Loneliness | Trinity Christian Life Coaching

Transitional Friday: 7 Lessons Learned from Discouragement

Posted on October 24, 2014August 24, 2016 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

There have been times when I wondered if anything was going my way.

No matter how hard I tried or how much effort I put into the endeavor nothing seemed to work.

This led to great disappointment and discouragement. There were days when depression hit and I nothing could lift my mood.

When discouraged, I have to remind myself that:

This too shall pass
God is preparing me for something better
God has a better plan
There is a reason for this
I need to spend more time in God’s word and in prayer seeking His will
I need to work off the depression
My circumstances don’t identify me as a person

What has discouragement taught you?

Creative Thursday: 9 Ways to Discover Your Creativity

Posted on August 28, 2014August 24, 2016 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

I’ve often had people tell me, “I’m just not creative.”

Perhaps, that person isn’t a musician, dancer, artist or writer. However, that person most likely still has some creative flair. Often it’s just discovering what the passion is and taping into it.

I’ve seen these same people become excited about designing a room, throwing a party, or working on various crafts. All of these are creative outlets.

So, how can you recognize your creative side?

Passion—notice the things you are passionate about, such as designing a room, throwing a party, putting together an outfits, looking at floral arrangements, cooking, gardening, etc.
Where is your passion? How do you experiment?
Enjoyment—what are the things that you enjoy doing? How can you experiment and put a creative flair to the hobby?
Experiment—be willing to tap into the left side of your brain. Step out of your comfort zone and experiment with a craft or hobby you’ve always wanted to learn. What do you have to lose? You may discover a new passion that was lying dormant.
Unconscious Behavior—what are some things that you do unconsciously? This could include singing in the shower or car, doodling in a meeting, dancing around your house to your favorite songs, acting out stories, telling yourself or your children stories you’ve made up, etc. How could you take any of these behaviors to the next step and turn it into a hobby?
Dreams—do you have a secret dream you are too afraid to admit? This could be to perform on stage, be a speaker, appear in a film, show a piece of art in the studio, etc. Ask yourself if you can realistically sing or create art, can you learn to and take baby steps to realistically reach your goal.
Natural Talent—do you have a natural talent in an artistic field? Be willing to take lessons and develop this talent, even if it’s for your own personal enjoyment.
Give it a try and often the pieces will fall into place!
Divine Inspiration—do ideas and thoughts come to you, or do you feel inspired? Be willing to take a chance and act on this inspiration. My first book came about the same way, I was inspired by a story, but thoughts “I can’t write that.” A little voice told me, “you don’t know if you don’t try.” I discovered a talent I didn’t know I even had.
Be Quiet—take time each day to just be quiet, without outside distractions such as the television, radio, children, etc. Listen to your thoughts and discover what may come to your mind. Sometimes it’s in those quiet moments that our most creative thoughts rise.
Expose Yourself to Something New—step out of the comfort zone and try something new. This can mean attending a museum, theater production, reading poetry, discovering a new author, listening to a different type of music, writing a letter, taking a nature walk and taking photographs, taking a walk, etc.

How have you tapped into your hidden creativity?

Caregiving Monday–7 Ways to Help Senior Adults Deal with Loneliness

Posted on August 25, 2014August 24, 2016 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

Last week we discussed loneliness in senior adults. This week I would like to explore suggestions on how to help senior adults deal with their loneliness.

Schedule regular outings if possible for your senior adult

Visits—schedule regular visits with family, friends, church {or society/community} members, etc. Ask friends to visit your senior adult on a regular visit, but remind them your loved one tire easily. Ask them to not stay for more than an hour or two. If you have a large family nearby, maybe everyone could take a day each week for a short visit.
Schedule outings—schedule regular outings for your loved one {if they are mobile and able to go}. Find friends already going, ask a neighbor or search for a senior transport company for transportation. This could be a community {especially if they are in a retirement community} outing, to church, to the theatre or movies, to concerts, or to other activities s/he enjoys.
Senior Action—this is a great resource for senior adults with numerous activities and often you can arrange for transportation through your local senior action center.
Adopt a Pet—if your senior adult loves pets, adopting a dog or cat might be a great idea for companionship.
Music—lifts spirits and helps combat the loneliness. Find or make CDs of his/her favorite songs that can be played. Also, inquire at church or in the community about an individual/group that can come sing for your loved one {if homebound}.
Pets are great companions for senior adults
Discover a passion your senior adult loves and have them teach someone else—this could be a neighbor, grandchild, caregiver, etc. However, it makes them feel useful and needed. Along with the fact that they are doing something they love. It doesn’t matter if it’s gardening, cooking, sewing, putting together puzzles, working on model cars, etc. If your senior adult is physically unable to do the task themselves {not able to bend or stand for long periods} they could sit in a chair and give directions.
Teach technology—if your senior adult is still mentally able, teach him/her how to Skype, email, text, etc. this is a great way to maintain contact with children, grandchildren, siblings and friends. If your loved one is mentally unable to understand the setup, possibly you or a caregiver could set things up for regular visits. This is a great way to maintain contact for family members that do not live nearby.

Caregiving Monday: Loneliness in Senior Adults

Posted on August 18, 2014August 24, 2016 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

One of the greatest complaints in senior adults is loneliness. Particularly as they grow older, are limited in their abilities and/or stamina, become home bound and experience the loss of the majority of their friends. I’ve heard GG*, Mrs. H, Mrs. B, Mrs. T, and Mrs. W {all women I worked for} all make these same statements.

As family and friends it is important to understand the limitations the senior adults in our lives face and to be understanding to their plight. Often this loneliness leads to depression in our loved ones. They often feel cut off and possibly abandoned by the outside world.

Often they just want someone to listen as they talk. Some senior adults have no one to visit, while others may have a steady stream of visitors. There are numerous factors that lead to this such as size of family, how long they’ve lived in the area, involvement in their church, community, society, etc.; amount of friends still living, age, etc.

What ways can you help your senior adult not feel so lonely?

*Name altered

Next week: Ways to Help Senior Adults Deal with Loneliness