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Caregiving seasons constantly shift, and finding your rhythm during these transitions can make all the difference between barely surviving and maintaining your wellbeing. This episode explores how creating meaningful routines becomes your anchor when everything else feels unpredictable.

Cathy opens up about her current reality as her husband Denis undergoes a stem cell transplant, sharing how she's had to completely reimagine her daily schedule. From juggling hospital visits to maintaining her own health, she walks through the practical challenges of adapting to a new caregiving landscape. Her vulnerability about feeling emotionally overwhelmed while trying to establish normalcy offers a relatable perspective for caregivers in similar situations.

The heart of this episode focuses on the five key benefits of establishing routines: creating structure amid uncertainty, reducing decision fatigue, carving out essential space for self-care, supporting physical health, and providing emotional comfort during unfamiliar circumstances. Rather than prescribing a rigid schedule, Cathy offers a framework for building personalized "anchor points" throughout your day—morning activities to start positively, midday resets, and evening wind-downs that honor your current capacity.

What makes this guidance particularly valuable is its adaptability. Whether you're in a manageable season with some breathing room or completely maxed out, there are practical suggestions for incorporating small moments of self-care without adding more to your plate. From listening to calming music while washing dishes to creating "pause cards" with encouraging mantras, these accessible practices can be woven into existing activities.

Ready to reclaim even five minutes of your day for yourself? This episode might just show you how those few minutes could become your most powerful tool for sustainable caregiving. Share what season you're in and what routine is helping you stay grounded—your experience might be exactly what another caregiver needs to hear.

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