The Caregiver Support team is there for you, each and every day, over the phone or at the keyboard. During this holiday season, a number of our team members would like to send you a warm greeting and best wishes.
20 December 2022
Asking for help takes courage and recognizing your need for change to improve the quality of your life and that of the person you are caring for. You often tell me that our conversations have changed your life. I want you to know that without your involvement and expertise in dealing with your situation, our help would not have been enough. YOU make all the difference and I thank YOU for your trust. You can be proud of all the small steps you have taken. I encourage you to continue to listen to your own feelings, which may require some reflection on your part. Have compassion for yourself, as you have for the person you are caring for. One step at a time, you are moving closer to knowing yourself better, to feeling better. Go at your own pace. You may stumble along the way, that’s normal. Don’t worry, we will be there to help you get back on track if necessary.
—Cindy Huppé, Caregiver Support counselor
The holidays are fast approaching! It’s been a challenging year and I’m feeling tired. Here is a music list that makes me feel better. Sometimes I listen to this one too. After a busy day, I sometimes dim the lights in the living room, sit on the couch and take time to breathe. I am living in the moment, attentive to my feelings, to my stress. Through the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I invite you to give yourself 10 minutes to settle down, refocus, breathe… You’ll probably be bombarded by thoughts like, “I have to go shopping, clean, cook, make an appointment…” This is quite normal. Indeed, we are often overcome with guilt, we feel that we must move, take action. Don’t forget that you are doing something very important and that no one can do it for you: taking care of yourself.
—Charlotte Beaudet, Caregiver Support counselor
As we get older, we often put aside colouring paper and pencils, thinking that it’s an activity for children. And yet… Why not set aside some creative time during the holidays to add colour, lines and shapes to a sheet of paper? Get out your art supplies or treat yourself to a palette of drawing paper and some crayons or paint, and let your imagination run wild. Don’t worry: this exercise has nothing to do with talent. It’s a way of expressing yourself in the same way as speaking. Whether it’s a doodle, a landscape, a self-portrait, a still life or just a few colours on a sheet of paper, anything is possible. Short on ideas? Don’t feel inspired? Leaf through magazines or listen to your favourite music while observing the colours. Choose the one that appeals to you the most and dive in! Once you have completed your artwork, why not spontaneously jot down in a few words how you feel, here and now, while looking at your drawing? Trust in yourself and your creativity: it just needs to be expressed. Happy creating!
—Chloé Dugré-Morand, Caregiver Support counselor
Subscribe to the Appuilettre, the Newsletter for caregivers, and receive each month, testimonials, thematic files and interviews.
Need to talk?
Contact our Caregiver Support Helpline for counselling, information and referrals.
Every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Free of charge.
