Life After Caregiving
Now is the time to heal yourself, let’s get to work!
Life After Caregiving
Now is the time to heal yourself, let’s get to work!
Be kind and patient as you heal
Life transitions are hard. Remember that it’s normal to have a wide range of emotions and it’s okay to feel them. Allow yourself to feel them the wide range of mental and physical reactions. With practice and time, you will learn to manage them more effectively.
9m+
unpaid latino caregivers
11m+
sandwich generation caregivers
31%
caregivers are millenials

1st Step
Stay Connected
Reach out to family and friends who can give you encouraging feedback and provide you an honest, fresh perspective. Even though you may feel like withdrawing, calling a friend or getting out to socialize can boost your mood and outlook.

2nd Step
Engage in Activities
Engage in activities that you enjoy and make you feel good. A healthy mind also means a healthy body, make choices that take care of both. Remember that people around you want to help.


3rd Step
Set Goals
If you’re beginning the road to recovery, start small. For instance, get out of bed by a certain time, or plan a household chore… or even call a friend.
Notes from the Author
Welcome to Your Next Journey
You may not be ready today or tomorrow. The changes you are undergoing take time. Sometimes it feels like progress, other times is feels hopeless. Get comfortable with uncertainty. Celebrate positive changes and be gentle with yourself when things go wrong. Here are the dimensions of life your are now facing.
- Learning – Find a favorite website or app that sends daily tidbits to enrich your life. How about bookmarking National Geographic’s website and checking daily. Wonderful stories, rich engaging photography provide you with a mini-mental escape while you learn something new. Not into National Geographic? Send us a comment about other sites you recommend.
- Self-Care – We are heading into the coldest and darkest months of the year. Colds and influenza germs fill the air. Be careful to maintain your own health. Maybe a 15 minute daily walk in the sunshine? What’s on your radar?
- Family & Friends – As a caregiver your duties are unrelenting and isolating – we implore you to guard against it. Sign up for a REUNIONCare account and engage your family and friends in your caregiving journey. In the coming year, we want you to resolve to be present in this life changing journey and share it with those you love.
- Work –  Many of you caregivers hold down a full-time job while caregiving. No matter how you slice and dice your day, 24 hours is all you have. Please check with your employer’s human resource department about Family and Medical Leave Act and about flexible scheduling. Knowledge is power. Know what benefits you can access.
- Play – Play isn’t just for children. Can you identify a hobby or sport to enjoy in the New Year? Reach back to childhood for clues but also look out for new adventures. How about a yoga class? Painting? Reading? Find something that renews you and play.
- Community service – We saved this for last because we want to thank you. Caregivers are providing a vital community service that is overlooked and under appreciated. Thank you. Thank you for sacrificing your own personal aspirations to accompany someone else on their aging journey. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your community service.
Monica Stynchula – CEO / REUNIONCare, Inc.