Stress Archives - Co-Create 4 Life

Woman enjoying the scenery on her road trip

Taking Advantage of a Long, Holiday Weekend. . .

Leave a Comment / Coach, Simple Self-Care Strategies / By Paula Forte

Even as Americans discuss the advantages of the four-day work-week, thanks to Representative Mark Takano, D-Calif., who introduced legislation which, if it passes, would reduce the standard workweek to 32 hours instead of 40, we’re also working more hours than ever.

The Guardian reports that compared with other countries, the American workplace record is not good. “In 2021, American employees worked 184 more hours than Japanese workers, 294 more hours than British workers, and 442 more hours than German workers. Unbelievably, in 2023 there are millions of Americans who work at jobs with no vacation time” (The Guardian).

Women running past finish line at marathon

Measuring Progress Can Help. . .

Leave a Comment / Coach, Simple Self-Care Strategies / By Paula Forte

I’m working with a Health Coach myself (yes, even coaches need coaches!) who seems to appreciate my need to measure things. I’m one of those people who likes to see measurable improvement – to choose metrics that allow me to demonstrate progress, if not full completion, of a goal.

Sometimes, especially if we’re working on goals that feel particularly difficult, it can be important to at least see movement in the desired direction. Most of us can appreciate the fulfillment of getting to the finish line of a quick sprint, like the 100-yard-dash. But when you’re in a marathon you need benchmarks along the way to remind you that you’re actually doing it, and that the end will come, even if you can’t see it from your current spot on the route. That’s where metrics come in handy!

What’s a Grief Burst, and WHY am I having one?

Leave a Comment / Coach, Simple Self-Care Strategies / By Paula Forte

I borrowed this definition (below) from a therapist’s website. Until recently, I had never heard of a Grief Burst. Until recently, I’d also never experienced a Grief Burst but in the last month, I’ve had two.

Thinking so much, sometimes my brain hurts!

Leave a Comment / Coach, Simple Self-Care Strategies / By Paula Forte

If you’re the primary thinker and doer in your household, I want you to know I completely understand how exhausted and worn-down you might feel. I urge you to consider my three-part remedy because whatever makes YOUR life easier, will inevitably make your loved-one’s life better! Simplifying your plans, your tasks and your routines can only serve to make your burden lighter.

Self-Care, Even When You Don’t Feel Like It!

Leave a Comment / Coach, Simple Self-Care Strategies / By Paula Forte

We also invent reasons for avoiding self-care, sometimes because we’ve confused self-care with pampering or self-indulgence (as might be the case with the nail scenario above). Self-care isn’t simply about making ourselves feel important (worthy?) or comfortable, or attractive – self-care is about consciously taking action to feed the soul, nourish the body, nurture the spirit and most of all, replenish the relationship we’re building with ourselves!

The words "Fall seven times stand up eight" spelled out for inspiration

Creating Calm, Even When Your Day Gets Hi-Jacked. . .

Leave a Comment / Coach, Simple Self-Care Strategies / By Paula Forte

It was a beautiful winter day; all was going remarkably well! As a caregiver, you know to spot these days, to cherish them and appreciate that they may not be frequent experiences in your week or even your month. This was one of those days, lovely in every respect.

a boy stands screaming while wearing a shirt that reads "positive vibes"

The Art of Making Yourself Miserable. . .

Leave a Comment / Simple Self-Care Strategies / By Paula Forte

I had the occasion to observe a family of four briefly this weekend and their eldest child, a boy of about 9-years of age, offered such an elegant example of The Art of Making Yourself Miserable that I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

Person sitting at computer holding hands to their head, overwhelmed

Finding ways to be “off duty” as a caregiver. . .

Leave a Comment / Simple Self-Care Strategies / By Paula Forte

That feeling of being “on duty” endlessly is exhausting, whether you’re caring for your children, your parents, your siblings, or a spouse. Your attention is constantly on what might happen next, when the phone is going to ring, or that worst-case-scenario about to unfold.

Neon sign "breathe" on a wall covered in green leaves

Stress & Anxiety. . .

Leave a Comment / Simple Self-Care Strategies / By Paula Forte

Whether it is the result of isolation and loneliness or “too much family time” brought on by the pandemic, we’re all more aware of our own stress & anxiety than we may ever have been in the past.

A thick book opened with a page on either side folded into the middle, making a book heart with the sun setting in the background

Gifts. . .

Leave a Comment / Simple Self-Care Strategies / By Paula Forte

This Christmas, I bought myself a special gift, Brené Brown’s new book, Atlas of the Heart. It is a book that catalogs emotions (both traits and states) and gives a new level of precision to the language we use to express how we feel.