Common Humanity — Blog — Courage to Caregivers

“Loneliness is proof that your innate search for connection is intact.” — Martha N. Beck

Connection is the antidote to loneliness.

Breaking through loneliness is a key factor in preventing caregiver burnout because isolation intensifies stress, emotional exhaustion, and feelings of helplessness. There are many reasons why staying connected helps caregivers maintain their well-being:

Reduces Emotional Overload
Increases Access to Support
Strengthens Mental and Physical Health
Restores a Sense of Identity
Encourages Rest and Rejuvenation

Common HumanityKristi HornerApril 22, 2025Loneliness, Breaking Through Loneliness

Our Grief May Be Ambiguous, but It’s Real

"The Companioning Model of grief care reminds us that our helping role is not to 'fix what is broken,' but instead to 'nurture what is best.'" ~ Dr. Alan D. Wolfelt

We all know that caregiving can be complicated. Even our feelings can be ambiguous and hard to understand. This is known as ambiguous loss – a type of grief where a person experiences the loss of someone who is still physically present but emotionally or cognitively absent, such as in situations like dementia, brain injury, or mental illness. If caregivers don’t acknowledge and process this unique grief, it can lead to burnout, emotional exhaustion, and resentment.

I wasn’t aware of this type of grief journey until our son’s accident, leaving him with a traumatic brain injury and permanent brain damage. I have now come to realize that it is a very common form of loss, and many caregivers struggle with it because it lacks closure or clear resolution, making it difficult to fully grieve or heal.

Common HumanityKristi HornerApril 22, 2025Grief, loss

The Strongest Bridge Can Sway Without Breaking

"Vulnerability is the only bridge to build connection." ~ Brené Brown

I’ve struggled with this week’s email. Sometimes the topics are so perfectly timed for what I’m going through that the words just flow out. But this week, my words are STUCK.

Trust me, we ALL need to be talking about this week’s topic, building bridges, right NOW. And there’s SO much I want to say to those with whom I don’t share the same beliefs, values, or viewpoints. I have tried to meet those who see the world through a different lens with LOVE, but somehow it never feels like enough … and then, I don’t feel like enough. I’m tired and exhausted, and that’s what makes it so hard. (I did ask for support recently, and that is helping.)

Two important aspects of building bridges are tolerance and inclusion. Caregivers often have to tolerate not just differing opinions but also stress, emotional outbursts, and sometimes unfair criticism from family members who aren’t as involved. But caregivers can’t always walk away from these conflicts. They must navigate them while ensuring the well-being of the person they care for. Tolerance is about managing emotional strain and disagreements with grace and resilience, while inclusion is about making sure both the caregiver and the care recipient are valued and involved in decision-making.

Common HumanityKristi HornerApril 3, 2025Building Bridges, Bridging Differences

APRIL 2024 NEWSLETTER: We're in this TOGETHER 🤲

Every single one of us has a STORY. Not one of us is spared life's challenges - after all - that's LIFE! And ... I don't need to remind you that life can be HARD.

Many times our caregiver stories are "invisible" - just like the invisible illnesses many of our loved ones face.

Life is filled with moments of joy AND ordinary AND pain. In my most tender moments supporting loved ones (or myself) through immense physical or emotional pain, I've shared my thoughts on how we might navigate our one and precious life. We were never promised a life of only the “good” emotions - like joy and happiness - life comes with the good AND bad - a full spectrum of experiences.

How often do you find yourself asking "why ME?" I've been known to say this and "enough is enough" - how much pain can one person endure?

Sometimes, life feels unfair.

But as you navigate your story - your journey of life - remember, you are NEVER alone. Never alone in your joy OR your pain. We're on this caregiver journey TOGETHER.

When I founded Courage to Caregivers - it was a passion project. After losing our brother to suicide, my sisters and I knew NO ONE should take this journey - of providing care to someone they love living with mental illness - ALONE. We had felt so very alone all those years providing mental and emotional support for our brother. Just like he did. Yet, we were facing this together.

Over the years, talking with people, hearing their stories, holding their hands on their journey of pain - whether it be grief, loss of any kind, chronic pain, physical pain, emotional pain, isolation, or loneliness - it can feel hard and overwhelming. One of the things I've learned is ... people want to know they aren't ALONE. We work to validate each caregiver's experience and affirm and normalize their feelings. Allowing each caregiver to feel seen, heard, and understood.

“The very definition of being 'human' means that one is mortal, vulnerable and imperfect. Therefore, self-compassion involves recognizing that suffering and personal inadequacy is part of the shared human experience – something that we all go through rather than being something that happens to ‘me’ alone.” ~ Kristin Neff

Walking hand in hand with someone else is one of our greatest gifts to each other. Common humanity = you are NEVER alone.

Check out our entire April Newsletter focused on Common Humanity here.

Beating Loneliness Through Self-Connection

“Loneliness is a subjective feeling where the connections we need are greater than the connections we have.” – Dr. Vivek Murthy

You don’t have to be alone to feel lonely.

Caregivers often feel alone when the loved ones we care for are withdrawn or unable to connect with the rest of the world in traditional ways. We also can get caught up in always trying to do something for someone else. This can lead to a feeling of loneliness as we disconnect from the rest of the world … and even from ourselves. Unchecked over the long term, this disconnect can make it hard for us to identify our own needs and seek support from others when we need it. To break through the loneliness, we need to find healthy ways to reconnect with others and ourselves.

Common HumanityKristi HornerApril 18, 2024Loneliness, Breaking Through Loneliness, Connection

Don’t Let Grief Block the Sun

“Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give, but cannot.” – Jamie Anderson

We experienced an unusual spectacle in northeast Ohio and many other parts of the country this week as people came together to celebrate a few minutes of darkness in the middle of the day during the total solar eclipse. While the idea of an eclipse can be used to symbolize many things, I couldn’t help thinking that it was a perfect metaphor for our topic this week – grief and loss.

Common HumanityKristi HornerApril 11, 2024Grief, loss

Building Bridges for Support

“It takes both sides to build a bridge.” – Fredrik Nael

A lot of what we talk about at Courage to Caregivers involves the self – self-growth, self-knowledge, self-empowerment. But this month, we’re expanding our view as we consider our place within common humanity. And this week’s topic of building bridges is all about understanding, interacting with, and showing support for others.

Common HumanityKristi HornerApril 4, 2024Bridging Differences, Building Bridges

April Newsletter: Self-Compassion + Connectedness + Common Humanity = HOPE

Life can be HARD - I likely don't need to remind you.

Life is filled with moments of joy AND ordinary AND pain. In my most tender moments supporting loved ones (or myself) through immense physical or emotional pain, I've shared my thoughts on how we might navigate our one and precious life. We were never promised a life of only the “good” emotions - like joy and happiness - life comes with the good AND bad - a full spectrum of experiences.

How often do you find yourself asking "why ME?" I've been known to say this and "enough is enough" - how much pain can one person endure?

Sometimes, life feels unfair.

But as you navigate your story - your journey of life - remember, you are NEVER alone. Never alone in your joy OR your pain.

When I founded Courage to Caregivers - it was a passion project. After losing our brother to suicide, my sisters and I knew NO ONE should take this journey - of providing care to someone they love living with mental illness - ALONE. We had felt so very alone all those years providing mental and emotional support for our brother.

Over the years, talking with people, hearing their stories, holding their hands on their journey of pain - whether it be grief, loss of any kind, chronic pain, physical pain, emotional pain, isolation, or loneliness - it can feel hard and overwhelming. One of the things I've learned is ... people want to know they aren't ALONE. We work to validate each caregivers' experience and affirm and normalize their feelings.

“The very definition of being “human” means that one is mortal, vulnerable and imperfect. Therefore, self-compassion involves recognizing that suffering and personal inadequacy is part of the shared human experience – something that we all go through rather than being something that happens to ‘me’ alone.” ~ Kristin Neff

Walking hand in hand with someone else is one of our greatest gifts to each other. Common humanity = you are NEVER alone.

Check out our entire April newsletter focused on Common Humanity here.

Feeling Lonely? There Is HOPE!

One of the most common feelings caregivers express to us is loneliness. As caregivers, we can feel isolated from the rest of the world because of our responsibilities, our loved one’s challenges, or the cultural stigma surrounding mental health. As humans, we are hard-wired for social connections, and loneliness can affect our health and well-being. And we don’t have to BE alone to feel lonely. For these reasons, breaking through loneliness is one of the most important topics we can cover.

Common HumanityKristi HornerApril 20, 2023Breaking Through Loneliness, Loneliness

The Right Way to Grieve Is YOUR Way

This week’s topic is a universal one. Everyone experiences grief and loss. The death of a loved one may be the first thing that comes to mind, but we can also feel grief over many other situations in life, such as the end of a relationship. Caregivers often experience complicated grief – long-term, unresolved, persistent grief, ambiguous grief, loss without closure or clear understanding, or the loss we feel when a loved one is still living but not fully present.

Common HumanityKristi HornerApril 13, 2023Grief, Loss

Bridges of Love and Empathy

“Love builds bridges where there are none.” – R.H. Delaney

There’s a reason we use the term “loved ones” in our mission statement: “To provide hope, support, and courage to caregivers and loved ones of those living with mental illness.” With all the complications and struggles involved in caregiving, we recognize that love is what drives all that we do.

Common HumanityKristi HornerApril 6, 2023Building Bridges, Bridging Differences