Wellness — Blog — Courage to Caregivers

JULY 2024 Newsletter: Your Journey to Wellness Starts Today

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.

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?

Check out our entire July newsletter focused on WELLNESS here.

Take a Break, Find Your Sanctuary

My time in my garden is precious to me. It feels very therapeutic to dig in the dirt. I love how the colors, scents, textures, and sounds activate ALL of my senses while I’m gardening. And there’s something magical about watching things grow and thrive before my eyes. My garden shows me that change for the good may be hard, but it is possible. My garden shows me HOPE. It’s my sanctuary.

WellnessKristi HornerJuly 25, 2024Sanctuary, Inner Peace, Peace

Let Your Self-Discipline Motivate You

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” – Zig Ziglar

Our topic for this week, self-discipline vs. motivation, might sound like a competition, but it’s really more of a distinction. Self-discipline is the ability to make yourself do things you know you should do when you don’t want to do them. Motivation is a willingness to do something based on a desire to achieve a goal and an excitement about the process. While your motivation identifies your “why,” your self-discipline helps give you the “how” or the means to get there.

WellnessKristi HornerJuly 18, 2024Self-Discipline, Motivation

Move for Yourself and for Others

To introduce this week’s topic, move with courage, I want you to answer this question honestly: Are you in your best shape (whatever that may look like for you)? If not, have you considered that being out of shape may not only be keeping you from achieving your goals but might also be affecting the quality of care that you’re giving your loved one?

I know those are difficult questions, but we all need to face them. Amidst all of our daily responsibilities, we may tell ourselves that our personal health is a lower priority than other goals. Yet, when we realize that our personal health plays a role in our ability to fulfill all those other responsibilities, it’s easier to commit to staying active and being the best version of ourselves that we can be.

WellnessKristi HornerJuly 11, 2024Movement, Move Your Body, Move With Courage

Sleep Is Forgiving

“Prioritizing good sleep is practicing good self-love.” – Unknown

This month’s theme is wellness, and one of the best ways you can promote your own wellness is to practice good sleep hygiene. As the above quote states, good sleep is part of self-love! And good sleep hygiene involves setting boundaries – with others and yourself – to make it a practice to get all the sleep your physical and mental health needs, each and every night.

WellnessKristi HornerJuly 3, 2024Sleep Hygiene, Sleep

JULY 2023 Newsletter: Wellness is Possible With Practice

"Wellness is about how we live our lives and the joy and fulfillment and health we experience." ~ SAMHSA, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, "Creating a Healthier Life - A Step-by-Step Guide to Wellness."

With our focus on creating sustainable PRACTICES, we can look at WELLNESS as a state of BEING. By creating healthy habits, we set ourselves up for sustainable wellness.

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease.” ~ World Health Organization

5 TOOLS TO IMPROVE YOUR WELLNESS:

Inspired by 9 Tested Tips to Improve Your Wellbeing and Quality of Life by John Adams, The Wellbeing Project

FOCUS ON THE FAB 3: Sleep - nutrition - movement. Get enough sleep (6-8 hours is recommended). Eat healthy, balanced meals & stay hydrated. Move your body ... more!
MANAGE YOUR STRESS: Learning how to cope and manage stressors is essential. NOTICE what causes you stress; where do you hold stress? ... BREATHE ... How do you cope and manage stressful situations?
STAY CONNECTED: Social isolation has been found to be as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day! Find ways to connect daily with others: family - friends - neighbors - colleagues - support groups! Start a conversation in the checkout line at the grocery. Smile at a stranger. A short call - FaceTime - Zoom - all provide human connection.
BE PRESENT: BREATHE. You're doing the best you can with what you have in this moment. Remember, caregiving is a JOURNEY. Do your best to be fully present in your wellness journey, too. Where do you want to start? Set micro-goals that are SMART. Find an accountability partner. Then, don't forget to celebrate your successes as you progress!
AVOID THE BAD: Focus on all the GOOD you are doing for you, and work to avoid or limit the BAD for you: alcohol - smoking - drugs - sugar - caffeine.

At Courage to Caregivers we know that healthier, stronger caregivers provide healthier, stronger care to their loved ones, and in turn create healthier, stronger families.

Check out our entire July newsletter focused on Wellness here.

WellnessKristi HornerJuly 27, 2023Movement, Move Your Body, Self-Discipline, Sleep Hygiene, Sleep

Your Goals ARE Within Reach

When we figure out our “why” and “what,” the sky’s the limit in setting our goals for self-growth. But setting goals is just the first step. Now we have to find a way to achieve those goals. That’s where self-discipline and motivation come in.

Most of us want to become better versions of ourselves, but it’s not easy. It takes hard work, dedication, and usually some risk. Our motivation to meet our goals depends on our willingness to take action that moves us further on our growth journey. And when this means we have to do something we wouldn’t otherwise want to do, we need self-discipline to keep us on track.

WellnessKristi HornerJuly 19, 2023Motivation, Self-Discipline

Join the Movement!

"Change happens through movement and movement heals." ~ Joseph Pilates

Our topic this week is also a challenge: Move with Courage! Research continues to show that daily movement can benefit your mental AND your physical health. Anything from light stretching to moderate exercise to vigorous activity can do the trick. The key is to find activities you enjoy and to do them with people you like (or alone if you prefer).

I’m proof that movement heals. For much of my life, I went to the gym and attended aerobics classes regularly. But then, the unthinkable happened. I started feeling chronic pain and fatigue, and doctors and specialists could not figure out the cause. Determined to find something that didn’t cause more pain, I discovered Pilates. The gentle gliding (and compassion of my instructors) transformed me. The movement helped my body – and my attitude. I started feeling healthier, brighter, and stronger.

That’s why this week, and throughout the entire month of July, we’re challenging YOU to move any way you want – walk, run, bike, hike, swim, paddle, dance, wheel, garden, do Pilates, practice yoga, meditate – with our MOVE WITH COURAGE Micro-Challenge Calendar.

Wellness, Your Body is a TempleKristi HornerJuly 13, 2023Movement, Move Your Body

Things Look Better After a Good Night’s Sleep

This month, we’ll be talking about topics related to wellness, and getting enough sleep is one of the best practices we can follow to improve our self-health.

But I get it. When there never seems to be enough time in the day to take care of all our responsibilities and take some time for ourselves, we may find it hard to get enough quality sleep time. That’s when practicing good sleep hygiene can help. Sleep hygiene is a series of steps you can take to ensure that your body and brain have time to rest and recharge.

WellnessKristi HornerJuly 6, 2023Sleep Hygiene, Sleep