Caregiving can quietly train us to put ourselves last.

Not because we don’t care about our wellbeing — but because the needs are constant, the stakes feel high, and “I’ll rest later” becomes a daily survival strategy. Over time, self-care can start to feel unrealistic… or even selfish.

In this episode of Radiant Moments, Michelle is joined by Jenny Lytle, RN and author of Self-Care Isn’t Selfish, to reframe self-care in a way that actually fits caregiving life. Jenny shares her personal journey and her practical framework, The Becoming Method — a compassionate, step-by-step approach that supports emotional wellbeing, boundaries, and sustainable self-care for people who are holding a lot.

This is not a “bubble bath” conversation. It’s a grounded one — for the caregiver who is exhausted, stretched thin, and still trying to show up with love.

Inside this episode:

• Why caregiving makes self-care feel complicated (and how to release the guilt)
• Jenny’s story and what led her to create The Becoming Method
• A compassionate definition of self-care that doesn’t demand perfection
• A practical framework caregivers can use in real life
• Emotional wellbeing: how to notice what you need without pushing it down
• Gentle reminders for sustainable care — for your loved one and for you

Key Links (Jenny Lytle): Website: https://www.jennylytle.com/
Book: https://www.selfcareisntselfish.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/becomingyourbestwithjennylytleRN/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennylytlern/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-lytle-bsn-rn-682398b/

Caregiver Resources (J and B Inspired): Gratitude Journal of Light (free gift): https://jandbinspired.com/radiant-moments-gratitude-journal-of-light
90 Second Reset Program: https://jandbinspired.com/90-second-reset-program

Music by Konstantin Garbuzyuk (via Uppbeat)

#caregiving #selfcare #caregiverburnout #emotionalwellbeing #radiantmomentspodcast

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A lot of caregivers have a complicated relationship with the word meditation.

You might have tried an app, a class, or a video — and the message you received (even if it wasn’t intentional) was: sit perfectly still, empty your mind, don’t get distracted, be calm. Meanwhile, you’re running on broken sleep, your phone is on loud in case the hospital calls, and your nervous system is on high alert.

For many carers, that version of meditation feels like one more thing to fail at.

In this episode of Radiant Moments, Michelle sits down with Jeff Patterson — founder of The Yielding Warrior, a long-time teacher of tai chi, qigong, and meditative arts — to reframe meditation in a way that actually works for real caregiving life. Not perfect. Not silent. Not “do it right or don’t do it at all.” Just practical, body-based tools that support your nervous system in tiny, realistic ways.

Jeff shares the concept of the Yielding Warrior: meeting life’s intensity with softness and strength, and learning how to come back to centre again and again — even when you’re exhausted.

Inside this episode:

• Why meditation can feel frustrating (and why you’re not failing)
• The Yielding Warrior concept: physical, mental, and emotional yielding
• Common misunderstandings about meditation and distraction
• “The three considerations” that help you actually stick with a practice
• The five basic regulations: body, breath, mind, energy, and spirit
• Active practices for caregivers (including a simple breathing reset)
• Ritual, active, and philosophical meditation — and how to find what fits you
• A gentle 7-day experiment you can try this week

Weekly Caregiver Experiment (simple + realistic):
Set a timer to go off every 60–90 minutes. When it goes off, pause and take 10 slow abdominal breaths. That’s it. Tiny repetitions that help your nervous system practise returning to centre.

Connect with Jeff Patterson (The Yielding Warrior):
Website: https://members.theyieldingwarrior.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TaichiYielding/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIzitJZ8CLWysspfvgtMZbw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theyieldingwarrior/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theyieldingwarrior

Caregiver Resources (J and B Inspired):

1. Gratitude Journal (Free Gift): https://jandbinspired.com/radiant-moments-gratitude-journal-of-light

2. 90 Second Reset Program: https://jandbinspired.com/90-second-reset-program

Music by Konstantin Garbuzyuk (via Uppbeat)

#caregiving #meditationforbeginners #nervoussystemregulation #qigong #taichi #caregiverburnout #traumainformed #radiantmomentspodcast

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In Part 1, Julie Barth shared the invisible weight of caregiving — special needs parenting, medical trauma, grief, and the way life can demand everything from you while you’re still expected to cope quietly.

In Part 2, Michelle and Julie step into very tender ground: emotional and financial abuse, the subtle early signs that can be easy to miss (especially when you’re already overwhelmed), and why leaving is rarely as simple as “just walk out”. They talk about the real-world barriers caregivers face — protecting children, planning safely, losing friendships, and navigating systems that don’t always understand coercive control or reactive survival responses.

This conversation is trauma-aware, honest, and focused on what support can look like in real life — not in a “fix it overnight” way, but in a steady, compassionate, one-step-at-a-time way.

Inside this episode:

Why caregiving can cost you friendships — and why it’s not your fault

Subtle signs of emotional and financial abuse (and how control can creep in quietly)

Why leaving can be the most dangerous time — and why safety planning matters

Protecting yourself and your children without self-blame

Regaining stability and independence through tiny, realistic steps

Julie’s nonprofit work: Colin James Barth Outreach and the gap it’s designed to fill

Julie’s memoir Notes from a Blackberry — and the role of storytelling in healing

A gentle closing reflection: surviving vs living and reconnecting with joy

If this topic is close to home: Please listen in a way that feels safe. Pause when you need. Come back when you’re ready.

Connect with Julie Barth:

Website: https://www.juliebarthauthor.com/

Caregiver Resources (J and B Inspired):

1. Gratitude Journal of Light (free gift): https://jandbinspired.com/radiant-moments-gratitude-journal-of-light
2. 90 Second Reset Program: https://jandbinspired.com/90-second-reset-program

Music by Konstantin Garbuzyuk (via Uppbeat)

#caregiving #emotionalabuse #financialabuse #domesticviolenceawareness #caregiversupport #traumainformed #radiantmomentspodcast

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There are seasons where grief and responsibility keep stacking with no time to breathe. You’re parenting a child with complex needs, navigating medical systems, holding life together… and then illness, loss, or a toxic relationship arrives on top of everything else. From the outside, people see you coping. On the inside, you might feel like you’re quietly disappearing.

In Part 1 of this powerful two-part conversation, Michelle is joined by Julie Barth — writer, mother of six, trauma survivor, and founder of the Colin James Barth Outreach, a nonprofit supporting women-led households in crisis.

Julie shares her journey as a special needs parent, including her daughter’s rare diagnosis, the relentless weight of advocacy and appointments, and the grief of losing her first husband to cancer. Together, Michelle and Julie explore what it really looks like to survive when your life becomes a constant medical and emotional marathon — and why community, support, and self-compassion are not optional extras for caregivers.

Inside this episode:

The invisible stacking of grief and responsibility in caregiving seasons

Julie’s story: special needs parenting, rare diagnosis, and life in survival mode

How illness reshapes family dynamics and your sense of self

Why caregivers often feel they must stay in control — and what it costs

The power of community support (and why “How can I help?” can feel impossible to answer)

Recognising relationship red flags and the early signs your safety is eroding

Advocacy, nonprofits, and writing as tools for healing and rebuilding

Finding small pockets of joy while life still feels heavy

Gentle listener reminder: If any part of this conversation feels close to home, you’re not alone — and you’re not failing. You’re carrying a lot.

Next week (Part 2): Julie and Michelle move into tender territory: emotional and financial abuse, what it takes to leave safely, and the first small steps towards stability and support.

Connect with Julie Barth: https://www.juliebarthauthor.com/

Contact with J and B Inspired: Caregiver Resources
Radiant Moments show notes: https://jandbinspired.com/radiant-moments-podcast
90 Second Reset Program: https://jandbinspired.com/90-second-reset-program
Oasis Membership Waitlist: https://jandbinspired.com/founding-member

Music by Konstantin Garbuzyuk (via Uppbeat)

#caregiving #specialneedsparenting #grief #caregiverburnout #emotionalabuse #domesticabuseawareness #advocacy #caregiversupport #radiantmomentspodcast

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There’s a particular kind of heartbreak many parents and carers know too well.

You’re sitting at the table with a child you love, watching them struggle to read or write. The letters swim, the words don’t stick. Before long, there are tears, shutdowns, “I hate this”… or the one that cuts the deepest:

Maybe you’ve been told to wait and see, “they’ll grow out of it,” or to do more worksheets and more practice – more of the same thing that already feels like failure – while your child’s confidence sinks lower.

If you’re listening with a child in mind whose brilliance you can see but the school system doesn’t seem to, this conversation is for you.

My guest is Russell Van Brocklen, known as The Dyslexia Professor – a New York State Senate‑funded dyslexia researcher whose inaugural school programme moved highly motivated teens from a middle‑school writing level to the average range of entering graduate students in one school year. One class period a day. Every single student went on to graduate from college.

Russell’s gift is translating structured literacy and high‑level academic research into bite‑sized actions parents and carers can use at home, especially for kids who are wildly passionate about one thing yet shutting down around school.

Inside This Episode

Russell’s Journey: From Failing Grades to Law School to Researcher
How he went from a documented first‑grade reading and writing level at the end of university, to dominating law school using the Socratic method, then returning to the New York State Senate to request funding for dyslexia research.

What Dyslexia Really Is – and Isn’t

Practical Strategies for Parents and Carers

Motivation, Confidence and Identity

Navigating School Systems & Affordable Support

Weekly Caregiver Invitation

This week:

Notice one moment when your child lights up about something (sport, stories, art, science, animals, space…).

Ask: What tiny reading or word‑based win could we tuck into this joy?
(A three‑word sentence, one new word, or a single “hero + sign + topic” line.)

Focus on one micro‑win, not the whole mountain.

Your child is not broken. Their brain is different – and full of potential.

Connect with Russell Van Brocklen (The Dyslexia Professor)
Website: https://dyslexiaclasses.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dyslexiaclasses/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_cqwfxn9FqFx1Idl0YbeHg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dyslexiaclassesus/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-van-brocklen-2007ab87

Caregiver Resources:
Radiant Moments show notes: https://jandbinspired.com/radiant-moments-podcast
90 Second Reset Program: https://jandbinspired.com/90-second-reset-program
Oasis Membership Waitlist: https://jandbinspired.com/founding-member

Music by Konstantin Garbuzyuk (via Uppbeat)
#dyslexia #caregiving #strugglingreaders #neurodiversity #radiantmomentspodcast

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In Part 1, Kelly and I explored what traumatic brain injury feels like from the inside – neuro fatigue, sensory overload, personality shifts and why TBI is often a chronic condition, not a short‑term event.

In Part 2, we move into the how: practical tools, gentle boundaries and grounded hope for living a full, values‑aligned life after brain injury – as a survivor and as a caregiver.

My guest is Kelly Tuttle, a neurology nurse practitioner and traumatic brain injury survivor, who now supports patients and families through the same maze she once walked herself.

Inside This Episode (Part 2)

• Neural Pathways & “Side Streets” Continued
• Creating Safe Spaces for Healing at Home
• Navigating Role Changes in Caregiving
• Gentle Practices for Caregivers and Survivors
• Finding Joy in Small Moments
• Energy Management: Batteries, Brain Juice and Spoons
• Walking Alongside Without Nagging
• Navigating the Healthcare Maze
• Shifting Identity & Living Fully After Brain Injury
• Encouragement for Survivors and Caregivers
  Kelly’s message to survivors:

“There is hope and you’re not alone. We’re out here and we’re cheering you on.”

And to caregivers:

• your role is deeply valuable in your loved one’s healing, often more than you will ever be told
• self‑care is not a betrayal – it’s part of sustainable recovery.

Weekly Caregiver Invitation (Part 2)

This week:

1. In the morning, ask yourself: “Roughly what % battery do I have today?”

2. Adjust one thing in your day to match that number (fewer errands, shorter visits, more rest).

3. Choose one micro‑joy – music, a breeze, a poem, a quiet drink, a shared laugh – and actually do it.

You are allowed to live, not just manage symptoms.

Connect with Kelly Tuttle
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brain_np_/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-tuttle-72589810/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brainlovingnp
Website: https://kellytuttle.org/
Complimentary Resource: Stress‑Less Medical Worksheet (via Kelly’s website)

Caregiver Resources:
Radiant Moments show notes: https://jandbinspired.com/radiant-moments-podcast
90 Second Reset Program: https://jandbinspired.com/90-second-reset-program
Oasis Membership Waitlist: https://jandbinspired.com/founding-member

Music by Konstantin Garbuzyuk (via Uppbeat)

#caregiving #braininjury #TBIrecovery #neurofatigue #caregiverwellbeing #radiantmomentspodcast

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There’s a kind of injury that often goes unseen.

If someone you love breaks a leg, people rush in with casseroles and crutches and understanding. But if they have a brain injury from a car crash, fall or concussion, the outside might look “fine” while everything inside has changed.

Maybe you’re caring for someone who:

• forgets things they used to remember easily
• gets overwhelmed by noise, light or busy rooms
• can’t tolerate screens anymore
• seems like their personality has shifted

You might be wondering: Is this the injury? Is this them? Is it me?
And you’re trying to hold your own life together at the same time.

This episode is for you if you’re living in that confusing middle ground after a traumatic brain injury – as a survivor, partner, parent, or friend.

In Part 1 of this two‑part Radiant Moments conversation, Michelle speaks with Kelly Tuttle, a neurology nurse practitioner who joined what she calls the “head injury survivors club” after a serious car accident in 2015. Three months later she realised something was very wrong – and that was the beginning of a long journey of brain healing and self‑discovery.

Now Kelly sits across from patients and families every day who are walking a similar path, and she offers both clinical insight and lived experience in a way that makes people say, “You get it.”

Inside This Episode (Part 1)

• Kelly’s Story: From Crash to Concussion to “Something’s Really Wrong”
• Understanding Neuro Fatigue
• Common but Misunderstood Symptoms of Brain Injury
• The Invisible, Chronic Side of Brain Injury
• Communication Strategies for Caregivers
• The Role of Journalling in Recovery

Weekly Caregiver Invitation (Part 1)

This week:

1. Notice one symptom or behaviour that’s been confusing you (irritability, forgetfulness, fatigue, sensory overload).

2. Gently ask, “If this is the brain working harder, not them being difficult, what might that change in how I respond?”

3. If you can, jot down one small pattern you’re seeing – time of day, environment, or triggers.

This isn’t about fixing everything overnight. It’s about starting to see what’s really happening inside a healing brain.

In Part 2, Kelly and I move into the practical: how to support a healing brain day to day, navigate doctors, and rebuild a life that still feels full and meaningful after traumatic brain injury.

Connect with Kelly Tuttle
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brain_np_/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-tuttle-72589810/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brainlovingnp
Website: https://kellytuttle.org/
Complimentary Resource: Stress‑Less Medical Worksheet – via Kelly’s website

J and B Inspired Caregiver Resources: (Radiant Moments - Caregiver Oasis)
J and B Inspired website: https://jandbinspired.com
90 Second Reset Program: https://jandbinspired.com/90-second-reset-program
Oasis Membership Waitlist: https://jandbinspired.com/founding-member

Music by Konstantin Garbuzyuk (via Uppbeat)

#caregiving #braininjury #TBI #neurofatigue #radiantmomentspodcast

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There’s a quiet pressure many carers feel supporting an older parent or loved one.

On paper, they might be “doing fine at home”.
In reality, you might be the one:

• catching near‑falls
• sorting medications
• driving to appointments
• soothing agitation at midnight
• and wondering if you’re doing enough, or doing it “right”.

We’re often told that good elder care is about doing more: more appointments, more services, more tasks. But without dignity, clear lines in the sand, and an honest look at your own limits, caregiving can quickly become unsustainable – even when it’s done with deep love.

In this Radiant Moments conversation, Michelle is joined by Dr Warren Wong, geriatrician and long‑time innovator in elder care. His mantra:

“The caregiver is the most important person in a frail older adult’s daily life.”

Together they explore what that actually means for you – emotionally, practically, and especially in tender seasons like the holidays.

Inside This Episode

• Caregivers as the “Most Important Person”
• The Green, Yellow and Red Zones of Caregiving
• Living with Dignity – For Older Adults and Caregivers
• Lines in the Sand – Boundaries that Anchor, Not Trap
• Navigating Difficult Conversations & Unspoken Promises
• Holidays, Special Occasions and Mixed Emotions

Sometimes the win is a single shared meal, a laugh, a photo, a taste of eggnog that becomes a golden memory.

• Taking Care of Yourself as a Caregiver
  We close with:
  • acknowledging post‑traumatic stress that can follow years of red‑zone caregiving
  • the importance of noticing if you’re in the yellow zone and choosing one small action by next Tuesday to make things a little better for yourself
  • the reminder that you are not alone – there is a wider community and you are allowed to reach for the outstretched hand

Weekly Caregiver Invitation

This week:

1. Ask yourself honestly: Am I okay good, or okay so‑so?

2. If you’re in the yellow zone, choose one concrete action to do for yourself by Tuesday – a call, a class, a service, or a conversation.

3. Gently sketch your current line in the sand: what you can realistically offer, and where you need help.

Your care, your love, and your very real limits are all welcome here.

Connect with Dr Warren Wong
Website: https://www.drwarrenwong.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drwarrenfwong/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.warrenwong/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/drwarrenwong

Connect with J and B Inspired and Access Caregiver Resources:
Radiant Moments show notes: https://jandbinspired.com/radiant-moments-podcast
90 Second Reset Program: https://jandbinspired.com/90-second-reset-program
Oasis Membership Waitlist: https://jandbinspired.com/founding-member

Music by Konstantin Garbuzyuk (via Uppbeat)

#caregiving #eldercare #boundaries #dignity #radiantmomentspodcast

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