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Getting Squeezed: Resources for the Sandwich Generation
Adulting is hard. Learning to be a parent is one thing, but taking on the responsibility of supporting your own parents… while parenting, is a lot. Even the most capable people find themselves in over their heads and overwhelmed by the pressure created by taking care of so many people. One of the biggest stressors is not knowing what resources for the sandwich generation are available to help ease the burden. Thankfully, there are resources out there and with the right connections, people can reduce the level of stress and lighten the load. Did you know? Did you know most people caring for elderly parents are still in the workforce?…
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The Sandwich Generation: Living In The Middle
The month of July is the National Sandwich Generation Month. The term sandwich generation refers to men and women supporting their parents and their children simultaneously. This generation of people tends to be middle-aged, 35-54, and still in the workforce. They are caring for aging parents as well as their own children. The term was coined by a social worker in 1981 who saw an increase in the number of adult children supporting their parents while also raising their own kids. This time of life can be exhausting and financially difficult. If you are experiencing an increased need to assist your parents as they age while having kids at home,…
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Exercise, Family, Healthy Living, Mindfulness, Relationships, self-care, Sports, Ultimate Blog Challenge
Generate More Energy with Your Family by Getting Outside
It’s Day 26 of the UBC. The end is near! We’ve spent a lot of time chatting about the benefits of fitness and getting your body to generate more energy. It’s probably starting to seem very normal to get up off the couch and get outside. That’s wonderful and important but the idea of being fit doesn’t end with you, it includes your whole family. If you’ve been struggling with low energy levels, it’s entirely possible that your family is too. Since families tend to operate as a unit and influence one another, being sedentary, eating poorly, and feeling sluggish could be a universal thing. That’s why it’s important to…
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Family, Gratitude, Healthy Living, Journaling, Mindfulness, Relationships, self-care, Ultimate Blog Challenge
Are the People in your Life Draining your Energy?
It’s Day 3 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. Today we look at Energy Draining People. We all know a few of those, right? Our life is centered around relationships. From our family to our community, to the world at large, we can’t avoid being in relationships. Even introverts and shy personality types are in relationships and must engage with people every day. Who we spend time with directly affects our energy. It’s important to consider if the people in your life are draining yours. People carry their energy with them People give off a vibe. There’s a saying that young children and dogs can tell if someone is worth knowing.…
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Spring Cleaning for Your Soul, Day 11: De-Clutter Your Relationships
Thank you for joining us on Day 11 of the Spring Cleaning for Your Soul series. On this beautiful day, let us continue with our personal purging to make way for new growth. How can you bring about growth in your relationships? We talked about dark versus light in one of the earlier challenges. Some of the relationships that you’ll have will bring out your dark thoughts. Others will make you feel buoyant and fill you with lightness. So let’s think about the people you engage with on a routine basis. You likely have different friends and relations with different levels of intimacy. Different Types of Relationships Maybe you have…
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Celebrating Valentine’s Day!
Valentine’s Day is going to be different for a lot of couples this year. You may be locked down at home with your loved one. You could be having a Zoom date from across town. Or you could be communicating from long distances… Hopefully, this pandemic will be ending soon and everyone will be able to enjoy this holiday in a manner that is closer to normal. But we have to get there first. Valentine Day Stay-In Ideas What are you doing for Valentine’s Day this year? We are hanging out at home and ordering Indian Food. Next year will be the 20th Valentine’s Day since we got married, so…
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Boundaries- The Key to a Joyful Season
There you are, minding your holiday business when someone’s dysfunction crashes into your spirit. There’s a lot of Grinches and Scrooges out there and they have the potential to rub off on you if you can’t set healthy boundaries. There are a lot of reasons why people aren’t at their best during the holidays, but their bad mood doesn’t have to affect you when you are ready, willing, and able to set boundaries and protect yourself from their negativity. Here are the steps you need to set healthy boundaries for a joyful season Step 1. Be aware Some people are going to be negative. Be aware. Be on the alert…
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Reclaim Your Power: Are You Surrounded by Toxic People?
Shannon ended the phone call with her friend and breathed a sigh of relief. She’d spent the past hour on the phone and felt drained and weary after the conversation. Every time Shannon tried to share something positive or upbeat, her friend countered with a negative reaction. The whole exchange made Shannon wish she’d never answered the call. Sometimes, Shannon would find her friend enjoyable to talk to. But most of the time, her friend was negative and wanted to argue. She was easily offended and constantly involved Shannon in her latest drama. Toxic People Steal Your Joy One day, Shannon looked up the definition of toxic people online. As…
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Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles
It’s Valentine’s Day today! And February is National Chocolate Lover’s Month. There has been a lot of doubling up this month — perfect for planning posts! If you celebrate Valentine’s Day, have a beautiful day! I know it’s a commercial holiday, etc. etc… My husband likes to remind me of that. However, we find it a great excuse to have a date night. So we recognize but work with it! Anyway, today we have a lovely chocolate treat that you could use for Valentine’s Day. Looking for a delicious snack to satisfy your sweet tooth? Look no further than these decadent chocolate hazelnut truffles. The best part? Dates and a…
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The Benefits of Journaling on Your Relationships
With this being Valentine’s Week, I thought this post about the benefits of journaling for relationships was on topic. Aside from the more common benefits of journaling, like helping you to achieve your goals, figure out your feelings and emotions, and vent in a secret space, journaling can also help with your personal relationships and friendships. Benefits of Journaling for Your Relationship With Yourself One of the most important relationships you have is the one you have with yourself. Journaling is by far one of the best things you can do to heal this relationship. To start with, it is going to help you think more positively, especially if you…
