Self-Discipline — 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.

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

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

July Newsletter: You Have the Power to Grow

Growing is hard. It’s difficult to unlearn the habits, thoughts, and feelings that you’ve learned and taken on throughout your life.

Is there an aspect in your life that you want to improve upon? Maybe it’s getting out and playing more, maybe it’s remembering to set your phone down and be present in the world, or maybe it’s just wanting to learn more about yourself and others. Maybe it’s setting a sleep schedule, trying new foods and mindfully eating, or moving your body in a way that’s fun for you.

When you know that “You Have the Power to Grow,” you can do anything. Accepting different perspectives becomes a little easier, understanding different backgrounds and experiences is easier, and gaining knowledge and understanding becomes easier. July is also Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Awareness Month, and these communities can face unique struggles. By understanding the unique struggles that BIPOC individuals face, we can expand our worldview to better support BIPOC communities. Having the power to grow can mean that you’re ready and willing to change the way that you see the world and how you navigate the world. However you choose to grow, just know that we support you and your journey towards becoming the best version of yourself (that you desire).

Check out the July Newsletter focused on YOU HAVE THE POWER TO GROW here.

Finding It Hard to Get Motivated? You Have the Power to Make It Easy!

It’s July, and not only do we have a new theme for the month – “You Have the Power to Grow” – but we’re also “off and running” with our first-ever nationwide virtual fundraising event, Move With Courage. Maybe our challenge to encourage movement of ANY kind, to help you improve your physical and mental health, will give you some extra motivation and self-discipline, which happens to be our topic for this week.

You Have Power to GrowKristi HornerJuly 7, 2022Self-Discipline, Motivation

You Have the Power to Grow 🌱- July 2021 Newsletter

Most people want to become better versions of themselves. This isn’t easy. It takes effort, hard work, a degree of risk, and having a growth mindset.

Read our July Newsletter here.

Our Challenge to You: Do What It Takes

Self-discipline and motivation are two important components of a growth mindset. Self-discipline is the ability to make yourself do things that you know you should do when you don’t want to do them. It’s about identifying “what to do” and then actually doing it. Motivation is our willingness and excitement to do those things that are necessary to achieve a goal. It also includes the understanding of “why” we want and need to do something.

You Have Power to GrowKristi HornerJuly 8, 2021Self-Discipline, Motivation