Transcript:

As a caregiver, you might not be receiving positive feedback from your family or your community for the amount of work you are doing and sacrifices you are making.

And that is so hard to bear and feels so awful. So what do you do?

You compensate for the lack of nurturing you are getting from others by talking to yourself in a more nurturing way on a regular basis.

Every day. And on some days, every hour.

You have to let the work you are doing be acknowledged and appreciated by you. You have to see you even when others don’t.

So how do you start developing a more nurturing relationship with yourself?

I suggest doing an experiment: for two weeks you are going to give yourself one 100% genuine heartfelt compliment at some point during each day (and you have to say it out loud to yourself so you can hear it).

Maybe set your timer to go off at 2pm every day to remind yourself to acknowledge yourself in this way. And then, at the end of each day, you are going to write down on paper a different 100% genuine heartfelt compliment to yourself related to that day – you are going to write it down so you can see it.

So twice each day you are going to take a moment to appreciate yourself…

I am so proud of me for just letting Mom’s third call of the day go to voicemail.

High five for getting to the pharmacy before it closed. I am a caregiving ninja.

Great job on allowing myself to scream in the car today instead of denying myself that release.

Giving yourself what you wish others were willing or able to give you can add just enough fuel to your energy tanks so that you aren’t running on empty.

Thank you for spending this time with me – and thank you for being one of the ones who care.

P.S.
Details about my group coaching program for caregivers are here.