Tag: self-care

EOLPodcast

Ep. 414 Self-Care Series: The Benefits of Gratitude with Karen Wyatt

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Today is “Self-Care Monday” and I’ll be enjoying a little time off. In this brief audio recording you will learn about powerful benefits of experiencing gratitude and 3 simple practices to help you bring more gratitude into your life. One thing I’m grateful for is all of the wonderful listeners out there who send me encouraging messages and make contributions to keep this podcast on the air. Thank you for your support! I hope you’ll take time for some self-care too as you work to help others experience a better end of life and prepare for your own future path. See you next week for a regular episode where I’ll share a new interview!

EOLPodcast

Ep. 410 Self-Care Series: Finding Little Moments of Joy with Karen Wyatt

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Today is “Self-Care Monday” and I’ll be enjoying a little time off. In this brief audio recording you will learn a simple process for noticing the good and positive experiences happening around you and gradually training your mind to store more joyful and positive memories. I hope you’ll take time for some self-care too as you work to help others experience a better end of life and prepare for your own future path. See you next week for a regular episode where I’ll share a new interview!

Listen here:

EOLPodcast

Ep. 405 Self-Care Series: A Deep Breathing Exercise to Reduce Stress and Anxiety with Karen Wyatt MD

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Today is “Self-Care Monday” and I’ll be enjoying a little time off. In this brief audio learn how to utilize the simple skill of deep breathing to reduce stress and anxiety for yourself and your patients. I hope you’ll take time for some self-care too as you work to help others experience a better end of life and prepare for your own future path. See you next week for a regular episode where I’ll share a new interview!

Listen here:

EOLPodcast

Ep. 394 You’re Going to Die (YG2D): Creatively Exploring Death and Dying with Ned Buskirk

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Learn how YG2D brings diverse communities in to the conversation of death and dying using creativity.

My guest Ned Buskirk is the Founder, Podcast Host, Facilitator and Executive Director for You’re Going to Die (YG2D), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Ned discusses the YG2D movement and how the arts are essential to helping us make meaning out of our mortality. We also talk about the importance of self-care as we try to make changes in how we think and talk about death in our society. Learn more at the website:

www.yg2d.com

www.instagram.com/yergoing2die

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • The need that inspired the creation of the first YG2D open mic
  • How YG2D has responded to the needs of community
  • The paradox between the urgent need for the message to get out and the reality that we also need to let go and relax in the moment
  • How creative arts can be a gentle way to introduce the reality of death and dying
  • The arts are “medicine” for our mortality
  • Writing helps us access unconscious parts of ourselves that have been buried
  • We need places we can go where we are safe enough to be vulnerable
  • How listening to stories is as important as telling our own
  • Grief can be a “rite of passage” in our culture, especially if we can talk about it
  • It’s important to find the right community that can hold you in the way you need to be held
  • Why we need self-care and balance when we are working in the death and dying field
  • The prison work that Ned is engaging in through YG2D

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, and to Barbara Butler for your donation and to Laura for buying me 5 coffees! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 331 Looking Ahead to 2022

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Learn how the innovations of the past year are going to create more positive change in 2022!

In this final episode of 2021 I’ll share with you some of the innovations of 2021 that are going to be driving further change in the coming year. I’ll remind you of some of the conversations from this past year that provide potential solutions to the issues we are currently facing around end-of-life care. And we’ll recognize that amidst all the pain and sorrow of this pandemic year there has been much to be grateful and joyful about! (This episode is overflowing with information so keep a pen and paper handy to make note of interviews you may want to hear!)

Listen here:

This episode includes:

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my new patrons Teri A. Portugal Gooden and Cari Zlotnick; and thank you Brittany Ellis for increasing your monthly pledge! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 323 Self-Care Tools for 2021 and Why We Need Them Now with Suzanne O’Brien RN

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Learn why self-care and love are essential tools to master right now as we navigate these days of grief, transformation and healing.

My guest Suzanne O’Brien is a hospice and wellness nurse, international speaker, and bestselling author. She the founder and creator of The International Doulagivers® Institute and the Doulagivers® Life Class and Wellness Membership. She has traveled the world educating and helping build training programs to support community-based end-of-life care globally. She shares the tools she teaches for self-care during difficult times and why it’s so important to love ourselves. We’ll also learn about a new initiative launching November 1st to train 1 million people around the world to care for people at the end of life and to live their own best lives. Learn more at the website:

https://www.doulagivers.com

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How the pandemic has shifted our energies these past 2 years
  • How Suzanne’s Life Café met the needs of her community during lockdown and continues to reach people from around the world
  • Why we especially need to tend to our own physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs right now
  • Why stillness is important as we connect with our inner selves
  • True self-care requires self-love
  • A morning practice for self-awareness and care
  • Changing our inner world to be more loving will change how we perceive the world outside of us
  • The One Million People Trained Campaign

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference.

A End-of-Life Doula Training | Doulagivers
EOLPodcast

Ep. 316 “Deep Dive” Part 2: COVID, Self-Care and Meeting People Where They Are with Deanna Cochran RN

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Learn why being present and quiet can be the best way to help people at the end of life.

Deanna Cochran, hospice nurse, EOL doula, and founder of the CareDoula® School of Accompanying the Dying returns in this episode for Part 2 of our “deep dive” conversation (check out Part 1 here.) We talk about the impact of COVID on end-of-life work and how it has brought to our awareness the inequities that exist in our society and in healthcare. Caring for ourselves is another important topic of our discussion and Deanna shares how she stays sane while doing incredibly stressful work. Learn more at Deanna’s website:

www.certifiedcaredoula.com

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • The lessons learned from dealing with COVID
  • Why a commitment to self-care is necessary for end-of-life workers
  • The practices Deanna relies upon to maintain physical, emotional and spiritual health while doing this work
  • Choosing language around death and dying that people are comfortable with
  • Allowing awareness of death to unfold for other people on their own time frame
  • Why being quiet and saying nothing is sometimes the most helpful thing we can do
  • The blessing of beginner’s mind vs the challenge of expertise
  • “Guiding from behind” and knowing when to take charge

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 274 Self-Care for the Holidays During COVID-19

kwyattmd

Learn some practical ideas for self-care and creative ways to find meaning in the holidays during this stressful time of COVID-19.

In this solo episode I share some thoughts about we need to care for ourselves to prevent burnout during this holiday season and some ideas for reimagining our celebrations as we cope with COVID-19. Find some inspiration for your holidays and tips for staying energized and positive during the coming months. Get the handout mentioned in the podcast at the link below:

Quick-Tips-for-SelfCareDownload

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Why self-care is important now and during the holidays
  • What aspects of the holidays people find most meaningful (in surveys)
  • Sources of stress during holiday times
  • How holiday joys can become stresses if there is no balance
  • How COVID-19 is changing what is possible this year for celebrations and why this could be an opportunity to rethink the holidays
  • Finding new ways to be “together” during the holidays
  • New creative ideas for gift-giving when finances are limited
  • Tips for self-care and for re-energizing during stressful times

Links mentioned in this episode:

  • Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio
  • Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here
  • Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference!

EOLPodcast, Grief, Spirituality

Ep. 269 Disenfranchised Grief and Sacred Rituals for Healing with Joél Simone Anthony

kwyattmd

Learn how to restore sacredness to grief and embrace those who are often excluded from the shared grief experience.

My guest Joél Simone Anthony is a licensed funeral director and sacred grief practitioner in Atlanta, Georgia. She utilizes spirituality that is deeply rooted in ancient wisdom in her work guiding families toward healing after a death has occurred. Joél is also a leader in the movement to expose and heal systemic racism in death care and teaches cultural competency courses for funeral professionals. Learn more about her work at her website:

www.thegravewoman.com

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Joél’s calling to become a funeral director
  • How her upbringing exposed her to ancient African culture that informs her work today
  • Definition and examples of disenfranchised grief
  • How ignoring grief has emotional and mental health consequences
  • How COVID interferes with funeral rituals and ideas for creating a sense of community during a time of isolation
  • Simple rituals to help with grief
  • “The Grief Kit” as a tool for dealing with loss
  • How systemic racism in death care can occur due to a lack of education
  • Joél’s courses:
    • Shifting Deathcare: Tools for a New Paradigm (in collaboration with others)
    • Self Care for Death Professionals
    • Racism in Death Care
    • Cultural Competency for Funeral Professionals

Links mentioned in this episode:

  • Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio
  • Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here
  • Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference!

EOLPodcast, Hospice

Ep. 258 The Heart of Hospice: Supporting the End-of-Life Journey with Helen Bauer and Jerry Fenter

kwyattmd

Learn about the issues facing hospice care in the US and how the “heart” of hospice is essential for end-of-life care.

My guests today, Helen Bauer RN and Jerry Fenter, are the hosts of the popular podcast The Heart of Hospice. Having worked as a hospice nurse and hospice chaplain, these two are passionate about offering education and support to anyone who needs information about end-of-life care. Their projects include advance care planning, resources for professional and personal caregivers, and consultations with hospices about staff education. Learn more about their work at their website:

www.theheartofhospice.com

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Why Helen and Jerry started The Heart of Hospice
  • The challenge of educating the public and medical professionals about the benefits of hospice care
  • How COVID-19 is impacting hospice care right now
  • Other difficulties facing hospice care in the US
  • Reasons to be hopeful about the future of hospice
  • Self-care tips for professional and personal caregivers
  • The importance of memorial services for hospice staff to process grief
  • Resources available from their website

POEM: Compassion by Miller Williams

"Have compassion for everyone you meet 
even if they don’t want it. What seems conceit, 
bad manners or cynicism is always a sign 
of things no ears have heard, no eyes have seen. 
You do not know what wars are going on 
down there where the spirit meets the bone.”

From -  Healing the Divide: Poems of Kindness and Connection - 
edited by James Crews

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference!

End of Life, EOLPodcast, Spirituality

Ep. 214 Present Through the End: Spiritual Care of the Dying with Kirsten DeLeo

kwyattmd

Learn why being present for others is actually a perfect self-care practice.

PodcastDeLeo19

My return guest Kirsten DeLeo is an international trainer with the Spiritual Care Program and teaches about contemplative caregiving. She is the author of the newly-released book Present through the End and will discuss how and why we should strengthen our own ability to be present with others as part of our spiritual care of the dying. Learn more at Kirsten’s website:

www.kirstendeleo.com

presentthroughtheend

Get the book here.

Listen here.

 

This episode includes:

  • Dying is a spiritual process more than it is a medical process
  • How to prepare to become a caregiver for someone else
  • How to increase our own ability to be present with another
    • Slow down
    • Be mindful of our own breathing and physical presence
    • Be mindful of our thoughts and feeling
    • Listen without thinking of what to say next
    • Focus on heart-centeredness
  • Caring for ourselves and caring for another are not separate
  • Being present with another person for even a few moments nurtures us and helps alleviate our stress
  • Examples of questions to ask as conversation openers
  • Signs that death is drawing near

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on Patreon.com/eolu, your contributions mean  everything to me!

EOLPodcast

Ep. 179 How to Conquer Overwhelm as a Family Caregiver with Tandy Elisala

kwyattmd

Learn how to cope with all of the ups and downs and challenges of being a caregiver for a loved one.

podcastelisala

My guest Tandy Elisala knows all about the stresses of being a family caregiver having cared for both of her parents while raising 3 children as a single mom. She is the host of the Empowered Family Caregiver Podcast, an author, speaker, and coach and she’ll share her best tips and advice with us today. Learn more at her website:

www.TandyElisala.com

The Complete Caregiver Respite Guide

Quick Start Guide to Conquering Overwhelm

healing-through-the-chaos-2641

Get the book here.

Listen here:

 

This interview includes:

  • The biggest challenges facing family caregivers
  • Owning up to the negative emotions facing caregivers
  • Why some caregivers have trouble asking for help
  • Advice for getting help from others
  • How to move past guilt for not being a “perfect” caregiver
  • What we can learn about being a care receiver
  • Tips for self-care
  • Resources for respite care

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on Patreon.com/eolu, especially E. Kiran for upping  your pledge!

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 155 Writing Your Heart Will on a Mexican Retreat with Reena Lazar and Michelle Pante

kwyattmd

Learn how to leave a written legacy for your loved ones and enjoy a retreat in Mexico in the process!

PodcastLazarPante

 

Michelle-ReenaIn this episode I share a conversation with  Michelle Pante and Reena Lazar of Willow, a company that helps people express their personal and healthcare wishes for the future and leave a legacy of the heart for the ones they love. They will share their stories and tell us about an innovative retreat to Mexico they are planning this year – just in time for Dia de los Muertos!

Learn more at willoweol.com!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

You can still join our online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously if you’re interested in reading a book each month about death, dying and the afterlife. Register here if you want to receive email notifications each month about the latest book selection. Go here to see the entire book list for 2018.

Thanks as always to my supporters on Patreon.com/eolu! Your monthly donations help keep this podcast and the EOLU interview series on the air. This week my thanks goes out to Suzanne O’Brien and Doulagivers.com for their ongoing support over the past year-and-a-half. If you’d like to join our team sign up at Patreon.com/eolu and receive special bonuses.

FEATURE PRESENTATION:

Today my guests Michelle Pante and Reena Lazar tell us how they started their company Willow and the services they provide to their clients. We talk about:

  • How the two of them decided to team up and create a vision together
  • How Reena uses her conflict resolution training in the work she does now helping people with end-of-life planning
  • Why they chose the name Willow for their company
  • What are “love letters” and “heart wills” and why they encourage people to create them
  • Tips for writing your own heart will
  • Details of the upcoming retreat in Mexico that includes a celebration of the Day of the Dead (you can still get the “early bird” discount of $200 off the price of the retreat if you sign up by August 20th and use the code EOLU)

Learn more about Reena, Michelle and Willow at willoweol.com!

Remember there will be a new episode every Monday – if you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes!

Until next week …

Face Your Fear            BE Ready            Love Your Life

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End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 98 The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation for Caregivers and Health Professionals

kwyattmd

Learn how to get started with your own practice of mindfulness and enjoy improved health in body, mind and spirit.

PodcastMindfulness

giagem.jpg
In this episode my guest Gia George, who is a yoga and meditation teacher, will tell us why and how to start a simple meditation practice. You’ll learn what you need to know to get started with mindfulness and maintain a routine that will help with stress and life’s challenges. Visit Gia’s website at divinelygia.com.

Patreonbecome2xThis podcast is supported through generous contributions on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. If you would like to chip in $1 or $2 per month you’ll receive access to our monthly “Hospice Happy Hour Hangouts” and I will promote your EOL-related book, business, organization, or website on the podcast. THANK YOU to all of my Patreon supporters! You make this podcast possible!

In this interview you will learn:

  • The physical, mental, emotional and spiritual benefits of a mindfulness meditation practice
  • How meditation can specifically benefit those in the caregiving and healthcare professions
  • Why meditation is actually a form of “listening prayer”
  • How to begin if you’ve never meditated before
    • When to meditate
    • Frequency
    • How to sit
    • Dealing with thoughts
    • Avoiding self-judgment
    •  Maintaining the practice
  • How “guided meditation” can be a good way to get started
  • Being mindful during every day activities to improve focus and relieve stress

ZenQuestGuidedCheck out Gia’s Zen Quest Guided Meditation CD if you’d like some help getting your practice started:

Zen Quest: Guided Meditations, Healing Journeys is a compilation of 7 guided meditations, each 10-minutes in length. These vision quests take you on relaxing journeys through your mind, heart, and soul, as you explore the healing metaphors and symbols of the Universe. Each meditation is rich with hidden gems of wisdom, woven through a beautiful quest. Go to this link to listen to samples and purchase the CD if you are interested: Guided Meditation CD

Watch Gia’s FREE weekly meditation videos on YouTube: Meditation Monday

Tune in every Monday to a new episode! Until the next time remember:

Face Your Fears.                   BE Ready.                   Love Your Life.

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EOLPodcast

Ep. 60 How to Nourish Yourself While Caring for Someone Else with Nina Manolson

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Today Dr. Wyatt shares an interview from the EOLU archives with health and nutrition coach Nina Manolson. She discusses how to eat a healthy diet even when you are super-busy with life and work as a caregiver.

Reminder to sign up for Death Expo which takes place November 10-13, 2016. There will be 12 speakers in 4 days and it’s all free! Go to DeathExpo.com to register so you will receive emails about this event.

In this interview you will learn:

  • how a “green smoothie” can energize your day and change your life
  • healthy, easy snacks for busy caregivers
  • a simple daily strategy for healthy eating
  • how to stock your pantry and refrigerator for quick and healthy meals

Enjoy these tips for healthy eating and take good care of yourself! Until next week remember to:

Face Your Fears.          BE Ready.           Love Your Life.

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 59 How to Avoid ‘Compassion Fatigue’ for Caregivers and End-of-Life Workers

kwyattmd

This week Dr. Karen Wyatt addresses ‘compassion fatigue,’ which is an occupational hazard for those who care for others who are suffering emotionally or physically.

Death Expo is coming up November 10-13, 2016 and you can register by going to DeathExpo.com. There will be 12 speakers on various aspects of death, dying and bereavement, so be sure to sign up for this FREE virtual conference!

You can help support EOLU by going to Patreon.com/eolu and making a donation of $1 or $2 per month to help defray the expenses of creating the interview series and this podcast. Thank you to all of the current “Patrons” who are offering their support – it is much appreciated!

Today’s discussion centers around Compassion Fatigue and you will learn:

  • What is compassion fatigue
  • Who is susceptible to compassion fatigue
  • The signs and symptoms of compassion fatigue
  • Tips to prevent it:
    • Regular exercise
    • Adequate sleep
    • Healthy diet
    • Journaling
    • Deep breathing
    • Mindfulness meditation
    • Witnessing perspective (Galaxy view)
    • Prayer and contemplation
    • Self-love
  • See the links below to get companion resources for this talk

Smoothie recipes: smoothie-recipes

Journaling Starter Kit: journalingstarterkit

Remember to:

Face Your Fears.           BE Ready.             Love Your Life.