When it comes to self-care, I like to focus on activities that bring people joy. The wonderful thing is that there is no right or wrong activity.

You decide what warms your heart, brings a smile to your face. No one else – there is no judgment. There is no comparison.

For some caregivers, this idea seems so foreign and so far away.

That is why I ask caregivers to look at their life before kids. I ask them to think about things that they did when there were fewer responsibilities. What did they do on a cold and rainy Saturday to entertain themselves?

This gives a hint? This starts the mind thinking of a time and place that caregivers don’t often visit.

I know that we’re not supposed to live in the past – that is not the point of the exercise. The point is to find inspiration, find joy, find hope from the past that could help us find our way in the present.

I understand that the day-to-day as a caregiver can feel pretty darn overwhelming and absent of any joy.

That is where our will and determination that we are worth moments of joy come into play.

Take some time this week and allow yourself to dream about the good old days. See whether there are some ideas that you could bring to 2019, or modify to meet your current needs.

While caregivers do tell themselves that they don’t have time for self-care, I like to remind caregivers that everyone is worthy of self-care; and therefore it takes a little reprogramming of the brain to think in different ways.

Please share your activities that you’ve uncovered.

Remember. You deserve it.