When the Wind Blows
It is always wise to be prepared for an emergency, especially when there is so much happening in the world and it seems like there are emergencies all around us, all the time. As doulas, we have chosen a special calling to be of service, and now is no time to be caught off guard.
Honoring Our Furry Friends
One of the most personal forms of grief can come from the loss of a pet. Our relationships with our pets are special: yes, we love them because they are cute and funny, but we also love them because they are ours.
The Modern Good Death
One of the most beautiful aspects of being a doula is helping people to take ownership of their own death, and helping them realize that it doesn’t need to look the way they think it’s supposed to look. It can look however they want. And as doulas, we have the privilege of helping them put it all together.
Finding Gratitude in the Hard Times
Studies have shown that taking even just a few minutes out of the day for mindfulness focused on gratitude has measurable positive effects on a person’s mental health. Whether you spend that time meditating, writing in a gratitude journal, or with someone else, sharing thoughts about what you are each grateful for, there is a very high statistical likelihood that your gratitude moments will help you to have a more positive outlook, a calmer general demeanor, and an easier time handling challenges that come your way.
Caring for the Caretakers
We all know the importance of self care. Part of client care is making sure that the people who are caring for their loved ones have the time and the opportunity to care for themselves as well, whether that means getting away for an afternoon to do some shopping or just a couple of hours to get a decent meal and a nap.
Telling Your Own Story
An obituary can be an opportunity to really tell your own or someone else’s story one last time, to put one last stamp on people’s memories and connect for a final time.
My Favorite Mantras
I don’t know how many mantras a person is allowed to have but I sure do hope it’s more than one, because I personally have at least a couple dozen, some of which I have already shared with you right here on the IDLM blog.
The Importance of Showing Up
A couple of weeks ago I was woken up by a call at around 6:30 in the morning. A friend of mine needed to get to the airport and the person that had agreed to take them had canceled at the very last minute. It wasn’t a huge emergency, as emergencies go; everybody got where […]
Self Care When There’s No Time For Self Care
Autumn is just around the corner. Vacations are winding down and kids are getting ready to go back to school. Classes are even starting up again at IDLM! It’s a good time for a lot of people to take on new projects and new responsibilities, before the holidays come around again and everybody gets really […]
The Gift of Trust
A commonly held view among those who work in hospice, or with end of life patients in general, is that most people who need to go on hospice wait too long to do it. Instead of opting for hospice care when they receive their terminal diagnosis, they decide to do one more round of chemo, […]
