Self-Caregiving Strategies Podcast

By: Alison van Schie & Theresa Wilbanks
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  • Summary

  • Welcome to the 'Self-Caregiving Strategies podcast' where Theresa Wilbanks and Alison van Schie, both Certified Caregiving Consultants, explore the 12 Strategies for Sustainable Caregiving. These strategies were developed by Theresa and originated from her caregiving experience as she looked after her dad for the last 7 years of his life. When the challenges of caregiving began to impact her physical and emotional well-being, she knew that the path she was on was not sustainable and she needed a new approach to caregiving before becoming completely overwhelmed and burnt out. By asking herself: “What Am I Feeling?” “Why Am I Feeling this way?” and “How can I feel better?” she developed these strategies. Theresa and Alison will be discussing one strategy per episode throughout the limited series. We invite you to submit your questions or comments as there will be occasion to devote an episode to addressing your feedback.

    These strategies and discussions are presented to provide a perspective that will enhance your caregiving experience and can be incorporated into your daily life to help you prioritize your well-being, help you cope better and avoid burnout. Not all strategies will be applicable to your situation right now, but hearing what they are and remembering that they exist will help when you need them. The strategies are:

    - Setting and reinforcing boundaries

    · Developing mindfulness and awareness

    · Cultivating our capacity for compassion, importantly self-compassion

    · Re-imagining and micro-dosing self-care

    · Accepting the role and the gifts that it offers

    · Accepting help and using the bonus time for self-care

    · Discovering the power of accepting alternatives

    · Embracing and transforming obstacles

    · Venting and releasing the pressure

    · Journaling to process the emotions

    · Forgiving to free your mind and heart

    · Planning and preparing

    · And a bonus strategy – Embracing the routine
    Along Side Caregiving Consulting & Whole Care Network, Inc
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Social Sciences Personal Success Relationships
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Episodes
  • Self-Caregiving Strategies Farewell Episode

    Self-Caregiving Strategies Farewell Episode
    Feb 7 2023

    Thank you for joining Theresa and Alison on this amazing journey. In this concluding episode we reflect back through our journey and we share what's next for both of us. We discuss how the podcast impacted us as co-hosts and our hope that it continues to empower caregivers as they work through the strategies and customize them for their needs.

    We couldn't have done this limited-series podcast so successfully without the support of Chris MacLellan of the Whole Care Network or without our fabulous episode sponsors.

    • Circle Of
    • Sustainable Caregiving
    • Happy Healthy Caregiver
    • Joe & Bella
    • Connecting Caregivers Radio
    • Geriatrx.org
    • Caregiver Warrior
    • Alongside Caregiver Consulting
    • Advocate for Mom & Dad
    • the Everyday Nurse
    • Brutally Beautiful Foundation

    And thank you!
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    17 mins
  • Self-Caregiving Strategies Bonus Strategy: Constructing A Caregiving Support System

    Self-Caregiving Strategies Bonus Strategy: Constructing A Caregiving Support System
    Jan 17 2023

    This is our bonus strategy episode where we wrap up all the self-caregiving strategies to see how they can work together for each caregiver to make a tailor-made caregiving support system.

    Which strategies help bring you back to your centre? Which can you use to help carry you through a difficult period?

    As you listen to the episode identify the strategies you are now using and how each strategy strengthens the other strategies for your unique situation.

    Your tailor-made support system filled with the self-caregiving strategies is available to enhance your caregiving journey.

    Thank you to this episode's sponsor, Heather Zoccali of Brutally Beautiful Foundation

    Here's the link to the video Theresa created that we mentioned in the episode Sustainable Caregiving Support System

    And a few other links:

    The Whole Care Network podcast directory

    Island Treasures podcast for Caregivers

    Navigating the Caregiver River

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    43 mins
  • Self-Caregiving Strategy #12: Planning and Preparing

    Self-Caregiving Strategy #12: Planning and Preparing
    Jan 3 2023

    Worries abound in caregiving, and often in life; and so this strategy was designed to help us take the worries out of the infinite loop that may be playing in our minds, by putting them down on paper with a solution. 

    Planning is an example of practical self-care which can help us clear the fog of worry we may be experiencing. By planning for the unexpected as well as transitions that come along in our caregiving journeys, our awareness and preparation can reduce the anxiety that accompanies change so that we are empowered as we navigate these transitions.

    Thank you to this episode’s sponsor, Jessica Sima, founder of the Everyday Nurse.

    To check out the resources we spoke about to assist with your planning and preparing, here are the links:

    Sustainable Caregiving - for information and tips to help with challenging conversations

    For Advance Care Planning:

    • Five Wishes
    • The Conversation Project
    • My Speak Up Plan (Canada)
    • My Voice (Canada)

    Family Emergency Planning Sessions (provided by the Caregiving Years Training Academy)
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    48 mins

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