No resolutions here, just some thoughts about caring better for ourselves and our world.

Top 10 ways to start the year off fine:

1)   Take a few minutes alone every day.  This could be just a few minutes to take some deep breathes, sit in a hot tub, look at the sky, take a walk or read.  Keep it simple.

2)   Breathe!  It is amazing how helpful it is to take a few really deep breathes.  Doing this can make us more aware of our own stress and the need to slow down our hearts and minds.

3)   Exercise your relationships.  Make a call to a friend, or reach out to someone you like but haven’t spoken to in a while.  You will be amazed at how good it makes you feel.

4)   Pass along something to the younger generation.  Money isn’t the only legacy we leave to our heirs.  In fact, sometimes a recipe, a family story, old pictures, an heirloom are much more precious because they help to connect us with our past and our future.

5)   Find a safe place to air your negative feelings.  Having a confidant to whom you can express your feelings is very important.  This can be a best friend, a priest, rabbi or therapist.  But it is important to get these feelings out of our system, so they don’t poison us.

6)   Parent yourself the way you would nurture a precious child.  Let yourself know that you are beautiful, worthwhile, important and lovable.  Give yourself these positive messages daily, but especially when you are feeling a little low.

7)   Learn to say “no” when it is appropriate.  Sometimes we take on tasks or responsibilities that don’t really belong to us.  We need to have good boundaries and allow ourselves to set limits

8)   Use humor to cope with stressful situations.  Caregiving can be especially stressful and we need to learn to take ourselves a little less seriously, so that we can laugh even when things get difficult.

9)   Ask for help!  It’s a strength not a weakness to let others help us with tasks that are strenuous or that allow us to have a fuller life.  Don’t make dinner alone, let everyone chip in.  Ask for help in managing paperwork or household chores.  Let someone else do the shopping for a change.

10)   Remember, that “Your Best is Good Enough” as my colleague Vivian Greenberg wrote and continues to remind caregivers.  We can only do what we can realistically do.  No one is perfect (nor do we want to be).  But your best really is enough!

In the coming year we wish you Health, Happiness, Joy, Humor and most of all Peace!