I wanted to share a discussion that I had recently with a fellow caregiver Mom. She was very curious about what a self-care coach did and she was questioning the need for a self-care coach because she already knew that taking care of herself was important and she already knew (or so she thought) what she needed to be doing.

Yes! Props to this Mom for even asking these questions, because it helped me better understand where she and other moms were coming from. And, it made me realize that I needed to do a better job at explaining how I support family caregivers – specifically Moms of children with autism, disabilities and other diagnoses.

The support I offer starts with two key pieces and then evolves based on the needs of the person with whom I’m working as we’re all unique individuals with different perspectives and experiences. I meet people where they are and create a safe space to explore why they haven’t taken the necessary steps to support their wellbeing.

The first part is accountability and I believe that the importance of this is often overlooked. It’s very natural for people to tell themselves that they know what to do, and then proceed with thinking of all the excuses why they can’t start now. Therefore, they trick themselves into believing that they’ll start later. Oh my goodness – this was totally my way of operating for the first five years of being a caregiver for my daughter.

It was only when I found myself stuck in a rut and acknowledging that I needed help did I invest in my first life coach. This was the first time that I had put up my hand per se, and admitted that I couldn’t do it all on my own. I realize that this act in itself comes with lots of emotional baggage for all us Moms wearing our caregiver cape.

Even now as an entrepreneur, I faced the same mental block and was one year into this business before investing in my first business coach. WOW – what a difference it has made in my mindset, my beliefs, my actions and my intentions.

The second part of my support is that I give caregivers permission to say yes to the things that bring them joy. You see, self-care is not something that you do for a month or two and then forget about it. It’s a daily commitment so that you can live your best life.

Buddha said, “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

Part of this process is identifying what brings you joy in all areas of your life. You see, the simple act of thinking about it and creating intentions of how you want to feel, will help attract the activities that bring you joy into your world.

I give caregivers permission to be happy and live life. I give caregivers permission to celebrate wins. I give caregivers permission to make time for themselves.

Please reach out if you believe that I can support you on finding the right path for your physical and mental wellbeing.