"A Badass Advocate doesn't try to do it all by herself, rather
she leads to a strong team who works to fight for the patient."
- Erin Galyean, author of "Badass Advocate"
There are so many ways we can show up as advocates. ADVOCACY 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.” As caregivers, we balance many of these roles as we stand up for ourselves, our loved ones, and fellow caregivers.
The West Virginia University Health Science Center denotes three types of advocacy: self-advocacy, individual advocacy, and systems advocacy.
|
5 TOOLS FOR
SELF-ADVOCACY
- Notice what you need
- Believe in yourself
- Find your support network
- Release guilt and shame
- Communicate your feelings
|
5 TOOLS TO ADVOCATE FOR
YOUR LOVED ONES
- Build your support team
- Follow your intuition
- Ask strong questions
- Stay informed
- Use the 5 R's (reflect, review, re-examine, re-evaluate, recharge)
Source: "Badass Advocate Action Guide" by Erin Galyean
|
5 TOOLS FOR SYSTEMS ADVOCACY
- Share your story
- Join a campaign
- Engage with your community
- Partner with local businesses and coalitions
- Volunteer with organizations dedicated to advocacy
Source: "What is Systems Advocacy," Care Counseling
|
There are numerous ways we can be advocates, but, as Erin Galyean emphasizes in her book "Badass Advocate," we can't do them alone. That's why this month we have stressed the importance of CREATING our support networks, MANAGING our stress, and COMMUNICATING effectively. By finding hope and support in one another, we can heal and recover together.
|
"All advocacy is, at its core, an exercise in empathy."
- Samantha Power
|
THEME AFFIRMATIONS
Use affirmations to inspire you or reframe your thoughts
-
By strengthening my support network, I become a better advocate
-
I breathe in hope and belonging and breathe out fear and isolation
-
In recognizing my own worthiness, I can communicate my needs more effectively
-
When I advocate for others, I am honoring the fact I am not alone
APPS AND WEBSITES
- Waywiser - This website provides a space for you to connect with your loved ones and keep track of appointments, tasks, and medications.
- Aura - This app helps you create a personalized wellness plan that can reduce stress, help with sleep, and boost self-esteem.
- Meetup - This website allows you to find and create groups in your local area as well as online centered around topics of your interest such as language-learning, hiking, and more.
- Unseen - This documentary explores the experiences of family caregivers. You can learn more about how to host a screening or share your story on their website!
PODCASTS
|
- Caregiving Trending - This podcast shares the stories of various caregivers and explores a myriad of caregiving topics.
BOOKS
- Platonic - This book by Marisa G. Franco explores the power of platonic friendships and how we can make stronger friendships.
- Self-Care for Caregivers - This book by Susanne White offers a practical guide to taking care of yourself as a caregiver.
- The Power of Communication Skills and Effective Listening - This book by Janet Cruz, a caregiver herself, explores how we can improve our intrapersonal communication.
- Being My Mom's Mom - This memoir by Loretta Anne Woodward Veney explores the author’s experience caregiving for her mother with dementia.
ARTICLES
|
As we approach Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month in September, we are taking the time to once again share our favorite resources.
You can find our own collection of Suicide Awareness and Prevention Resources on our website here.
And ... don't forget about our Information Resource sheets, including this one, focused on caregivers supporting someone living with suicidal ideation, available on our website here.
Suicide and crisis support has NEVER been easier! Just call 988 for the suicide and crisis LIFEline!
We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.
|
CARING FOR THE CAREGIVERS SUMMIT
In honor of November being National Family Caregivers Month, we're hosting our 5th Annual Virtual Summit for Unpaid Family Caregivers and professional caregivers (CEs provided) of all kinds - e.g., licensed social workers, counselors, nurses, and of course, peer supporters!
NOW accepting applications for presenters for workshops focused on: education, support, and/or empowerment.
Registration is now OPEN!
|
September's theme is TENACITY, which is defined as “the determination to continue what you are doing” by Cambridge Dictionary. By strengthening and examining our tenacity, we can find the courage to continue on in spite of the challenges we face. 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 September's Micro-Challenges Calendar here.
|
Courage to Caregivers Breathing Practice for September: Equal 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 September's Breathing Practice - with this practice, we can relieve feelings of being overwhelmed and panicked. This breath is particularly helpful as a prelude to sleep. You can watch September's instructional video for Equal 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.
|
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.
|
|
