December Wellness Update

It’s okay to make things easier where they can be made easier. 

Ease isn’t a cop-out. Ease isn’t laziness.

Ease isn’t stagnancy. Ease is a propellant, a care agent, a balm, a soft landing.


Sadness isn’t failure. Grief isn’t failure.

Depression isn’t failure. Low energy isn’t failure.

Confusion isn’t failure. Needing isn’t failure.

Joy isn’t selfish.

Gratitude isn’t selfish

Celebration isn’t selfish.

 Nourishment isn’t selfish,

Receiving isn’t selfish.

Care isn’t selfish.


 ~ Lisa Olivera

Which of the previous statements resonates with you most? Which feels like an affirmation you may need to hear right now? What is present in your life this season that needs more ease, rest and encouragement? For many caregivers and adults, millions in fact, this holiday season may not be full of joy. It may not be the holiday season we wanted, perhaps wished for or prepared for and it may not be the same as or even close to our “normal” or desired holiday season. Whatever the reasons, it’s important to know that this too, is normal. Recognizing this shared experience, though possibly a disappointing one, can help release expectations and soften strain to offer an affirming and easier place to rest in what is actually present and available. When we normalize our experience as valid and outside of self-judgment or comparison, we step into the gifts of a season which may not feel like it has many.  One significant gift is the opportunity to let old stories and beliefs about ourselves and circumstances go, particularly those which begin with It’s supposed to, I’m supposed to, I should be, I wish…  

We reduce our suffering when we do. 


Acknowledging how things are challenging or disappointing right now can open the door for accepting and enjoying what can be enjoyed, and how essential this is for the ease and rest we may need over the coming month, particularly one that is dark by 5pm. Whether through loss or change, unexpected or anticipated, know you are not alone in how you feel. Exploring the truth of things takes courage and it may be the truest gift of the season, and one you can give yourself. Ease and Rest. Not necessarily more sleep, but rest, in consistent doses and in its many forms. 


Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, author of Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity, highlights 7 types of rest every person needs. I hope you will consider the following in your own care as gifts to yourself this month and into the new year. May they offer you a balm and also, room to experience ease where it arises and the opportunity to enjoy your life more, even when things are hard and options feel limited.  


7 types of rest that every person needs:

Physical Rest

Mental Rest

Sensory Rest

Creative Rest

Emotional Rest

Social Rest

Spiritual Rest


You can read more about these 7 types of rest here.


May your holiday gifts include a gentle & honest inventory of your needs & the kind of rest you need to be well in 2023!

— Laura Rice-Oeschger, LMSW

Wellness Initiative Managing Director

Soothing Word of the Month

Eiréné (εἰρήνη). Greek (ih-ray-nay)

Peace; wholeness, oneness; quiet, rest. 

Program Registration

Catching Your Breath


December 12, 10 - 11:30 a.m., Virtual

 

Catching Your Breath is a monthly program focused on learning and practicing stress resilience skills for continued health, balance, and well-being. The program is for family caregivers of adults living with a dementia.

Register

Mitten Minds Support Group


December 20, 3 - 4 p.m., Virtual

 

The Mitten Minds Support Group is a monthly support group for individuals with mild cognitive impairment or early stage dementia. The support group provides a space for individuals living with memory loss to meet and learn from others going through similar experiences.

Register

Mindfulness-based Dementia Care

 

Winter sessions, January - March, Virtual

Spring sessions, April - June, Virtual

 

Mindfulness-based Dementia Care is a nine-week program designed for family caregivers of adults living with dementia. The program shares how the practice of mindfulness can provide support during the challenges and stresses of dementia care.

Classes meet weekly and attendance each week is required for course participation. Some outside practice and reviewing course material between classes is also expected. Upcoming sessions are offered in partnership with The Presence Care Project. 

Register

Living Grief

 

March 2 - August 3, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., Virtual

 

Living Grief is a monthly exploration of grief for family caregivers of adults living with a dementia. The program takes place monthly for six months and it is recommended that participants attend all or most sessions. It is strongly encouraged that Living Grief attendees will have participated in other Wellness Initiative programs.

Register

Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Center

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