Empowering Caregivers with Boundary Setting

08/13/24 • 52 min

Ever feel like you're juggling multiple roles and struggling to keep up? In this episode of the Caregiver Cup podcast, I share my personal journey of balancing a corporate job, running a business, and caregiving for loved ones. By tracking my week, I discovered the immense demands placed on caregivers—akin to working four full-time jobs. Drawing from my experiences in the Empowerful Caregiver School and coaching sessions, we'll explore the crucial role of boundaries in managing these overwhelming responsibilities. Plus, I give a heartfelt thank you to the listeners for their support, especially during my recent battle with COVID.
Dive deep into the significance of setting various types of boundaries—physical, time, energy, and abilities—to protect your well-being and provide the best care possible. We'll discuss practical strategies for establishing self-care boundaries, such as incorporating morning walks, ensuring adequate sleep, and taking personal breaks. Learn how to manage a caregiving schedule that allows for personal time and seek help from others to strike a balanced lifestyle. Listen to Angel from Florida's touching story, which underscores the challenges many face while caring for a loved one at home.
Lastly, we'll emphasize the power of assertive communication in maintaining these boundaries and shifting from self-imposed guilt to a collaborative approach with family members. Explore real-life examples of how hobbies, structured schedules, and assistive technology can enhance personal fulfillment and provide more freedom. By honoring these boundaries and listening to your body, mind, and heart, you can show up as your best self and deliver the care your loved ones deserve. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review—your well-being matters, and together, we can create sustainable caregiving routines.

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Support the show

💌 Want more inspiration, information, and a deeper connection? Join the Caregiver Cup Community Newsletter for my weekly email filled with support and encouragement.

Get my free resource: 17 Shifts To Reduce CAREGIVER STRESS & Say Good-bye To CAREGIVER BURNOUT

Previous Episode

The Art Of Self-Compassion: How to Nurture Yourself as a Caregiver

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How do you maintain your own well-being while caring for others? Join me as we uncover the importance of self-compassion for caregivers, even while I navigate my own journey through the Omicron COVID virus. You'll hear a heartfelt message from a listener grappling with anger and resentment in caregiving, and together, we'll learn how self-compassion can pave the way to greater emotional resilience, stability, and life satisfaction.
Using the analogy of a garden, we explore how integral nurturing our body, mind, and soul is to maintaining our strength and resilience as caregivers. Discover practical tips for self-care, from pausing to acknowledge feelings of overwhelm to tracking thoughts and behaviors to identify stress triggers. We'll also discuss setting small, realistic goals and celebrating every success, no matter how minor, to ensure we don't succumb to burnout.
Lastly, we delve into the importance of finding pockets of time for self-care and connecting with others for support and accountability. Hear the story of Sarah, who managed to incorporate enjoyable activities into her busy day, and learn how practicing gratitude can significantly enhance our mental health. Treat yourself with the same compassion you offer to others, and remember, nurturing yourself is fundamental to showing up with compassion and grace for both yourself and your loved ones.

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💌 Want more inspiration, information, and a deeper connection? Join the Caregiver Cup Community Newsletter for my weekly email filled with support and encouragement.

Get my free resource: 17 Shifts To Reduce CAREGIVER STRESS & Say Good-bye To CAREGIVER BURNOUT

Next Episode

Mindful Mornings for Caregivers: How to Build an Intentional Routine

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In this episode of The Caregiver Cup Podcast, we're diving deep into the power of starting your day with an intentional morning routine. As caregivers, we often wake up to a day full of responsibilities and challenges, which can leave us feeling overwhelmed before the day even begins. But what if you could transform your mornings—and your entire day—by incorporating a few mindful practices?

We’ll explore how a structured morning routine can provide you with a sense of control, calm, and readiness to face whatever comes your way. From simple tips like drinking a glass of water to setting daily intentions, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you create a routine that works for you.

Key Takeaways:

Why Intentionality Matters: Learn how starting your day with intention can set a positive tone for the entire day, helping you manage stress and approach caregiving with a clear mind.
Morning Routine Ideas: Discover practical ways to build a morning routine that fits your life, even if you only have 5 minutes.
Mindfulness Practices: Incorporate simple mindfulness exercises like gratitude journaling, visualization, and affirmations to boost your mood and energy levels.
Energy Management: Find out how to identify your peak energy times and use them to tackle your most demanding tasks.

Resources Mentioned:

Apps: Calm, Insight Timer
Website: Dr. Kristin Neff on Self-Compassion

Listener Challenge: I want to hear from you! What are one or two intentions you can set tomorrow morning to make your day better? Hit the text feature and share your intentions with me. Let’s inspire each other to start our days with purpose and positivity.

Don’t Miss Out: If you're not already on my email list, make sure to sign up at cathylvan.com for weekly newsletters filled with tips and inspiration tailored for caregivers like you.

Support the show

💌 Want more inspiration, information, and a deeper connection? Join the Caregiver Cup Community Newsletter for my weekly email filled with support and encouragement.

Get my free resource: 17 Shifts To Reduce CAREGIVER STRESS & Say Good-bye To CAREGIVER BURNOUT

The Caregiver Cup Podcast - Empowering Caregivers with Boundary Setting

Transcript

Speaker 100:00:00.160

Well , welcome my friend , to another episode of the Caregiver Cup podcast . It's Kathy here behind the mic for episode number 226 . Thank you again for listening . This topic is so big . I've covered this topic before but it is so worth revisiting . As a matter of fact , we talked about boundaries back on episode 197 . It's called Navigating Boundaries from the Whys to the Hows i