We’ve heard many times before that you can’t care for others if you’re not caring for yourself, but it’s easy to overlook your needs and feel guilty for prioritizing yourself. We are facing a burnout epidemic and caregivers are being hit the hardest, but the good news is you’re not alone. People around the country are dealing with these same issues and have found solutions to help them balance themselves and their passion. Hear the stories of three different caretakers, the struggles they face, and what they do to give back to themselves on this episode of Well-Being. Join Jess Waizmann, Community ABA Administrator at Boundless, Lisa Comes, Service and Support Advisor at Ohio Association of County Boards and mother of a son with disabilities, and Julie Callahan, mother of an adult son who Boundless serves, to hear real life examples of self-care.
We’ve heard many times before that you can’t care for others if you’re not caring for yourself, but it’s easy to overlook your needs and feel guilty for prioritizing yourself. We are facing a burnout epidemic and caregivers are being hit the hardest, but the good news is you’re not alone. People around the country are dealing with these same issues and have found solutions to help them balance themselves and their passion. Hear the stories of three different caretakers, the struggles they face, and what they do to give back to themselves on this episode of Well-Being. Join Jess Waizmann, Community ABA Administrator at Boundless, Lisa Comes, Service and Support Advisor at Ohio Association of County Boards and mother of a son with disabilities, and Julie Callahan, mother of an adult son who Boundless serves, to hear real life examples of self-care.
Welcome everyone to Wellbeing: A podcast brought to you by Boundless. Boundless is a nonprofit that provides residential support, autism services, primary health care, day programs, counseling and a whole lot more to children and adults. Our mission is to build a world that realizes the boundless potential of all people. I'm your host, Scott light. To our guests, we have a quick fill in the blank question to start off this episode. Julie, why don't you begin here for us, caregivers can better take care of themselves by blank?
Julie Callahan:Getting some sleep, eating healthy, drinking lots of water, making medical appointments.
Scott Light:Okay, that's good, good, good stuff. Jess how about you?
Jessica Waizmann:I think just being aware of how you're feeling, how that feels in your body, and then engaging in coping, calming self-care activities around that,
Scott Light:Okay, Lisa?
Lisa Comes:I'm gonna go for nurturing relationships and taking a risk.
Scott Light:Well, that is our theme this month, taking care of the people who take care of all of us; caregivers. And with that, let me introduce you to the voices that you are hearing, the voices of our guests. Jessica Waizmann is an administrator of ABA services here at Boundless. Julie Callahan is a parent of an individual who has served here at Boundless, in fact, for a very long time. So we'll talk about that. Julie is also a parent peer support specialist at Nationwide Children's Hospital. And Lisa Comes is a service and support adviser for the Ohio Association of County Boards, and also has an adult son with a disability as well. Welcome to you all.
Julie Callahan:Thank you.
Jessica Waizmann:Thank you.
Lisa Comes:Good to be here, Scott.
Scott Light:It's good to have all of you here. So, let me get each of you to expound on your rapid fire answers there, if you would. Julie, let me come back to you. You talked about, well, just some, let's call them tactical things that people can do around their health, getting good sleep, eating well, and exercising, can you talk about those a little bit more?
Julie Callahan:When you're a caretaker of an individual who has some special needs, it's very important to take care of your body because you need to be healthy, you need to live a long time to care for your child. So it's important to try to get some sleep, if your child will allow it, you know, eating healthy, you know, not ignoring warning signs, making doctor's appointments, keeping up with your physicals. If you can't take care of yourself, you can't take care of someone else.
Scott Light:Yeah, yeah, we've heard that a lot from people who have come to our podcast episodes here. Jess to you, you were talking about coping and calming skills, let me get you to expound on that if you would, for our listeners.
Jessica Waizmann:Sure. We work on this a lot with the individuals we serve, but it really extends beyond that to the guardians and caretakers of the individuals we serve. To our staff, this was something we weren't ever taught growing up, that I think is really relevant to all people, but especially people that are in a caregiver role. You know, being aware of how we're feeling, and then also how that feels in your body. Just kind of normalizing that and being able to be aware, you know, when I am sad, this is how it feels, I feel like I have a headache. Just being aware of that. And there can be, kind of, multiple feelings and multiple feelings in your body, depending on what you're experiencing. And kind of what, you know, the other participants have referenced, just finding those self-care routines as well. What makes you feel better, right? And there's a laundry list of examples. And I don't think we need to go through them. But I do think that having several in your repertoire, and being able to lean into even five or 10 different things that you know, kind of help you feel healthy and connected to others, and calm and comfortable is really, really important.
Scott Light:I love the diversity of answers all three of you are providing right out of the gate. And Lisa that brings me to yours, nurturing and taking a risk. Boy, explain that one. That's really good.
Lisa Comes:Well, actually, Jessica just gave me a great segue when she talked about making you feel connected with others. So, when I think of things, you know, the most important thing for myself and my son and for us to thrive in our life is to be connected to multiple people. And that takes work and it takes intentionality. It has ever since he was little. I mean we were blessed with a big family he had sisters and that helps right off the bat because your circle is bigger. But it's scary and that comes, that's where the risk is. There's a risk when you have a person with a significant disability to reach out to people outside of your immediate family and for, you know whether it's you know, a service in the community or a paid support or for friendship or a ride or because you're sad, you know, that's a risk. And it's even more of a risk when your child has a disability, because you want them to have people. So I, you know, I am all about connection, and that that's what keeps me going. I mean, I'm not so good at making medical appointments for myself, and it's something I really work on, and I'm so glad there's people to remind me of that part. But what really gets me up every morning is knowing that I have people in my life and that my son has people in his life that if something happens to either one of us, we're going to be okay. And that's what, you know, I love it. I mean, and that's to me, the biggest caregiver peace of mind that I have. And so we'll talk a little bit but as I've worked in the field, I've worked with little teeny 0, 1, 2-year-old kids, and I've worked with aging folks, you know, and I see the people who make the choices to really put folks in a community setting and then I have an opportunity to try and make connections with all kinds of people. And those are the people that continue to thrive and make it so,
Scott Light:We all need our tribe.
Lisa Comes:We need our people. I said people need people. That's a song right?
Scott Light:People need people, yes!
Lisa Comes:Barbra Streisand, right?
Scott Light:Well, you know what, you mentioned your son. Let's talk about John Ross a little bit. Tell us more about him. And then also tell us about, is it Prader-Willi
Julie Callahan:Yeah, yeah. So John Ross is 25, I think you syndrome? said that. And he is still living at home with me right now. Because even though I've, you know, tried really hard to get in the community, I haven't succeeded in allowing him to leave the house, right. But his disability is pretty unique in the fact that it is a Chromosome 15 abnormality that he was born with. And the general symptoms that, you know, create problems for him, are around a voracious hunger, which I hate that word'voracious hunger,' it just means he's always starving. So if he's around food, he's thinking about how, "I better eat, I may never eat again." And that's a really interesting disability to have when you have a mom, that 1) is a foodie. And 2) believes that you need lots of people in your life, because people come with food. It's, you can't keep him in a lockdown situation all the time if you want him to experience life. And that's a real struggle for people with Prader-Willi syndrome. So I do spend a lot of intentional time trying to figure out the places and the people that can be part of his life, and still keep him safe and healthy and have fun. But yeah, he is working virtually from home as, actually, a Medicaid biller. He had the wonderful opportunity to do a post secondary school, he has a lot of good academic skills. But he also you know, is obese, and has health problems due to his overweight. And he also drives a car. So he's kind of all over the place, iterally. And so the the risk thing, mixing risk with responsibility and a good life and safety is really a big area that I spend a lot of time with. And it gives me a lot of joy for him. and it gives me a lot of headaches because I kind of give him a little too much latitude sometimes maybe. So yeah, that's kind of my thing.
Scott Light:Well, we appreciate you sharing your personal story and your lived experience there. And, Julie, let me come to you and ask you, in a similar sense, if you would tell us about Jackson because Jackson has been coming here to the Boundless campus. Do I have this right, since he was five?
Julie Callahan:That's correct. So he's 19 now, he's extremely charismatic and
Scott Light:Tell us about Jackson. Wow. And Jess you know Jackson? handsome and athletic. But with that said, he's also nonverbal. He's profoundly autistic. Level three is what they call it now. He engages in high intensity self injury and aggression. And he's been a lot to manage and Boundless has been there with us since he was five. We've been in and out of hospitals a lot throughout his life to help try to manage those. He also has several medical conditions, including epilepsy. He has some pretty bad reactions to medications, so it's really hard to medicate him. And some of those medications have caused hospitalizations. He was in a hospital for up to two years while we were looking for someplace for him to live that would be able to support his high intensity needs and his medical conditions and luckily we ended up back here in Columbus and Boundless is taking care of him and his housing. And they're supporting him, both in school and in his daily living
Jessica Waizmann:Oh, yeah, since he was five.
Scott Light:Wow. Talk about that relationship a little bit.
Jessica Waizmann:Sure. Well, I mean, I worked directly with him, you know, intermittently over the years, helped to support a home base program when he was still living at home with his family. Yeah, and actually have subbed and helped out in his current home. Yeah, he's really just a great guy. And I'm happy to know that he's grown and in a really good, safe home.
Scott Light:Let's come back to a couple of themes here that we're going to discuss when it comes to caregivers. And I'll go around the horn, whoever wants to jump in here, but super broad question, what challenges do caregivers face when it comes to their own self care?
Julie Callahan:I can start with that. I think caregivers of those with special needs spend significantly more time taking care of their child than that of, you know, an average parent. And so I think the challenges are the amount of time needed to support your child you have therapies, you have doctor's appointments, you have school, you have paperwork, you have agencies you're meeting with. I usually call myself the CEO of Jackson, because it's a lot to manage and organize. But you don't have a lot of natural supports, you know, you don't really fit in with your friends and family because they don't really understand what's going on so you become very isolated. You don't, you know, you can't just go out and do anything because nobody can watch your child, right? And you don't, it's hard to balance your other children, your relationships, your friendships, because you're needed to take care of your child. So I think that is a big challenge. I was jumping in right there with isolation, you know, again, going back to the relationship idea, I think the biggest, you know, pitfall is when you do feel alone. And it's real. I mean, even for, you know, I make it sound like I do a lot of that, but there's still a lot of time where you feel very unheard, and alone in your, you know in your life, you know, and your struggles, I guess. So that's when I know I need to do some of the great techniques that you guys brought up, you know, is number one, you know, just kind of like spending some time and eating healthy and taking care of myself physically and sleeping, and those kinds of things. Because there are so many people in my life. And I just sometimes get into that really isolated, where I just don't feel like they really get what's going on. So that that definitely hits home for me too.
Jessica Waizmann:I think that's where connecting with services, having service providers that are able to assist can really play a role. I think something I see a lot as well, both with our staff and the caretakers that we support, caregivers that we support. Making sure to take time to play to spend time with that individual and enjoy your time together. Outside of demands outside of any kind of structure, just taking that time every day to be able to connect and kind of enjoy each other's company as much as possible. Try not to over commit to things especially I mean, this is absolutely relevant to staff too right? Not kind of overworking, making sure to have that work life balance. Spending your energy wisely, you know, burnout has a lot of effects and being able to kind of manage your energy and again, just kind of not over committing can be really beneficial in terms of just keeping those reserves.
Scott Light:Jess, you really teed up the next thing. I'd like for again for all three of you to jump in on and that is now that we have a little bit of hindsight, not that, you know, a worldwide pandemic is over. But looking back, my goodness, what did we learn from COVID-19 and all this? And what wrenches did COVID-19 throw into this mix of caregiving for kids and adults with special needs?
Lisa Comes:My son and I actually thrived during COVID-19. And I don't, and I've heard that from other families too, because there weren't as many things that you were missing out on or that you could do or that you could like. It was a really strange idea. It certainly brought out the importance of those relationships and the people that you just couldn't not be with like, who were your real people? And who really was there to help you? But it's almost, you know, maybe I got FOMO? I don't know. But I mean, it was like, it was it was kind of a relief. And maybe also, you know, just because I work in, you know, a pretty taxing job. And it was new for me at the time. But there was that relief that might, the expectations were lowered. So, you know, it was a good thing. And it kind of reminded me that maybe I was probably doing too much and over committing right, and feeling too worried about what I was missing out on, instead of just kind of enjoying and being and focusing on the most important
Scott Light:You know, what, Lisa, my wife has said, again, people. now that we can look back, but I can remember her saying this in the moment, too. During COVID, she said, and again, if with perspective, that she liked that life was slower and that she was taking in moments better. To your point, she was. And she just felt like...
Lisa Comes:It's kind of like when you have a snow day. And you just can't do anything but have hot chocolate and go sledding.
Scott Light:That's a great comparison.
Lisa Comes:for me being kind of over the top all the time, and that it really did force, some slowdowns, so.
Julie Callahan:I'm going to swing the pendulum the other way,
Lisa Comes:Alright,
Julie Callahan:I've found that when, during the height of the pandemic, you know, services were shut down. So people who had some supports lost those supports. So then you had that caretaker burnout, because you're the only one there and you're experiencing things and there was nobody there to help, you know, tap out with. And even on the medical side, you know, your speech and OTs were shut down, your diagnostic appointments were shut down. So there's such a backlog of people on these long wait lists that have been even trying to get diagnosis or, you know, supports in a medical setting, that have like been waiting one or two years to even get supports and services or a diagnosis even so, I think that was the main effect and just the lack of supports and getting out and that lack of routine, so many of the kids need. So, you know, they're used to going to school, they're used to going to different things. And then when that didn't happen, you know, those behaviors raise up, you don't have anybody there to support. So I see a lot of parents that were in crisis during that time.
Scott Light:And parents had to become educators like at the flip of a switch. And I know that if I had to do that, thankfully, my kids were, you know, beyond high school and in college at that time, but it would have been horrible. I'm not an educator, I am not a trained educator, and could not have become one.
Julie Callahan:Yes. So for even for me, for my typical children. I'm like, I don't know, common core math. I don't know. I don't want to know it, was like the answer's four, I don't know how you got that.
Scott Light:Exactly, exactly. Yeah,
Jessica Waizmann:We saw families struggle. And we actually never discontinued our in-home services and kind of bulked it up during that time because a lot of our individuals who were not in school really had an increased need for in-home support. But that isolation piece, that lack of community inclusion and connection during that time was difficult for a lot of our families, that we serve, but also for our staff. And I have seen with some of our staff that kind of taking a step back and reprioritizing and prioritizing their families over work, which I do think ultimately has had a positive impact on some of my co-workers. And you know, just being able to kind of reframe things and approach it from a different perspective.
Scott Light:Speaking of work, I'd like to talk to all three of you about what you do on a daily basis, not just what you're doing with your respective families, but also every single day and just with that, tell our listeners more about ABA services here at Boundless
Jessica Waizmann:Sure. So I oversee our community based ABA services in central region for Boundless and we mostly work in individuals homes, providing opportunities to build and develop a variety of skills that might be relevant to those individuals, as well as working to reduce any kind of challenging behavior that might be occurring. Working with parents and families, as well on a kind of assisting and facilitating all of that as well. So we have a really large team of behavior specialists and analysts. And they oversee services we have behavior technicians that are providing that one-on-one support. We also partner with other community based settings, so daycare centers, adult day programs, schools. So it's not exclusively home base, but predominantly. And I just really think that working in community settings is so relevant, that generalization of skills is not as much of a struggle, they're working on those skills in the context that they're going to be using them. Right, especially when we when we do in-homework.
Scott Light:Julie, you've mentioned a parent to multiple children here, but also your work as a parent peer support specialist at Nationwide Children's, tell us about that work.
Julie Callahan:So the good thing that's come out of me being a caretaker for my son, Jackson is learning all the services in the community that are available, the educational systems and how to work through things, how to support him behaviorally. So an opportunity came open at Nationwide Children's for a parent peer support specialist, and that is certified through the State of Ohio. And we basically support parents who have children who are going through mental health crisis, if you know, and reminding them to care for themselves, and how to care for their children. And whether that's, you know, advocating or looking for resources, connecting them with groups and other families that are experiencing the same thing so that they know that they're not alone.
Scott Light:And Lisa, you can also talk about this work in a in a 360 way with what you've mentioned, in terms of your family with John Ross, but also your role at OACB. Tell us about that.
Julie Callahan:Yeah, I actually, you know, I worked in the disability field for seven years, or 10 years, actually, before my, John Ross was even born. And I just kind of fell in to it. I was a speech and hearing therapist working in a school for the county board of DD with folks with pretty profound disabilities. And he was my third child, and you use that word 360. And I was like, I remember when he was born. And I was like, Yeah, I can't like when I got the diagnosis, I was like, I cannot work this and live this, I am not, you know, and I took seven years off and just focused on him and family and had another child. So I had four all together. But then when it was time to get back and he was going to school, I went back to the County Board, and I worked as an SSA, on that service and support administrator for Lucas County Board of DD in both children, adults and eligibility. And eventually, actually right before the pandemic, as we were talking, that was one of the big things that probably affected me in the pandemic was that I had accepted a job with the Ohio Association of County Boards to support service and support advisors across the state, like three months before the pandemic, so I was supposed to be traveling all over the state meeting people doing professional development, and then all of a sudden, I was completely 100%, virtual, doing a lot more kind of advocacy and emergency work and, you know, advocating for everything we could possibly do to get people services that they needed. So, I've had that last four years, it'll be four years soon, where I'm, you know, kind of, OACB only I'm the only person there's, about 2300 service and support administrators across our 88 counties. And, you know, they are, we're experiencing all the things we've experienced with DSPs right now, where, you know, nobody goes to college to be a service and support administrator. And nobody goes to be a case manager in children's services, or, you know, and so we get people who never thought they would do this, and now it's a job. And there's a lot of training and understanding and rules. God, there's so many rules. And many of them aren't parents, their parents to anybody, many of them are still kids. And so, you know, my oldest is 30. And she's seven years older than a lot of SSA's. So, there's some great people in the county coards, and I really, absolutely enjoy supporting the county boards and all that they do. But, you know, it's a tough, complicated system that we all work in. And actually, we've been talking about self-care with SSA's for the past two years, three years because the burnout is terrible. We have turnover, you know, close to 25-30% right now. So, you know, it's all those things taking care of each other. And I'm doing the same thing with them. I'm trying to connect them with each other you know, all of a sudden thankfully with the virtual options, we're able to get SSA's is to realize that you know Marion County. I'm just throwing out Marion, is not, that's not the whole world and you know and trying to learn that things could be done differently might be done differently. And maybe there's a better way, and to learn from eachother and, you know, promote a little better consistency, because we, we all struggle with that 88 county boards, deciding how to implement things is, is a big task. And they work hard at it. And some people do really good. But we need, we need to keep working at trying to get that consistent message and giving families and people served the best services available. So I love my job. And it has brought some great opportunities to my son, because of knowing this system and understanding it, I'm very blessed. But it's also brought to my other children, being in the disability field, it's one of my favorite things about being a mom, is that I have three daughters, along with John Ross, and every one of them have decided to do something in the human services field. And you know, and some of them wanted to have nothing to do with people with disabilities, which is not very kind, but you know... no, I mean, they obviously but a nurse, a doctor, and now a counselor, you know, so those are kind,
Scott Light:They're serving, for sure.
Lisa Comes:Yeah! And they love it. And they affect everybody around them when they talk about, you know, being a sibling. And so, that's such a blessing of what we have done as family members, you know, to bring up people and give people a different perspective. So I'm really proud. Good job, Julie.
Jessica Waizmann:Yeah, and I love that you brought up your children kind of going into this field, because of their personal experience, we see that. I mean, I make the assumption that all of us that are going into the human services field, have something that brought us here, and that makes us really passionate and compassionate and good at our jobs, right? But I think because we all have those personal things that bring us here, being really compassionate and supportive with each other is so important. I know, you know, we've been talking a lot about self care, but also just caring for each other and being, you know, supportive of our co-workers. And I think that that's such a critical piece that maybe could be missed, right? But it is important for us, I don't know, just to be in a healthy work environment and be able to take care of each other too.
Julie Callahan:It's lot of stress, it's a lot of pressure to figure everything out, keep your kids safe, keep them healthy, help them to live as independently as they are able to be that's, you know, a lot of pressure and a lot of need. And a lot of resources are needed and,
Scott Light:And those pressures are real. I looked at some numbers from the Centers for Disease Control. So these are national numbers, but they're still worth absolutely looking at. Caregivers often pay a high price for for their labors of love. Let me run a few numbers by you. 35% of caregivers have difficulty finding time for themselves. 29% experienced emotional and physical stress from their various roles. 54% said their health has gotten worse due to their caregiving responsibilities, and 29% have difficulty balancing their family and work responsibilities. Couple of questions and again, just jump in. Do you think some of these numbers could be under reported? And then I'm just wondering as well? Are there some surprises in those numbers to to any of you?
Julie Callahan:I definitely think those aren't probably totally accurate. Because a lot of people will just say, "We're fine, I'm fine." I've also heard another statistic that a special needs parent experiences the same PTSD with the chronic stress comparable to that of a combat soldier. And you know, he's constantly on edge, you're vigilant of your surroundings, you have to over plan for every possibility. It's exhausting mentally. So that's why you have that caregiver burnout.
Jessica Waizmann:From both the caregivers of the individuals we serve and our staff. And, and I think maybe even more broadly, I think people in general don't necessarily take the time to really engage in healthy self-care, you know, taking that time for themselves, maybe even kind of outside of a caregiver role. I just don't think it's something that we all have a lot of practice doing. So yeah, I definitely think those numbers are low.
Julie Callahan:When I was looking at this and thinking about talking about it, I was like, who is a caregiver? You know, what, where did they get those numbers? Because who isn't a caregiver? And, you know, it's so hard to measure, you know, within the disability world, you know, what, who's the most challenging person to care for, and it really is more about the self-care, right? It's more about how are you? How do you deal with stress and you know, I have I know people who, you know, they choose caregiving, but they don't have anybody necessarily to caregive, but they're just as stressed and mental health, you know what I mean being issues for them? Because that's something is wired in them to be that, you know, that's what they do they seek it out. And I do, I just think there's that there's something about, I mean, there's no doubt when it's your child or, you know, a loved one, that it's going to be more intense. So I'm assuming those are where the numbers come from, but very underreported. I mean, there is no doubt that, you know, I don't think many of us even realize, you know, the health issues. I remember I was in some study during the, it was probably this one, during the pandemic, where they were asking questions about all that, and you know, how you were feeling in isolation and all that. And I didn't hadn't hadn't ever even thought about my physical problems that were, that could have been attributed to some of the stuff until I'd been doing it for like, a year. And I was like, wow. You know, like, so, there's so it's so hard to self assess that.
Scott Light:Yeah. Well, and researchers and doctors will say the data is unequivocal now about stress, and that there are two things, that it compounds over the years, and that it's it can be invisible, right? If we, if we're not if we're not paying attention to it. Let me ask this as we start to wrap our conversation here. And as we look at the calendar, we're in November. It's a great time heading into the holidays. But yes, it's also a stressful time. Thanksgiving tables can be a bounty of food, and stress, let's just be honest. As we're heading into the holidays, how do each of you take just a minute maybe, or minutes, plural, to take a little time right now to decompress?
Jessica Waizmann:Really allocating energy to the things that need to be addressed. Not over committing to social activities, to family demands, things like that. But also taking that time off work, making sure to, you know, have that work life balance during these times, because your personal life can be a lot more demanding during the holidays, and so being able to have that balance around work, you know, is even more important.
Julie Callahan:I'm gonna go with endorphins, whatever I can do to get them. That's kind of what I do. I like the quick fixes. You know what you guys can tell I'm a pretty spontaneous person. Recently, my son and I were hanging out, and it was Halloween time, and I was I don't know why I hadn't done anything very exciting all day, right? Just did the normal stuff. And I was like, "Come on, tell me something we can go do that will just be fun." And he was like, "It's a mystery trip." So he drove me. And we went through a haunted carwash. OMG. Two minutes of screaming gleeful endorphins, and I hate haunts, but it was so, I talked about it, we talked about it for days afterwards, I was like, "Oh, my God tell them we went to the..." you know, and he's a haunt guy, like, that's what he does. And he knows I don't like it. So, you know, anyway, I mean, you know, that was a fun way. You know, obviously, I'm a big nature person walking is my is everything I need to walk I need silence or nature sounds, you know, when I'm walking. And then recently, it's pickleball. Pickleball releases all the endorphins for me, but it's not minutes, it's hours. So, you know, I am blessed that there is time and my son's older and I have some ways to get to pickleball. But that has been really a good outlet for me lately. So exercise would be my other kind of generic word because I really feel good after it. It really gives you that oomph.
Scott Light:There you go. Julie?
Julie Callahan:I think setting boundaries and being able to say no, and don't overextend yourself. I haven't learned these lessons yet, but I'm working on it. And realizing that, you know, your holiday is gonna look different than what people expect. And you know, that's okay. You know, my kids don't like turkey. So maybe we have pizza, I don't know. But, you know, setting up a environment that you feel comfortable in what your child feels comfortable in. And then, you know, taking time for yourself like, you know, Mindful Minutes is what I call them. Giving yourself like, two minutes to like, just meditate or, you know, do something creative that you enjoy, or you know, listen to a podcast or read a book. I don't have a lot of time to read but I'm in my car a lot. So listening, you know, to a podcast or listening to songs I like, whatever it is, just take those moments when you can to steal them away because all your other time is spent caring for others, but I think boundaries is the main one and you know, developing relationships with people who understand and creating your environment creating your village as I said. Your tribe together.
Scott Light:Yeah, this is such an important topic especially again right now as we're heading into the holidays. Thank you all for coming in and joining this episode.
Jessica Waizmann:Thank you.
Lisa Comes:Thank you
Julie Callahan:Thanks
Scott Light:To our listeners you can be part of episodes to come you can always email us your questions or comments at podcast@iamboundless.org. This is the Wellbeing podcast brought to you by Boundless