“Just believe in yourself. Even if you don’t, pretend that you do, and at some point, you will.” - Venus Williams
What makes you feel empowered? EMPOWERMENT is one of Courage to Caregivers' core values. While we can't always remove the obstacles and stress we encounter in caregiving, empowerment allows us to recognize our skills and achievement in spite of the hurdles we face. According to the American Psychological Association, empowerment is “the promotion of the skills, knowledge, and confidence necessary to take greater control of one’s life.” When we feel empowered, we are able to acknowledge our strengths and abilities and then take action to support our needs.
As you might have heard us say before, empowerment is the process of BECOMING. It's the process of asking ourselves, "WHO do we want to become? WHAT do we want to achieve? WHEN are we taking action to accomplish our personal goals? WHY do we strive toward these goals?" By asking ourselves these questions, we can reflect on what motivates us and what larger goals we plan to achieve.
3 TOOLS FOR BECOMING EMPOWERED
- Shift your mindset - Empowerment is all about taking control of your own life and this includes your mindset. As we discussed in May when we covered growth mindset, we have the ability to shift our thinking away from "I can't" to "I can learn."
- Reflect on your values and goals - In order to know what you need, it's vital to take a moment to reflect on what you care about and how that relates to what you would like to become. What strengths do you have? Where would you like to grow?
- Find your community - Caregiving can feel incredibly isolating at times. That's why finding a caring community that can support and cheer you on can be instrumental in lifting you up and empowering you to be your best self.
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Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.
- Carol Burnett
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THEME AFFIRMATIONS
Use affirmations to inspire you or reframe your thoughts
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Creativity opens my mind to the possibilities swirling around me
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I take little moments for myself that rejuvenate me
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I set healthy boundaries that help me build stronger relationships
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I empower myself from within
APPS FOR GUIDED MEDITATION
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Brainsparker - This app provides words, quotes, images, questions, and more that will inspire your creativity and creative thinking skills.
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DBT Coach - This app provides mental health resources based on dialectical behavior therapy and allows you to track your emotions, skills, and behaviors.
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Help Guide - This website has a wealth of resources on mental health, relationships, meditation, aging, and more.
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Moodfit - This app provides customizable tools to help you understand and respond to your moods and avoid distorted thinking.
PODCASTS
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BOOKS
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The Lilac People: A Novel - This book by Milo Todd explores the experiences of queer trans people during World War II.
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The Art of Holding Space - This book by Heather Platt examines how we can hold space for ourselves and for others.
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What My Father And I Don't Talk About - This anthology edited by Michele Filgate shares sixteen essays regarding relationships with fathers.
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Dreaming of Home - This memoir by Cristina Jiménez discusses her family’s immigration journey to the US from Ecuador and her journey to become an immigrant justice advocate.
ARTICLES
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June is LGBTQ+ Pride month! Pride Month has its origins in the gay pride marches that occurred on June 28, 1970 in response to the 1969 Stonewall Riots. Pride is now currently celebrated around the world to honor the contributions LGBTQ+ community members have made throughout history. This month, we are sharing our favorite resources for LGBTQ+ community members and allies.
Resources for LGBTQ+ Community Members:
- LGBT Near Me provides links to local and national resources. They also offer hotlines for LGBTQ+ youth, adults, and seniors.
- The Trevor Project focuses on suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ+ youth through crisis support, advocacy, research, and education. They provide a 24/7 crisis counseling line that can be accessed through call, chat, and text.
- Trans Lifeline is a peer hotline that provides emotional and financial support to transgender individuals. They connect trans people to community, support, and resources.
Resources for Allies:
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The June Book Club will be held TOMORROW - Friday, June 27 at 11 am ET on Zoom. We will be discussing BOUNDARIES - choose to listen to EITHER:
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Podcast - Therapy Chat Episode 363: "How + Why To Set Boundaries In Relationships" with Dr. Sharon Martin - Sharon gives some great tips on why it can be hard to set boundaries, why they’re important, and how to do it.
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TedTalk - Sarri Gilman – “Good Boundaries Free You” - Sarri Gilman has found that clear boundaries enhance relationships and the quality of life.
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HOLD the date for the JULY Book Club - Friday, July 25 at 11 am ET!
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Our next QPR Suicide Prevention Training will be TONIGHT - Thursday, June 26 at 7 pm ET on Zoom! July's QPR Training will be Thursday, July 31 at 7 pm ET. Please register here to receive the Zoom link. You need only register for ONE two-hour session. Space is limited for each session, so please register only for a time you know you can attend so spaces don't fill up and prevent others from attending.
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Move with Courage - Thursday, July 24
Take some time to take care of you! Mark your calendar to join us at the Cleveland Heights Community Center on Thursday, July 24, 2025, from 5:30 - 8 pm, for an evening of self care. This year's Move with Courage event will get us up and moving with Cardio Drumming - hosted by the Mindful Mix. Reserve your spot via Eventbrite. This is a fundraiser - we have a requested minimum donation of $25.
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Create with Courage - Sunday, October 26
Please plan to join us for beautiful afternoon of nature and crafting this fall. We're hosting Create with Courage on Sunday, October 26, 2025, at the River Grove Chestnut Shelter located in the Cleveland Metroparks North Chagrin Reservation. We'll need your help making this special event a success - please email Kristi at Kristi@CourageToCaregivers.org if you're interested in volunteering!
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July's theme is WELLNESS. Next month, we will be practicing good sleep hygiene, moving with courage, examining self-discipline and motivation, and creating our own sanctuary. 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.
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Courage to Caregivers Breathing Practice for July: Stair-Step 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 July's Breathing Practice - with this practice, we will envision ourselves walking up and down stairs as we inhale and exhale. This breath is particularly helpful for rest and relaxation. You can watch July's instructional video for Stair-Step Breathing here, and remember to subscribe to our 2025 Monthly Breathing Practices playlist to stay updated each month. You can also subscribe to our Breathing Meditation playlist, where we have four years of 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 empower and equip carers to navigate their journey. We envision a world where healthy carers lead to healthier families and communities. We're in the caregiver burnout prevention business!
©2025 Courage to Caregivers, Inc.
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