Real World Real Health

Have you had an experience like this? You or your aging parents gets health tests or scans done and it's like an act of Congress to 1) get the provider's office to explain what the results mean and 2) know what the next steps are. I have a very recent story about this in my own life so I thought I would share. Also, this experience reminded me of a few simple steps I take to be my own best healthcare advocate, and these steps can work for you and your aging parents too. The reality of the current healthcare system is that we have to remain vigilant for our own best care and decisions - making healthcare decisions is hard b/c there are a lot of factors involved and we are all different wonderful humans! No one size fits all answer works! This also kinda sucks because we are not all specialists in everything health related!!! With these few steps you can really help yourself and your loved ones get the answers you need. Would love to connect! Find me on Instagram @realworldrealhealth Pinterest pinterest.com/realworldrealhealth Facebook facebook.com/realwrealh xoxo, Catie --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

September always brings Fall Prevention Week... at the beginning of the fall season... catchy, eh? Falling injury is actually the leading cause of injuries that lead to disability and death in older folks in America - yikes! You may know that falling is a problem for aging parents and other old folks but you might not know some really common things that cause more fall risk to our people. Today's quick episode reviews the commonly known and not-so-commonly known risk factors that you as a midlife kid of aging parents needs to be aware of. Not surprisingly, prevention is always better when it comes to fall risk! There's also a Home Safety Evaluation checklist available for you this week on the blog - you can do this without your aging parents even knowing you're doing it! realworldrealhealth.com/blog Check out the new logo while you're over there... the sunflower is in honor of my dad who grew up in Kansas :) xoxo, Catie --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

This Small Tiny Practice (STP) is about getting our physical body moving in a bit more aggressive way - so great to express angry grief that I talked about the other week. Or to express general stress. Or to express any feeling that is Big! All you need is the room to stand up and your amazing body. Yes it is amazing it isn't about looks - it's about health, vitality, and your one wild & precious LIFE! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

This Small Tiny Practice (STP) guides you through a super easy healthy feel good exercise - Qigong Shaking the Tree. Great for our bodies, minds, & spirits, this exercise feels so GOOD! This exercise is a great one to have in your toolbox! Enjoy! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

September is Cholesterol Education Month... yep it is a thing. As midlife women we take care of everyone else and probably know their cholesterol numbers better than our own! This episode quickly walks you through what cholesterol is needed for - we do need some in our bodies - and what we can do to overcome the bullshit excuses and keep our levels healthy. If you're a middle age woman and you would prefer not to have a heart attack or stroke (hand raised), give yourself 10 minutes to check this episode out. There's also a note about aging parents and their cholesterol up in here. Enjoy! Here's a worksheet so you can develop yo' own cholesterol management plan! https://www.realworldrealhealth.com/post/no-thanks-heart-attack-cholesterol-education-for-midlife-women xoxo, Catie --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

Angry grief is a being pissed off as a result of a sense of loss. The state of the world, covid variants, and whether I am drinking enough water - it all kind of adds up to angry grief. Here are 3 down and dirty strategies for dealing with angry grief that have worked for me lately. Let me know if they work for you!! xoxo, Catie --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

I had a great question from an audience member - she asked, 'if my aging parents are doing ok now, is there anything I can do to prepare?' Why, yes there is! If you are a middle ager with aging parents there is no better time to prepare than Right Now. Check out the shownotes over here: realworldrealhealth.com/blog Come chat with me over on the 'gram: instagram.com/realworldrealhealth/ xoxo, Catie --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

Amazing peeps... spoiler alert - you can't control your aging parents. No matter how hard you try. And you can't make anyone else do anything related to your aging parents. You might feel overwhelmed and guilty about what is going on with your aging parents - but why? You might be wasting a sh*t ton of energy spinning in worry when there's no need. Try a Clarity Brain Dump. Get all the sh*t in your head out. Help yourself make some positive choices and take actions that actually do help you and your aging parents. Shownotes over here - realworldrealhealth.com/blog xoxo, Catie --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

This Small Tiny Practice is one of the simplest and quickest ways I have found to get out of my head & away from the endless mind chatter... and into the moment. Because it's the moments in my life that make the memories, and I want to savor my moments on the planet! Join me! xoxo Catie realworldrealhealth.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

My dad died from skin cancer. Yes, seriously. Today's episode reviews UV (sun) safety for us midlifers and our aging parents. We can't change the skin damage that's already been done, but we can choose sun safety now! The episode overviews risk factors for skin cancer, different types of skin cancer, and what to watch out for on your own skin. Come talk about it on Insta: @realworldrealhealth And grab the Aging Parent Prep for Midlife Kids workbook on our website realworldrealhealth.com xoxo, Catie --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

My calendar game happens to be epic. My family and colleagues know that if they have an event they need to let me know about they have got to get it on the calendar! I also used scheduling strategies on a calendar with my mom and dad when my dad was having cancer treatments and there were So Many Appointments to keep track of. This episode talks about the calendar tools I use including Google Calendar, OneCalendar, Outlook, and emojis to create a caregiving scheduling system. We also talk about using calendars for self-care, proactively scheduling time blocks for projects that have to get done, and using color-coded calendars as part of the schedule organization process. Using a flexible scheduling system that works for you is key to reduce stress when the aging parental s*it hits the fan! Show notes at realworldrealhealth.com/blog Come chat on Insta @realworldrealhealth Stay cool out there!! xoxo, Catie --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

Switching up the 'pod just a tad here... let me know what you think of the new "REAL Check in" segment at the beginning of the episode... you might not have considered that COVID pandemic might present more choices & more freedom in our lives, but in this episode I share that idea & where I'm coming from. Note: this is a No Politics Zone! COVID is a public health crisis and will always be discussed as such on this podcast! Enjoy some fantastical show notes on the blog: realworldrealhealth.com/blog Introducing the Super Cool-y Organized Free Resource Library! Enjoy! realworldrealhealth.com/library xoxo, Catie --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

This little STP is a very easy way to use your... meditation / imagination / daydreaming / non-smoking break time to get some distance from the pesky busy thinking our brain can do! Enjoy, Catie --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

This might sound silly, but it's a super fun, super easy way to give yourself credit for All The Things!!! Enjoy! Catie --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

So much of caregiving dogma is about doing things for the care recipient. And then we say 'but put your oxygen mask on first!' On today's episode I talk about WHY you need to get your healthiest to be the best caregiver you can be.... and even more important - to be the you that you want to be!! Don't forget - show notes are over on the blog! realworldrealhealth.com/blog --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

The date this STP was recorded and posted is June 25 which was my dad's human birthday. So today please give your human body a little extra gratitude and love - our bodies are so amazing but we gotta take care of them so they keep on going! xoxo, Catie --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

Today I talk to another midlifer, the awesome Joanna, whose mom recently had a health crisis. We talk about a few great strategies to use when an aging parent has a sudden medical need - both practical and emotional strategies. We also talk about steps you can take to prepare yourself, steps that your parent can take if they are willing - and what to do if they are not willing to prepare! Show notes are housed in the blog - https://www.realworldrealhealth.com/blog And, sign up on our emailing list to get notified when we publish the Healthcare Notebook... you'll get it after you listen to the episode! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

Journaling really can be this easy! Enjoy, beautiful people! xoxo, Catie --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

If I could choose 1 key health practice, it would be meditation. Regular meditation of any amount of time gives us a superpower - a bit more space and time between stuff that happens and our reaction to said stuff. That creates both a huge stress relief and the ability to make choices that allow in more fun, more happiness, and more contentment. For reals! Get your show notes over on the blog! realworldrealhealth.com/blog --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

Let's get our sparkle on friends - midlife is a great time to JEM-out! These are research-proven stress relievers: journaling, essential oils, and meditation. Today we take a closer look at journaling and essential oils, and then we continue the conversation on Instagram and I have extra tips & resources for you over on the show notes! This is all about reducing stress and figuring out the best way for you to be the real you, especially if you're spending a significant amount of your energy taking care of aging parents and launching kids out into the big world! Show notes: realworldrealhealth.com/shownotes Insta: @realworldrealhealth xoxo, Catie --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

This is the process I use that really helps when good old 'perfectionist triggered self blame' rises up! I like to journal it out but you can think it out or talk it out with a trusted being, like your dog! I made this into a downloadable worksheet, too, in case you want to keep the process handy. realworldrealhealth.com/shownotes Click the little picture labeled 'STP self blame' Sending you all the biggest hugs! xoxo, Catie --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

We need to talk about this. If you're in your 40s-50s (ish) you most likely are/will be helping your aging parents or another relative or neighbor ... 48 million Americans are already doing this. And it's freaking stressful because all families are dysfunctional families, then adding an illness and different opinions about how to help onto the dysfunction.... it's just a lot. Let's get this conversation going and get empowered! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

This Small Tiny Practice helps you remember how successful & amazing you are in just 1 Minute! xoxo, Catie --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

What the heck do we mean by REAL? Let's get into it! This episode lays out the framework of Real World Real Health ... what your real world truly means, what real health actually represents for YOU, and how we are going to move toward real health while we still take care of our kids and our aging parents. And guess what? Real health doesn't have a dang thing to do with how we look. But it has a heckuva lot to do with how we feel. Once we know how we want our bodies, minds, and spirits to feel...then we can use simple practices to get into that good feeling place more and more often! Let's do this! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

Small Tiny Practices are bonus episodes that give us thoughtful self-care breaks and extra moments of peace. Just a few minutes of listening can re-align your whole day. This episode is a simple guided meditation for people who can't meditate. xoxo, Catie --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message

In this episode I share my story and the experiences that led me to push record for this podcast. Then we talk about ways the Real World Real Health community is going to empower us to live our best (mid)life! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realworldrealhealth/message