Empower Her Wellness

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Get the book: Mommy Needs a Moment: From Burnout to Empowerment

Alyssa is a storyteller living with her husband and two toddler boys in the remote countryside of Washington state. A millennial mom navigating the parenting challenges of today's demanding world, Alyssa brings her personal experiences, background in English and anthropology, and a unique blend of empathy and expertise to fellow mothers. Join her in exploring heavily researched tools to reduce burnout, reclaim overall well-being, and rediscover an empowered you.

• Importance of not losing yourself when caring for others, and pursuing your own goals/dreams
• Dangers of information overload and not trusting your intuition as a caregiver
• Value of being present and practicing "slow living" rather than constantly rushing
• Need for a community/village to support caregivers across different life stages
• Assessing your own mental health as a critical part of being an effective caregiver

• Alyssa's quote: "Find yourself again, have goals, hopes, dreams. It doesn't mean you're a bad mom or you don't care about your family. It means you love them enough not to lose yourself in the process."
• Importance of maintaining your identity and not sacrificing everything for caregiving roles
• Potential for resentment if you completely lose yourself

• An overabundance of advice/information online can lead to analysis paralysis
• Often contradictory information from different sources
• It can cause you to second-guess your intuition about what's best for your child/loved one

• Slow Living and Being Present
• Constant rushing and trying to "do it all" prevents you from being fully present
• Example of Alyssa stressing about finding a birthday cupcake rather than enjoying the moment
• Kids value presence over perfection
• Opportunities to involve kids and teach life skills when going slowly

• Modern isolation and nuclear families deprive caregivers of a support system
• Value of interacting with people in different life stages for wisdom and perspective
• Creating neighborhoods/communities that bring different generations together

• Importance of evaluating your own mental health, which can be impacted by caregiving
• Alyssa's examples of postpartum depression and accident after burning out
• Kids will mirror your mental/emotional state as a model

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Ranger is walking across America from South Carolina to California. As he walks he is raising money for three non-profits. Ranger's motivation stems from seeing others do the walk, and realizing his excuses were just that - excuses.

• Future Farmers of America
• Bigger Than The Trail (mental health for runners)
• Hospice Promise Foundation

Ranger helps entrepreneurs and non-profit leaders focus on high-impact activities, and emphasizes personal wellness alongside business success

Realize the reasons you come up with are just excuses for not becoming who you're meant to be. Have "courageous candor" about your true motivations for pursuing or not pursuing something.

You can keep up with Ranger's walk on Facebook

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Catherine Courtice, author of "When Life Gives You Lemons, Choose the Lime", shares her journey of overcoming chronic pain after a severe accident in 2007. She discusses feeling isolated, misunderstood, and dismissed by the medical system, and how she eventually found a path to reclaiming her life.

Catherine describes the pivotal moment when she realized that nothing would change unless she took action. She had to let go of the life she had before and start focusing on the life she could create within her new constraints. This "catalyst moment" was the turning point that set her on a path of healing and growth.

Catherine outlines her AARC framework - Acknowledge, Accountability, Reframe, and Choice. This process helped her shift her mindset from victimhood to empowerment, and start taking small, manageable steps to rebuild her life.

Catherine discusses the importance of communication and setting boundaries, both with loved ones and medical professionals. She emphasizes the need for understanding and empathy, and provides suggestions for how to approach conversations about chronic pain and invisible illnesses.

Catherine emphasizes the profound impact that the words we use, both to ourselves and to others, can have on our physical and mental well-being. She encourages people to be mindful of the language they use and to reframe their inner dialogue in a more positive, constructive way.

Despite the challenges, Catherine urges people with chronic conditions to hold onto hope that their situation can improve. She stresses the importance of not losing that glimmer of hope, as it is essential for fueling the motivation to keep moving forward.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/overcomingchronicpain2/

www.facebook.com

https://www.amazon.ca/When-Life-Gives-Lemons-Choose/dp/0992094224/ref=zg_bs_g_51225011_d_sccl_8/141-7722907-5042143?psc=1

https://www.threads.net/@overcomechronicpain?xmt=AQGzBe5c1_iTN2Yf7Phneor47TXEqA43te13n_JMlr7AZcQ

https://www.tiktok.com/@overcomechronicpain?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

www.catherinecourtice.com

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Key Takeaways

• Cynthia received little guidance or support from the medical community on being a caregiver
• Having a core group of supportive friends and family was crucial
• Writing and joining a brain injury support group helped provide an outlet
• It's important for caregivers to take breaks, treat themselves, and not feel guilty about having their own life
• Caregiving is incredibly hard work, but for Cynthia it was the ultimate expression of love

Cynthia Lim is the author of Wherever You Are: A Memoir of Love, Marriage, and Brain Injury, about her journey as a caregiver for her disabled husband. It’s the story of re-envisioning life with disability and discovering the real truth of love and marriage. The book is available from Amazon.com or can be ordered from your local bookstore.

Cynthia holds a doctorate in social welfare and is retired from the Los Angeles Unified School District. She is a writer, traveler, quilter and hiker. She is currently working on a second memoir about her family’s immigration history from China. Find out more about Cynthia at http://cynthialimwriting.com/

Have you checked out the Facebook Group?

Wes is the Founder and CEO of Rare Patient Voice. A market research industry veteran of over 40 years, Wes earned his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania.

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In 2013, Wes launched Rare Patient Voice based on a novel approach to building a market research panel, one that enables patients and caregivers to share their voices with the researchers and companies developing products to improve patients’ lives.

He structured the company on the core values of being a good resource for patients, a good partner to clients, a good employer to staff, and a good citizen in our community.

Since then, Wes has seen the company grow, expanding from the US to Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, and Germany, completing thousands of projects, and providing customized service to hundreds of clients. He hopes that RPV’s work can help the lives of patients and caregivers who are able to participate in our studies, and of those who come after.

• Hobbies: Walking his dogs, piano, history, exercise
• Pets: Ace (mix of Beagle and Brittany) and Stanley the Chocolate Lab
• Likes: Hearing from patients who have enjoyed taking part in a study
• Dislikes: When no one qualifies for a study
• Fun Facts: Wes spent a year in Edinburgh, Scotland and ran cross country with the Hare & Hounds

You can also check out the Rare Patient Voice YouTube channel to hear the stories of individuals who are a part of Rare Patient Voice.

My friend Harry Styron reaching out to be a guest on the podcast, and I also appreciate his candid words. It was a heartfelt and poignant conversation about the reality of caregiving for spouses with Alzheimer's.

Resources mentioned in this episode

Teepasnow.com

Natali Edmonds and Careblazers

Banner Health

Got questions, comments, or thoughts? [email protected] me

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I had a great time chatting with Trina. She's building a wonderful community over on Run Radio. We talked about the mission behind Run Radio, self-care and chronic conditions, and the benefits of networking and collaboration.

Trina Wilcox has her Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from Missouri State University. After working as an applications analyst she made the decision to dedicate more time to writing and developing her creative interests. Trina has been a certified fitness professional through FiTour and the Arthritis Foundation, taught aerobics, and created the JRA 5K charity race. After years in broadcast radio, Trina started Run Radio, an online streaming station,  and The Run Radio Podcast. She writes children’s books and is a voiceover artist. Running and walking are activities that she enjoys doing often.

Listen to Run Radio.

Contact Trina at [email protected]. 

“I believe in supporting those who seek a way to overcome obstacles. I created a safe place for anyone facing adversity to meet like-minded people, be inspired by success stories, and learn from everyone’s experiences.” ~ Trina

Run Radio: Inspiring strides in business,  life, and beyond.

Thoughts, questions, or comments? [email protected] me!

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Resources mentioned in the episode

1 Million Cups

SATO48

My conversation with Barb went around the world! We discussed the lack of caregiver support, how women are society's safety net, and why it's never too late to get your financial house in order.

While we often focus on the physical and emotional aspects of caregiving, it's crucial to remember that the financial impact is just as significant. This aspect deserves equal attention in our conversations

Purse Strings offers a variety of free resources to get you started, including financial planning guides, investment tips, and budgeting tools. Download them all here.

Barbara Provost is the founder of Purse Strings and is devoted to giving women access to easy-to-use resources and qualified financial professionals who focus on serving women.

Check out our website for more episodes. shellydrymon.com

Got a question, comment, or thought? [email protected] me

You can support the podcast here.

Brenda and I have a conversation about the murder of her son, and within this larger conversation, we talk about the topic of self-care amidst the grief, juggling responsibilities, and dealing with employers.

Brenda has a podcast, Opinionated & Enlightened In the next season, she will talk more about her son's death and her spiritual journey.

If you or a loved one have been a victim of a crime, you have rights, and there is help. Here are two resources: The National Center for Victims of Crime and the United States Department of Justice Office of Victims of Crime. Local judicial systems will sometimes have a victim advocate on staff to help you with additional resources.

Got questions, comments, or suggestions? Feel free to contact me at [email protected]

Steve's diagnosis of transverse myelitis and the interactions with systems over the last six months led me to deep dive into self-care, mental wellness, and self-improvement and how they are not the "cure" we are led to believe they are.

If the institutions causing the stress and tension that lead to self-care trends are not addressed, no amount of yoga will save us.

I encourage you to check out Steve's blog where he writes about his own journey.

[email protected] me your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions.

Visit the shellydrymon.com