollar through August 24! We chose our theme of the "Ripple Effect" because we believe in our vision - a world where health carers lead to healthier families and communities.
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August's book club discussion is Friday, August 23 at 11 am ET via Zoom. We'll be discussing Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen. Join us to learn more about how we can let go of our defensiveness and be able to have "difficult conversations" with other people whether at work, at home, or among friends.
Come one - come all - NO need to have read the book! Mark your calendar and join us for a deep dive into DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS - here's the link!
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HOLD THE DATES for our 5th ANNUAL VIRTUAL SUMMIT: Tuesday, November 12, Wednesday, November 13, and Thursday, November 14!
For Unpaid Family Caregivers and Professional Caregivers (CEUs provided)
NOW accepting applications for presenters for workshops focused on: education, support, and/or empowerment.
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August's theme is ADVOCACY, which is defined by the Missouri Foundation for Health as “any action that speaks in favor of, recommends, argues for a cause, supports or defends, or pleads on behalf of others.” For the first half of the year, we focused much on finding ourselves. Now, in August, we will use the self-reflective skills we have built in order to create support networks, manage stress, and communicate effectively. 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 August's Micro-Challenges Calendar here.
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Courage to Caregivers Breathing Practice for August: Lion's Breath
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 August's Breathing Practice Lion's Breath. With this practice, we will have fun roaring and clawing like a lion, allowing us to feel powerful and to advocate for ourselves. You can watch August's instructional video for Lion's Breath 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.
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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.
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