September is Self-Care Awareness month. Being intentional with self-care habits takes time so it makes perfect sense that we need a dedicated month. While my hope is all family caregivers sprinkle flecks of self-care into each and every day, we all can use a jump start.
I am grateful Self-Care Awareness month is September because in many ways September is the fall’s January. What I mean by that is those of us with school-age children get another shot at a reboot for our healthy habits and to focus on our goals. Summer vacation is over and life starts to find it’s normal flow again. The end of the summer season is bittersweet really. I LOVE summer with the relaxed vibe, flip flops, pool parties, and family vacations. I also really enjoy the hum and structure of a routine.
Happier podcast host (a personal show favorite!), Gretchen Rubin concurs. I find Gretchen and I are often on similar pages – we both are ‘upholders’ -you can take her Four Tendencies quiz to find out what you. Gretchen Rubin kicked off her Happier at Home project in September. She calls September ‘the other January’ and refers to it as a ‘clean slate’ without the post-holiday exhaustion.
One of the earliest skills we all adopted was singing our ABCs. We were so proud and showed off this skill everywhere we went. We sang our ABCs in the car, before bed, in the bathtub, and proudly performed our new skill in front of as many people as possible. Now that we are grown ups, it’s time we tweak our well known tune. Below, I give you the ABCs of Self-Care. Sing it boldly sister!
The ABCs of Self-Care
A – Ask for Help. Tap into your tribe and assemble your care team. Caregiving is not a solo job.
B – Believe you are doing enough (because you most definitely are)!
C – Coach your aging parent and your children to be more independent. It’s a win/win! Your aging parent will remain physically and emotionally healthier longer and your kids will grow up to be confident people others want to be around AND you get a little extra time for yourself and won’t feel like you are doing EVERYTHING.
D – Dream Big! Caregivers often put everyone else’s wishes and requests before their own. Gentle reminder: you have one life to live and caregiving will end someday. Grab a beverage and create a dream or bucket list of your own.
E – Explore new things. Sometimes the day to day of caregiving can feel like you are trapped on a hamster wheel. Incorporating new products (check out our Favorite Things) or trying new things breaks up the monotony of the day.
F – Find the one or two Friends who you can be 100% authentic with. They love you no matter what – through the good, the bad and the ugly crying! No one coming to mind? Schedule a free initial consultation to see what it’s like to work with me.
G – A Gratitude practice will shape your attitude. Focus on what’s GOOD in your life and watch the blessings multiply. Life is hard and there is much to be grateful for. Consider starting a gratitude journal or perhaps just find a gratitude trigger to initiate an impromptu practice like when you stop at a red light, climb stairs or after you switch your bedside lamp off at night.
H – No one cares about your Health more than you. Is there a Habit that you need to add or subtract that is holding you back from living your best life?
I – Independence – It’s important to have something to call your own and being financially independent is something any human desires. Perhaps you have a business idea that surfaced from your caregiving experiences. Maybe you need a flexible way to earn some income. Becoming a Certified Caregiving Consultant may help build your confidence and open up doors for you.
J – Journaling can be super therapeutic. Writing the Happy Healthy Caregiver blog posts has helped keep me sane. Jotting a few sentences in the Just for You: a Daily Self-Care Journal is so doable and helps keep self-care top of mind.
K – Know your limits and your boundaries.
L – Look for Laughter. Watch funny movies and tv shows. Follow positive social accounts. Subtract the stuff that brings you down. Life is heavy enough with all you have going on in this season of life. Make up your own ‘You Know You are A Caregiver When…’ phrases and text them to close family and friends.
M – More Me Time is possible. Use this handy Help I Need More Me Time! free resource to find and re-purpose your pockets of time.
N – The National Caregiving Conference is this November in Chicago. No one is going to get what you are going through like hundreds of family caregivers. The majority of attendees and presenters at this conference are current or former family caregivers sharing learnings, best practices, and uplifting those who are literally in many cases lift up others. Come meet us in person or watch several of the sessions virtually.
O – Online Resources – Use them! Search for ‘family caregiver’ or ‘caregiver support’ in your area and see what pops up. There may be a Daughterhood Circle near you. Connecting with caregivers in your community will validate you aren’t all alone in this journey. Struggling with caring for someone with Incontinence or Dementia -there’s an online support community for that! At a minimum follow Happy Healthy Caregiver on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter and join our email list.
P – Plan out your Self-Care just like you plan out other areas of your life. Be intentional about prioritizing your health and happiness and watch how the rest of the pieces of life just fall into place a bit easier.
Q – Quotes are uplifting and inspiring. We’ve got over 150 of them in our Happy Healthy Caregiver Jar. A great daily habit to set your brain in the right space and establish the positive tone for the day.
R – Reward yourself in healthy ways for a job well done. Go to lunch with a friend. Schedule a facial or a massage. Buy a new workout outfit. Enjoy a vase of fresh flowers. Treat yourself to a new aromatic essential oil. Take a nap!
S – Sleep quality. Many of us (me included!) need to give our brains more rest. The brain is central to everything we do and it needs our TLC.
T – Twofers! Schedule a hike with your partner or friend to enjoy some quality outdoor time together and get in some healthy steps. Or tune into a Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast episode while you are running errands, driving to work, or doing ho-hum household chores. Click here to learn more about getting savvy with all the tasks on your plate.
U – Unplug from your technology – especially right before you go to sleep. Even our smartphones can only work for so long before they need to be recharged.
W – Walk outside. Soak up some of nature’s bountiful gifts and some Vitamin D.
X – XOXO. Love yourself. Negative self-talk doesn’t serve you well. Self-care starts with self-love.
Y – Try some Yoga! Incorporating some yoga into your weekly routine strengthens your core and helps you become more aware of what your body may need.
Z – Add a bit of Zest in your life. Listen to the Happy Healthy playlist or the Caregiver Anthem playlist on Spotify. Turn it up!
Now you know your ABCs of Self-Care. Sing them loud and proud! Then, pay it forward. Share this post with a friend or family member you care about.
