A well-known fact is that stress can cause serious emotional and physical harm. It is something everybody lives with; not just caregivers. Stress is one of those two-edged swords that cuts both ways. It is good when it moves us to productive action and bad when it prevents us from being the kind of person we want to be. 

On my way to Caregiver Harbor, I learned something new about professional helpers and others – when you can trust them and when you definitely can’t. Here are some guidelines and my thoughts about intuition I use when choosing whom to trust and whom to disregard as self-promoters. 

If you’re like me, you don’t schedule a moment’s rest for the last three weeks of the year. You get up earlier than usual and after your day job and caregiving, you still have plenty to do. You prepare for get-togethers, sign and mail holiday cards, spend extra time shopping, take care of many little tasks that no one thinks of until the last minute, and the list goes on. Keeping the holiday spirit can be quite difficult if you don’t find ways to cut back so that you still have some time for yourself. Why not try some of these?

Thankfulness, Love, Peace, Joy, Family, and Friends are the ingredients of a happy holiday season. Stress is not. Any undue pressure caregivers put on themselves to make everything perfect is nothing more than a negative whirlwind of emotions that lead to unrealistic expectations, overspending, mental fatigue and physical exhaustion. Even if your loved one has dementia, you can, and should, have a good time. 

“We need to talk about my mom” has almost become cliché, but what happens next is as different as individual snowflakes. Situations are never identical in the world of caregiving and family dynamics can make getting to solutions a difficult, winding and stressful process. However, you won't go wrong if you . . .

Hey, it's Friday. Is there a better day to see what's going on in the world of articles and blogs for the past week? Today's post will offer our top picks in eight categories. We are passing along links to  informative and entertaining articles we hope you can use as you continue to improve the quality of your life and the lives of all family members. 

If you are a caregiver and your day is going well, one of two things is likely. Either today is one of your rare lucky days or you follow a morning routine. If this is just a lucky day for you, go ahead and enjoy it. This too shall pass. Tomorrow or the next day will be chaotic again and you’ll be reacting to every disturbance as if it were the first time you had to deal with it. Learn how carers who seem to have it all together when they come to work do it.

The internet is immensely valuable; especially as a tool for learning. It has saved me countless hours when I’ve used it appropriately: it has cost me countless hours when I haven’t. I found myself lost in online medical information searches that cost me dearly. It wouldn't have been that way if I'd set a few basic guidelines like these for myself.

How important is flextime to employees? Numerous surveys indicate that it is something that potential workers value highly; consistently being named as one of the top 3 most desired benefits – along with compensation and opportunity for advancement. More employers than ever are realizing better productivity and happier employees by allowing them to have some control over when and where they do their work. But what if you don't work for one of them and flextime would be a perfect solution to your home-work dilemma? Here's what you should know before you make your request.

Store owners don't keep stock with a low turnover rate because they understand it continues to cost them even though the merchandise has been paid for. They know that holding on to anything for emotional reasons will put them out of business faster than any competitor. Caregivers who don't occasionally inventory their practices will find themselves in serious trouble, too. Here's how to do a checkup to see if your's are still serving you well.