6 unique words about the caregiving life

Because we’re caregivers who are also writers, we love discovering new words for feelings we might experience in the caregiving life. Here, we’ve assembled a few of our recent finds.

Shoshin

This word is taken from Zen Buddhism, meaning “to approach with an attitude of openness and lack of preconception.” How wonderful the world of caregiving would be if we could enter each others’ stories with open minds. And how wonderful life would be if we could go about it with the eagerness of a beginner, instead of the weariness we often feel.

I challenge you to view today with beginner’s eyes: what is strikingly beautiful about the surroundings that you’ve grown used to? What is extremely difficult that you don’t give yourself enough credit for tackling day after day? What fills your heart? What breaks your heart? What would a beginner think of your caregiving life?

Think about these questions as you go about your week. If you have a chance, jot down the answers in a journal or talk them through with a trusted friend.

Rastrophiliopustrocity

…in other words: everything we love to see in caregivers!

We here at Caregiving Advice are all about creative solutions to everyday caregiving roadblocks.

Caregiving is a daily (and hourly) blockage & solution challenge, and we are here to encourage you to find creative ways to overcome those roadblocks.

We are a team made up entirely of caregivers of all ages and with all different caregiving stories, and we all have something else in common: rastrophiliopustrocity.

We’re so glad to have you following along on this adventure of our creative sparks, as we ALL navigate this caregiving life together.

Cwtch

I think this is something we’ve all needed more this past year than ever before: a safe place in the embrace of your loved ones.

If you’re coming up on a year of not being able to see, hug, provide safety, or advocacy for someone you care for, we see you. You are not alone. You are strong, you are resilient, you are a force of nature.

I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t been able to see my grandmom this past year. I had to talk to my dad through a window for about a month and even that hurt my heart.

Uitwaaien

We talk at length about self-care here at Caregiving Advice, giving biweekly #selfcarehacks and sharing our ideas of what has worked for us, with the hopes of encouraging others to make time for themselves as well.

This caregiving word has to do with caring for oneself, as it loosely translates in English to “to walk with the wind,” and is simply the practice of walking outside, feeling the wind and the refreshing air against your body, and allowing it to whisk away any stressors or distractions.

Do you find that walking outside is a form of self-care for you? What else have you found is helpful for renewing your spirit and rejuvenating your energy? Try this week to get out and “uitwaaien.”

Saudade

I’ve felt this as I’ve watched first my grandfather and now my grandmom live with dementia.

There are moments when I long to have that rock of a grandmom back, who set firm rules, who prepared beautiful meals when we’d visit, and who would stand at the door and wave as we drove away until our car rounded the bend.

I know that particular time has passed, that I have new things to appreciate about my grandmom now, and I have an even closer relationship with her now, in a way.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t miss her, or that I don’t experience anticipatory grief for the loss to come, of the multitude of versions of my grandmom that I’ve known and loved deeply.

Elysian

Some of our main goals for Caregiving Advice are to provide creative solutions for everyday caregiving, and to help remind caregivers of the beauty that exists within every act of care, even if we forget to look for it.

As far as “peaceful and perfect,” I’m still looking for those moments within my own caregiving life—let me know if you find them! 

But in all seriousness, perfection isn’t the goal; there’s no such thing as a perfect caregiver. Our goal is to stir up some joy in the midst of the imperfection. 

Find creative caregiver ideas & insights on our Caregiving Advice and best caregiving blogs to help you navigate all the challenges and joys of a caregiving life.

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