The Cancer Caregiver

Caregiving changes relationships. It makes things weird, messy, and complicated at best, and it closes the book on what was our relationship with the loved ones we care for. You just want to be in the story you were living before caregiving. Then one day you look at yourself in the mirror and realize you don’t recognize the person looking back at you. Listen to episode 148 to hear how finding yourself will affect your relationships in the future. Find more at https://www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com

This episode is an interview with August Spree from Twist Out Cancer. Listen today to learn about the wonderful art based programs Twist Out Cancer provides for cancer survivors, previvors and cancer caregivers! Find links to Twist Out Cancer programs at https://www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com

Do you feel like you had a choice in becoming a caregiver? Most people become caregivers because it just made sense. You were the one that was dependable enough, strong enough and the one who didn’t know to or couldn’t say no. That’s the problem. Most of us don’t know we can say no. Listen to episode 147 of the Love Your Caregiving Podcast and read the transcript at https://www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com

The other day I was venting to my husband about something that was really upsetting to me. I took my time to set up the scene and explain to him what happened. He actively looked like he was listening and then… he made the mistake of trying to fix it. When my husband tried to fix my problem it made me feel misunderstood. I wondered if he was really hearing what I was trying to tell him or if he was spending all of that time figuring out how to fix it. Feeling misunderstood led to a sharp feeling of loneliness that showed up as anger. Caregivers feel misunderstood often and our feelings of loneliness are strengthened simply by feeling like no one get’s what we’re going through. Listen to Episode 146 to hear, ❤️How you can access what your needs are from the people you speak with. 👉🏼The importance of understanding that we have to be brave enough to be vulnerable in order to be seen. 💪Why we need to be strong enough to ask for what we need and love ourselves enough to know what those needs really are. Find more at www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com

I’m sitting here writing this to you on the second week of January and I have a confession to make… my Christmas decorations are still up. Things are not going to plan. The constant reminder that a chore needs to be completed is both frustrating and upsetting at the same time. Maybe it isn’t your holiday decorations that are the problem but there is more than likely something that needs to be done that the health of your family and the weight of caregiving has made it difficult for you to do. Christmas decorations in the middle of January may seem like the least of a caregivers worries. You’re right! That is exactly why they’re still up. Listen to episode 145 of the Love Your Caregiving Life podcast to learn how my decision tree works and how it helps me focus on what is most important for me and my family. Find Love Your Caregiving Life at www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com

This time last year my husband and I started downsizing our lives so we could move from our suburban home in Minneapolis to a condo in Chicago. It made us realize that we were really excited about some of the responsibilities we no longer needed to worry about. Responsibilities stressed me out when my husband wasn’t physically able to do them during the years his cancer took a larger role in our lives. Listen to episode 144 to hear more about ⭐️How downsizing in our life allowed us to enjoy it more. ❤️Work through what you might be willing to let someone else do for you so you can spend more time doing more of what’s important in your caregiving life. 👉🏼Understand how sometimes “because we always do it this way” isn’t always the nest way. Find transcripts and more at www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com

Let’s talk about why hating yourself isn’t a requirement for change. Your needs matter. You don’t have to find a reason to hate yourself in order to justify doing them. Listen to episode 143 to learn, ❤️How to choose the change you want in life without the need to hate yourself in order to do it. ❤️How to make positive life changes that set you up to succeed. ❤️Ways to not fall into the trap of New Years resolutions that will only serve to make you feel bad about yourself. Find more at www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com

Why do we hurt our ability to enjoy the small moments in our lives by being controlled by what might happen in the future? How many times do you find yourself laughing with a group of people and then remember your loved one has a doctor’s appointment next week and suddenly feel your stomach drop? Or maybe living in constant worry of the possibility of losing your loved one to the point that you can never enjoy the day you’re living in with them? Listen to Episode 142 to hear more on how you can enjoy living with your loved one and make more opportunities to enjoy life with them. You can find more at www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com

When you think of it, aren’t the “bad” times and experiences in your life what make you who you are? When you think about your caregiving do you know you can make it through difficult things because of the vacation you took three years ago or because you were able to advocate for your loved one last month? Listen to episode 141 of the Love Your Caregiving Life podcast to find out why we only document the good and try to quickly forget the things that change us and why my camera roll is only full of Chicago sunsets and smiling faces? Find the Transcript at www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com

How many times have you been out with someone and suddenly they'll give you a weird look and ask if you’ve been walking around like that all day? Have you had two different shoes on all day or wait, I thought your hair was up when we left. When was the last time you really saw your loved one? It’s so easy to do. I mean in a - why didn’t you tell me I forgot to button up my shirt before we left the house kind of way. We just take for granted that they’re there. We see the space they’re taking up but don’t really look at them. We walk alongside our loved ones for so long that we fail to truly see them. Listen to or read episode 140 to hear more on why it’s important to notice your loved one and how to use that to strengthen your relationship. Find more support at www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com

Here’s the thing… gratitude isn’t standing around the dinner table holding hands with people you haven’t seen in a year, feverishly trying to think up a new thing you can say you’re grateful for because Aunt Mary already took what you were going to say! Gratitude is not just a holiday theme. It isn’t a one-and-done kinda thing. In fact, I love that gratitude gets the spotlight for one-twelfth of the year because I believe it is a powerful practice and is something I do all the time. Gratitude is a practice. You aren’t supposed to be good at it on your first try. How do you work on it? You try your best to find things you are grateful for and acknowledge when that feeling of gratitude or thankfulness genuinely shows up. For example… Let’s say someone hands something to you and you say “thank you”. If you were practicing gratitude you would take a moment to really be thankful for it. Thank you can be such a mechanical thing to say. If you are practicing gratitude then simply really being thankful for something when you say thank you can be a great place to start. Listen to episode 139 to learn more about what gratitude actually is and ways you can start practicing it today. Find a free gratitude sheet in the show notes at https://www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com/blog/episode-139-gratitude-and-thankfulness-don-t-have-to-be-bad-words-for-caregivers

Usually, the topic of gratitude pops up when life is already too difficult for you to handle as a caregiver. Usually, around the holidays the gratitude message becomes powerful and you can feel surrounded by it. You’ll see it in holiday commercials, on social media, and in almost any conversation you find yourself in. Or worse yet… the awkward gratitude circle your family always forms right before you’re allowed to eat. Listen to Episode 138 of the Love Your Caregiving Life podcast to learn why it’s ok to be angry about gratitude. Find more caregiving support including the digital caregiving magazine Caregiving Confessions at www.loveyorucaregivinglife.com

Turbulence is never a science. You could hear there could be some bumps along that way and on the other end of it realize it really wasn’t anything to worry about. Or the turbulence hits out of thin air and it takes you by surprise. Either way… you’ve learned that there is a certain amount of unpredictability when you fly and you have to choose how you will approach that each time you get on a plane. Caregiving is the same way.

We’ve all been forced to face how unfair life can be… so are you a glass empty or glass full type of person? I think I’m a… hope the waiter comes soon because I’m thirsty type. I do walk through life expecting the best. Don’t you deserve the best? You doubted that when I said it didn’t you? But really… don’t you deserve the best? What if the best isn’t a cure. What if the best is seeing what is good in your life? Listen to episode 136 to find out how I make sure that glass is filled as high or as low as I need for it to be.

Do you have moments when you realize you have a particular thing you do with your loved one that only makes sense to the two of you? Have you been caregiving for so long that the back story would take way too long to explain it to anyone else? Love that you can look at each other, smile and know exactly what the other person is thinking? Or maybe you’re like me and realize sometimes that your caregiving role can look a little weird to people who just don’t get it. Listen to episode 135 and hear how meeting a new oncologist made me realize how dysfunctional some of my caregiving duties can look like from the outside and still make complete sense for my husband and I.

Loving Kindness Meditation practice helps you cultivate unconditional love towards yourself and others. Listen to this podcast episode to understand what unconditional love is, how it’s probably already a big part of your caregiver DNA and why consciously working with it can make this ability stronger. Listen to episode #134 to get a better understanding of what unconditional love is and how your caregiving benefits from it.

Negative self talk and feeling resentful and angry are all part of the caregiving experience that we’d rather not talk about. Feeling inadequate and constantly going over our mistakes when things go wrong can hijack our day and keep us from feeling happiness. Would you like to find an easy way to.. Reduce body pain and migraines. Decrease stress and anxiety Slow biological decline Nuture strong relationships. Listen to episode 133 of the Love Your Caregiving Life Playlist to find out how.

We spend a lot of time wishing we were loved more, appreciated more, and seen. We base our future happiness on the health of the people we care for. How many times do you think or say that you’ll do something for yourself or feel happier once they recover or feel better? So we spend forever waiting because even if that day were to come we would probably push finding our own happiness to the side. We can’t base our happiness and our self-love on other people. Yes, people in our lives can bring us happiness. We feel good about ourselves when we feel we are truly seen by people. However, that happiness doesn’t last long. Somehow we have to find that happiness and love from within ourselves. Listen to this episode to learn how you can do that in 10 minutes a day.

You may not notice it… but you have strength that not everyone has. You continue when others would have just given up and you stay to help your loved one even when you feel like running away. I understand that thinking about setting boundaries can feel scary because you have to see who you are outside of caregiving… and for many of us, that means we’ll realize that we are lost. Finding yourself again could be the best adventure you ever go on. If you need a pep talk today listen to the episode “Caregiver strength you might not even know you have”

What do you do when you find yourself alone… with nothing to do and no one to interact with? Do you pick up your phone and scroll through social media or play a game? Do you grab a book or magazine or start to write down a list of things you need to do? It’s awkward isn’t it? When you find yourself alone with just your thoughts it feels uncomfortable to sit with them. Sometimes it hurts to sit in silence because it forces you to see what your reality is. Maybe your world is always so loud that the silence itself hurts your ears. Listen to hear more on how difficult being still can be and why you really need it in your life right now. Don’t forget to download your free issue of Caregiving Confessions! It’s the digital magazine for caregivers you always wanted.

Does it make you cringe when you say no to someone? If you know the right thing is to say no do you try to find ways to not even have that conversation because it’s stressing you out? Do you say yes because saying no feels too hard even though you know it’s the right thing? Listen to episode ## of the Love Your Caregiving Life podcast and learn how to say no so you can start to say yes to yourself.

Do you find it hard to separate your interest, needs and feelings from the person you care for? Do you feel like you’re lost and don’t know who you really are anymore? Listen to learn What do boundaries mean to you How to set meaningful limits so you make your needs a priority again. Learning when to say no and yes to things The importance of a boundary buddy. Have questions? Want to work on boundary setting more but don’t know where to start? The October issue of Caregiving Confessions is all about boundary setting, how to say no and where to find the inner strength to create a life you actually enjoy living. Find more info at https://www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com/confessions

You’ve lost a lot more than you probably realize now that you’re a caregiver. Listen to this episode of the Love Your Caregiving Life podcast and see what losses we’ve all encountered and how to get through the grief without any more shame or regret. Learn how to heal without making the emotions small or unimportant. You deserve to be able to grieve without worrying others will think your loss is trivial. Find more support at https://www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com

Welcome to Part 4 of the Caregiver Self-Care summer series where I take you back to the 4 most important episodes on self-care for caregivers. If you are just finding this for the first time please consider going back and starting with episode 123 as these episodes all build off of each other. If you’ve been following along all month long welcome to the last part of the series! In this episode I take you through the same process I take my clients through in finding out what kind of self-care works for them and how to implement it into their lives. So grab a notebook or if you’re already subscribed to Caregiving Confessions this will all be included in the September Self-Care issue. Caregiving Confessions is a digital magazine for caregivers that not only gives you tools to help you enjoy your caregiving life more but it’s a way for all of us to see and hear that we aren’t alone. Each month we get together in a live session to talk about the main topic of each issue and September will be focused on answering your self-care questions and helping you through any difficulty you might have in making self-care a part of your life. So join us at loveyourcaregivinglife.com/confessions. Now let’s get on with making self-care a reality for you!

The focus of this episode is focusing on prioritizing yourself and creating boundaries. This is the next step in creating your own self-care plan and can prove to be one of the most difficult because it requires you to go from planning and thinking of doing something to acting on it. Along with the last 2 self-care tools you can try out. It’s also coming close to the time for the subscription cutoff for the September issue of Caregiving Confessions. The September issue of this digital magazine will focus on helping you find self-care that will actually work for you, fun ways to try new things out along the way and a live session with me to ask the questions you might have in finding a way to make self-care part of your day. Join before September 1st to get your hands on the self-care issue of Caregiving Confessions and access to the subscriber-only live session. www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com/confessions

Welcome to Part two of the Caregiver Self-Care summer series where I take you back to the 4 most important episodes on self-care for caregivers. If you listened to last week's episode you might have a new understanding of what self-care is. If you haven’t listened to it I suggest you start with that one first. You’re always told you should care for yourself but understanding why is what you might really need. Some days you really need to have a strong sense of why self-care matters to you. Listen to this episode to learn of the benefits of self-care why self-care should be important. Two new self-care tools to try This series will be continued into the September issue of Caregiving confessions the digital magazine for caregivers. If you haven’t subscribed find all the information at loveyourcaregivinglife.com/confessions. The September issue will expand on these self-care episodes will include a live session with me and other caregivers to answer your questions and connect.

Welcome to Part one of the Caregiver Self-Care summer series where I take you back to the 4 most important episodes on self-care for caregivers. I get that self-care can feel like it isn’t for you. You’ve been handed multiple lists of things you should be doing for yourself and people are always telling you that caring for yourself is important but the problem is no one has helped you figure out or understand what self-care actually is and what it can look like for you. Let’s talk about what self-care really is and look at two self-care tools that might actually work for you. This series will be continued into the September issue of Caregiving Confessions the digital magazine for caregivers. If you haven’t subscribed find all the information at loveyourcaregivinglife.com/confessions. The September issue will expand on these self-care episodes will include a live session with me and other caregivers to answer your questions and connect.

Welcome to the last part of The Things They Should Have Told You summer series where I take you back to the 4 most important episodes for caregivers to listen to no matter how long they’ve been a caregiver. Resentment is the main focus of this episode and is an important episode for all caregivers to listen to because it’s an emotion I think we all feel at times and it’s probably one of the last ones we’ll talk about to someone else. This series will be continued into the August issue of Caregiving confessions the digital magazine for caregivers. Subscribe before August 1st to be part of the conversation on the things you wish you were told, learn from things other caregivers now know, and help new caregivers learn from the things you’ve figured out on your own. Join us at www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com/confessions

Knowing you aren’t alone in this is one of the first things I’d love all caregivers to know. This episode is one of my favorites but it almost didn’t get recorded. I did a lot of crying when I wrote this and I could hardly get through recording it so for a moment I considered not doing it at all. I was worried and a little scared that being this vulnerable was too much but then I realized that is what I’m trying to fight. We hide the things that make us feel most vulnerable and usually those are emotions and thoughts caused by our caregiving experience. So how could I NOT publish an episode that is exactly what I needed to hear not only when I first became a caregiver but even some days today ten years later! This series will be continued into the August issue of Caregiving confessions the digital magazine for caregivers. If you haven’t subscribed find all the information at loveyourcaregivinglife.com/confessions

Let’s listen to this episode and hear how I would have loved it if a nurse or someone would have told me I should consider having different levels of communication with different types of people in my life group texts would not make it easier some people would selfishly overreact in front of me and it wasn’t my place to help them feel better about it. it would have made things a lot better for me. This series will be continued into the August issue of Caregiving Confessions the digital magazine for caregivers. If you haven’t subscribed, find all the information at loveyourcaregivinglife.com/confessions.

Welcome to The Things They Should Have Told You summer series where I take the 4 most important episodes for caregivers to listen to no matter how long they’ve been a caregiver. So let’s start off with my origin story. I truly believe all caregivers are superheroes and with all superheroes we feel more connected to them when we learn their origin stories. This series will be continued into the August issue of Caregiving Confessions the digital magazine for caregivers. If you haven’t subscribed, find all the information at loveyourcaregivinglife.com/confessions. The August issue will expand on the episodes you will hear this month and will include a live session with me and other caregivers to talk over the things we would have liked to have known when we became caregivers and things we might benefit from knowing now.

Do you believe that understanding who you are right now is the next step toward finding more happiness in life? In the episode I share steps you can take to figure out who you really are and how to adjust your expectations to align with the life you are currently living. Don't have your free issue of Caregiving Confessions? Grab it here https://www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com/downloads

When I found myself sad and lonely only 6 months into caregiving, I didn’t realize then that part of me was grieving. I was grieving the old me the old way of life the old world I never would be a part of again. Life for the people around me didn’t change, but the world my husband, daughter, and I lived in changed instantly, without warning. Grieving is a process we need to be able to go through as caregivers so we can let go of the old parts of us, the hobby, the goals, and all the things that don’t really fit into the life we are living now. Listen to this episode and learn not only how to let go but ways you can grieve and release what really doesn’t matter anymore. Download your free issue of Caregiving Confessions at https://www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com/downloads

Do you remember the day you became a caregiver? Most of us didn’t actively decide to become a caregiver. We stepped in because that was what we felt we should naturally do. It was a passive decision. This episode will help you understand how not being given the opportunity to make an active decision to become a caregiver started you off with a disadvantage and what you can do about it. Download your free issue of Caregiving Confessions at https://www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com/downloads

Feeling left out of life is an issue for most of us at some point of us being caregivers. You miss the days when you can plan for vacations. Go out to do something fun on a whim and live a little more spontaneously. However, right now whenever you think about the possibility of getting away in any capacity you feel tethered to your house. Listen to this episdoe to hear how normal jealousy can be in caregiving and how to actually make that vacation escape happen even if you can’t travel. Then download your free issue of Caregiving Confessions at www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com/confessions

Do the seasons pass you by without you noticing them? Do you find yourself in the middle of summer or at the end of the year and not really know how you got there so quickly? No matter where you ever are in your role as a caregiver it always requires you to do more, remember more, stress out more than you would if you weren’t caring for anyone but yourself. In this episode, I go over five ways you can learn to notice the little things. Listen now and then head over to www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com/confessions to download your free issue of Caregiving Confessions

We all crave connection. We all want to know we aren’t alone in our experiences as caregivers. We’re looking for ways to change our outlook on life. And We want to be entertained. Listen now to learn how to figure out what your needs are as a caregiver, how to make them a priority in your life, and what the heck this has to do with the Dalai Lama. Or go directly to what you really need at https://www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com/confessions

Finding things that will help you relax a little or take a break from stress and that suit you can be difficult. Because of that, I’d like for you to know that self-care isn’t easy. It’s the most difficult thing to do when you really need it and it takes a certain amount of drive from you to become a reality. So if you wonder why the words self-care cause you to cringe it could possibly be because being told to care for yourself is usually done with the attitude that it should be easy for you to do. Just meditate. Journal, how hard can that be? People from the outside of the caregiving experience can’t understand that it isn’t as simple as putting pen to paper. If this sounds like you, Listen to this episode if this sounds like you and find a solution to your self-care problems at https://www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com/confessions

I have a confession to make… When I first became a caregiver I had moments when I actually thought about running away. Sometimes just a thought is enough to cause a domino effect of emotions. We all need a place where we feel like we aren’t judged and we can “Confess” the taboo topics we’ve been holding onto all these years. That’s why I created Caregiving Confessions. Let’s cast aside the guilt and shame that keeps us from doing things for ourselves. Don't miss out on www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com/confessions

People talk about caregivers like we’re all the same person. When people mention us, especially if they don’t have first-hand experiences as a caregiver or from working with caregivers you get the idea that they think everything for caregivers should be one size fits all. Listen today to learn how although our needs are similar not any two of the 62 million caregivers in the US are never the same and how understanding what phase of caregiving you’re in is important. Find the transcripts and the free issue of Caregiving Confessions at www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com

Do you know who you really are right now? When caregivers find it difficult to find ways to enjoy their lives one of the biggest issues I find they have is the fact that even though they know they are caring for someone they haven’t accepted that they aren’t the people they once were. Listen to Episode 109 “The Clarity That Comes From Accepting vs Just Knowing You're a Caregiver” and begin to fully live your life now. Find the free issue of Caregiving Confessions as well as the transcripts of this episode at www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com

Let’s talk about sharing a self care activity with the person you care for. If you start to do something daily or weekly together that reduces your stress and anxiety as well as theirs you’ll create or strengthen your connection with them. This allows you to have moments together that you’ll be able to look back at and remember. By doing this you’re meeting so many needs both of you have. You’re giving them the gift of connection. Something we all crave to some degree and it’s very easy to not connect with the person you care for because you spend all of your time doing things for them instead of doing things with them. Listen to this to find recommendations of things you can do with or alongside the person you care for and find more resources and support at www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com Start making moments count!

Do you suffer from having your caregiver armor on so securely that it’s almost impossible to take it off? Do you have times when you want to just relax but can’t get yourself to do it? When you get stuck in caregiving mode and aren’t able to live your day just as the person you are, you lose the ability to be present and enjoy it. You miss the smiles and the tears. You miss the moments when things might have been said that actually mattered. Listen to how easy it was for me to get stuck in caregiver mode and what you can do to find your way back to flipping that caregiver switch off every once in a while. Listen to Desperately Stuck in Caregiver Mode and How to Escape it today

Do you react in disgust when someone asks you about your plans for the weekend? Whenever I ask a caregiver if they’re going to do anything fun, 9 times out of 10 they react in disgust and say something like “The Weekends are the same as the weekdays” or “How is fun even possible?” Or maybe you’d like to have fun but feel guilty for wanting it or fear you’ll be judged for taking a break from life. Well, today you have something to back you up! There are scientific studies that show that having fun has a positive physical and mental effect. It benefits you to have fun and sets you up for a healthier way to live as a caregiver. So now when you try to discount the need for fun in your life or worry about what people will say you have facts to support you… although you know deep inside it feels good no matter what. Listen to this episode - Top Five Reasons Caregivers Need Fun in Their Lives and learn why having fun is a necessity.

There is nothing more irritating than people pissing you off when you’re too tired to make good choices! Responding takes a lot of work. It also takes practice. Most importantly you need to have the energy to respond and that means you have to create opportunities to let go of stress. It feels easier to yell back, confront and stomp away because it actually is physically and mentally easier to do! Listen to episode 105 to learn how to keep your cool and not react at doctor’s appointments. Find the download mentioned Here or at www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Tracey Noonan of @dont_call_me_cupcake podcast and @wkdgoodcupcakes about her experience as a caregiver for her parents and father in law. She shares how not one, but both of her parents were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and her father-in-law was diagnosed with Stage 4 stomach cancer just a year following her unbelievably successful Shark Tank appearance, with her daughter Dani, and subsequent deal with Shark, @kevinolearytv . She shares how her life was turned upside down when she and her husband, Scott, made the decision to move all 4 of their parents into their home in an attempt to care for them, all while navigating the rapidly moving waters of a successful startup. She candidly shares the frustrations, sorrow, humor and love that accompanied this unique, stressful and fulfilling chapter in her life. Listen to the entire episode now and find the transcript and caregiver support at www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com

Caregiver, I see you… You’re tired, lonely, and afraid All you want is to be able to enjoy living with the person you care for instead of dreading life with them each day you wake up. You deserve more! Don’t give up on your life! It is possible to learn how to enjoy it again. Listen to this episode of Love Your Caregiving Life Podcast to hear how. Find more support at www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com

It’s important to notice when things aren’t working for you instead of doing things the same way over and over again and then they get so burnt out they can’t function anymore. I know caregiving can shift your focus away from your own needs. However, you can’t wait for things to get easier in order to prioritize yourself because prioritizing yourself is what makes it easier. Listen to episode this episode to hear how to notice when things aren’t working, how I had to be reminded to care for myself, and how you can make decisions to lead you towards enjoying your life more. Find transcripts, free resources and more at www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com

What if I told you dates with your spouse are possible even if leaving your house isn’t. I get is caregiving had made your relationship with your spouse… confusing. Do you find yourself lonely even though you're both together in the same house? You wouldn’t even know how to do anything with them for fun because it feels like it’s been centuries since you have. Yet… you really miss the fun times you had before you became their caregiver. Episode 101 “Two simple ways to love connecting with your spouse again” to learn how you can begin to connect with the spouse or partner you care for and ways to make dates happen. Listen to the Love Your Caregiving Life and find the transcript and more information at www.loveyourcaregivinglife.com

It doesn’t help you that one day is National Caregiving Day. It doesn’t make your role any easier and it doesn’t make you any happier. We don’t need a freaking day! We need people to take what we do seriously. Aren’t you tired of people telling you how important they think caregivers are? They need to show it. They need to show up! You shouldn’t be happy when people say how important they think your caregiving is. You should be happy when they actually do something to show that they are. It’s insulting for people to think they can spend a day thanking us for all that we do and be expected to be happy about it. A day isn’t enough! Listen to this week’s episode “Why National Caregivers Day is Insulting!” Episode 100 of Love Your Caregiving Life Podcast today.