This month’s curated article excerpts focus on caregiver self-care, because if you don’t care for yourself, who will?
How we care for ourselves says a lot about how we will care for others. If you don’t take care of yourself, your health will suffer. You’ll feel grouchy. You’ll feel bad about being impatient because you don’t have enough energy to care for another.
To take care of ourselves, we must follow the frequently cited advice about good nutrition, exercise, and enough sleep.
We’re never too old to break bad habits and to start good ones; otherwise, we’ll never grow older or live with poor health.
This month’s first two article excerpts help us be more aware of and learn to be present and pay attention.
7 traits of truly charming people
One trait in our increasingly distracted world is to give another undivided attention. I am surprised when a person with whom I’ve scheduled a call is doing other things. When the person asks me to repeat myself due to distracted attention, my preference is to end the call. The other trait is follow-through. What you say is what you do. A rare quality in our world filled with excuses (uh hmm, reasons). There are five more traits that will warm your heart and the hearts of others.
How to Make Someone Feel Good in Your Presence
Some people who are so self-interested, they treat others like transactions. There are others who confuse us by sending mixed signals. We too can be more aware of and clearly express our time- and energy-limits. “Don’t keep people in a relationship with you if you can’t meet them with actual presence, time, and attention. Don’t lead people on, hook them with attention or approval just to use them….”
Despite limited social contact and limited distractions, times like these, challenge our ability to focus.
Mindfulness – 21 Simple Exercises
It is said that we can better practice mindfulness when we meditate. Yet, meditation conjures images of a painfully twisted pretzel resulting in pain. Fortunately, it’s not like that. These 21 mindfulness exercises are conveniently linked for easy access. Scroll down the list and choose which one(s) resonate(s) for you. Being mindful means focusing on the one or two that work best for you. Try one or two of these exercises; including meditating while doing chores and observing through a mindful window. [TCV Update 11/15/2022: URL no longer available. Other mindfulness articles are available on Thrive Global—Mindfulness]
While we develop self-awareness, let us also look at all the small things we do that send positive (or undesirable) signals to others.
8 Really Small Things That Tell You a Lot About Someone
It is often said – It’s the little things that really matter. Opening the door for someone can be the highlight of their day. Among the many signals we send and receive about ourselves and others; how we treat others, especially service staff or how animals and children respond to us, says a lot according to Ayodeji Awosika.
Finally, we need to consider our future. What will retirement look like? Will we retire, or work part-time?
4 Pillars of the New Retirement
As caregivers for loved ones it is important to consider your own needs. Nine thousand people from the U.S. and Canada across five generations responded to a survey helping identify four areas (dubbed the Four Pillars) that impact the quality of life in retirement: health, family, purpose, and finances. Achieving your ideal retirement requires thought and action about each of these pillars.
