I know you have thought this at one point or another.  It's so common and I know it can be frustrated.  When the one you care for is not motivated to move, exercise, get their daily self care done or get out of the house; you are often stuck too.  You want what is best for them and you really want to see them living life the best way they can but can't seem to say or do the right thing to get them moving. 

"What do I do to get them motivated?", you ask.  My answer might surprise you.  You can not.  There is nothing you can do to motivate someone else.  What you can do is inspire them.  You can help them reconnect with purpose. 

Chronic illness and the aging process guides one toward less activity or less of a  daily routine that has any sense of urgency.  Slowly, purpose is shifting and sometimes gets lost all together.   Once purpose is gone, it is very common to see a complete lack of desire to get moving, exercise, leave the home, do more for oneself; you get the idea. 

Think about a time you have been ill, lost a job, been overwhelmed with financial strain.   You slow down and it's hard to find the momentum to get moving again.   But, then your circumstances change and you are able to find it again.   The one you care for usually does not have that opportunity.   The truth is, the more they are cared for by others, the less purpose they feel they have.  You can change that. 

So, now what?  Well, there is always something that they do better than anything else.  Something they look forward to.  In this episode, I help you uncover what it might be.  This is where you start.  You are going to help them to improve the quality of how they perform this activity.  As the caregiver, you are going to help them to optimize their experience and in this effort, they will be moving with better quality, effort, energy and with an improved mindset.   Every little bit of change that you make in this direction will have a cumulative effect and you will see them develop the motivation you were hoping for.   

Get your video tutorial of seated exercises that just about anyone can do.  Look for the changes in facial expression, voice quality, any degree of motion gained, respiration, posture.  Comment on these and encourage them further.  https://www.caregiverbydesign.com/

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