In This Together: Building Resilience When Your Partner Has Cancer
Marika
64 episodes
2 months ago
Send Marika a text. In this episode, you’re in for a treat. I sit down with my good friend and fellow coach, Ben Pugh, for a heartfelt, hilarious, and honest conversation about everything from emotional resilience to the wisdom of Ted Lasso. Ben and I met in coach training back in 2018, and we’ve been coaching each other ever since. He’s an incredible coach for parents of teens, and over the years, we’ve noticed just how much parenting and caregiving have in common. Here’s just a peek at what...
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Send Marika a text. In this episode, you’re in for a treat. I sit down with my good friend and fellow coach, Ben Pugh, for a heartfelt, hilarious, and honest conversation about everything from emotional resilience to the wisdom of Ted Lasso. Ben and I met in coach training back in 2018, and we’ve been coaching each other ever since. He’s an incredible coach for parents of teens, and over the years, we’ve noticed just how much parenting and caregiving have in common. Here’s just a peek at what...
Send Marika a text. In this episode, you’re in for a treat. I sit down with my good friend and fellow coach, Ben Pugh, for a heartfelt, hilarious, and honest conversation about everything from emotional resilience to the wisdom of Ted Lasso. Ben and I met in coach training back in 2018, and we’ve been coaching each other ever since. He’s an incredible coach for parents of teens, and over the years, we’ve noticed just how much parenting and caregiving have in common. Here’s just a peek at what...
Send Marika a text. In this episode, I’m joined by celebrity DJ and radio host Steve Harper for a powerful conversation about worry—and the huge role it plays in caregiving. Even if you already know that worry isn’t helpful (I covered this way back in Episode 2!), chances are you still find yourself stuck in it. Whether it’s worrying about your partner, your kids, the world, or even how others are worrying about you—it can feel constant, and exhausting. In our talk, Steve and I explore why we...
Send Marika a text. As caregivers, we often operate from a place of urgency, love, and sheer exhaustion—and without realizing it, we start seeing the world through a very narrow lens. We make assumptions about what our partner needs, what we’re capable of, and what the future holds. These assumptions feel true—but what if they’re not? In this episode, I share a personal story that made me pause and ask a powerful question: What if I’m wrong? I explore how this simple shift in thinking c...
Send Marika a text. In this episode, I’m diving into something that shows up often in caregiving—but rarely gets talked about: our inner critic. When you're supporting someone you love, especially in the intensity of caregiving, it’s easy to feel like you're not doing enough, not doing it right, or somehow falling short. That voice? That’s your inner critic. And she’s loud. Today I share how this voice is actually part of a larger cast of inner archetypes—universal roles that live in all of u...
Send Marika a text. When you're in the thick of caregiving, it can feel like your life is on pause—like you're just holding on, waiting for the day when you can finally get back to living. But what if this experience is offering you something valuable right now? What if caregiving isn’t just something to endure but something that’s shaping you in ways you don’t yet see? In this episode, I explore the hidden lessons caregiving presents—the ones we often miss when we’re focused on simply gettin...
Send Marika a text. In this episode, I share practical strategies for caregivers to break free from mental spirals, which can often occur when life’s challenges pile up. Building on last week’s episode about processing emotions, I explore how caregivers’ thoughts can fuel negative feelings, especially when you're already feeling overwhelmed. I dive into how the combination of tough emotions and negative mental chatter can make it feel like you're stuck in a cycle, but I also offer a simple te...
Send Marika a text. In this episode, I share a deeply personal experience of feeling overwhelmed by built-up emotions—how they compounded over time and what finally helped me work through them. When we suppress emotions, they don’t go away; they build up and resurface, often stronger than before. I talk about why we instinctively resist emotions, how caregiving intensifies this struggle, and why numbing or distracting ourselves doesn’t work long-term. Most importantly, I walk you through my p...
Send Marika a text. Caregiving is exhausting—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. When we’re overwhelmed, our brains tend to focus on everything that’s hard, keeping us stuck in a cycle of stress and negativity. But what if the key to feeling better wasn’t about fixing every problem, but simply asking better questions? In this episode, I talk about how our thoughts shape our experience and why shifting from problem-focused thinking to solution-focused thinking can make a huge di...
Send Marika a text. As a caregiver, you pour so much of yourself into supporting your partner, yet it can often feel like no one notices or acknowledges your efforts. That lack of appreciation can be frustrating, even demoralizing, leading to resentment and emotional exhaustion. In this episode, I dive into why feeling unappreciated is such a common struggle in caregiving, why our partners may not express gratitude the way we expect, and how waiting for external validation can keep us stuck i...
Send Marika a text. Caregiving can feel like an endless cycle of responsibilities, leaving you physically exhausted and emotionally drained. Over time, you might find yourself asking, Why am I even doing this? In this episode, I talk about what happens when we lose our sense of purpose in caregiving—and how to find it again. I’ll walk you through the emotional toll of caregiving, why it’s so easy to feel disconnected, and four simple steps to help you shift your perspective and reconnec...
Send Marika a text. In this episode, I sit down with Naz Kling, a current client who shares her remarkable journey of transformation. Naz first reached out to me when her husband was facing cancer, looking for support as she navigated the overwhelming emotions and isolation of caregiving. Our work together continued through his passing and the profound grief that followed. Just six months later, she experienced another devastating loss — losing her job — which left her struggling to find her ...
Send Marika a text. When illness enters a relationship, it can create emotional distance just when connection is needed most. As a spousal caregiver or cancer caregiver, you may find yourself overwhelmed by responsibilities, emotionally drained, and feeling like all the care is one-sided. The simple moments that once brought you and your partner closer can feel strained or even disappear, making it harder to stay emotionally connected. In this episode, I explore how to bridge that emotional g...
Send Marika a text. When your partner has cancer and starts withdrawing, it can feel confusing, frustrating, and even heartbreaking. You might wonder why they’re pulling away, whether it’s about you, or how to bridge the growing emotional distance. In this episode, I break down the real reasons why this happens, from feelings of helplessness to a need for privacy, and what you can do to stay connected—even when words or actions feel distant. I’ll share practical strategies for holding space, ...
Send Marika a text. When we’re caregiving, it’s easy to get stuck in frustration, grief, and overwhelm—especially when we believe that our circumstances shouldn’t be happening. But what if we stopped resisting reality and started seeing things as just facts? In this episode, I talk about how our thoughts—not the circumstances themselves—shape our emotions. I share real-life examples, including my own struggles with resisting problems, and explain how shifting our mindset can help us regain a ...
Send Marika a text. When your partner has cancer, it can feel like your entire world has been turned upside down. The emotional and mental stress is overwhelming, and it’s easy to feel like you have no control. But what if I told you that the way you experience this challenge—and life in general—has more to do with your thoughts than the circumstances themselves? In this episode, I introduce a concept I learned from my coach, Brooke Castillo called The Model, a simple but powerful way of unde...
Send Marika a text. In this episode, I explore how our thoughts can shape our emotions and why this matters so much for caregivers. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the emotional roller coaster of caregiving—hope, fear, disappointment, and anxiety can all hit in a single day. But here’s the truth: our emotions don’t just happen to us; they’re created by our thoughts. I share personal stories of how unhelpful thoughts, like imagining worst-case scenarios, can spiral into full-blown fear and an...
Send Marika a text. In this episode, I dive into the power of simplifying your life, especially when caregiving adds extra responsibilities and demands on your time and energy. Simplification isn’t just about decluttering your space—it’s about identifying what’s most important, letting go of what’s draining you, and creating a life that supports your emotional resilience. I share a simple process to help you evaluate areas like work, home, relationships, and routines. You’ll learn how to iden...
Send Marika a text. In this episode, I explore the emotions behind planning for life after your partner dies of a terminal illness. This kind of planning isn’t about wanting your partner to be gone or being cold to their suffering. Instead, it’s a way to find hope, balance your emotions, and imagine a future beyond the pain of caregiving. I’ll discuss how planning helps you cope, offering an emotional escape and something to look forward to during an overwhelming time. While it won’t take awa...
Send Marika a text. In this episode, I share a powerful perspective shift inspired by Simon Sinek’s video Stop Holding Yourself Back and my own experiences as a caregiver and entrepreneur. We talk about the overwhelming feelings that can arise when facing a difficult path ahead—whether it’s a partner’s cancer recurrence, adjusting to life after loss, or simply navigating the demands of everyday life. When we focus on the obstacles—what Sinek refers to as “the trees”—we sap our energy, spira...
Send Marika a text. In this episode, I dive into the delicate balance of grief and gratitude when caring for a spouse with cancer. Gratitude can feel impossible during such a challenging time, but it’s not about ignoring the pain or pretending everything is okay. Instead, it’s about finding small moments of light to hold onto, even in the darkest days. We’ll explore why gratitude matters, where to find it in your caregiving journey, and practical ways to cultivate it without diminishing the v...
In This Together: Building Resilience When Your Partner Has Cancer
Send Marika a text. In this episode, you’re in for a treat. I sit down with my good friend and fellow coach, Ben Pugh, for a heartfelt, hilarious, and honest conversation about everything from emotional resilience to the wisdom of Ted Lasso. Ben and I met in coach training back in 2018, and we’ve been coaching each other ever since. He’s an incredible coach for parents of teens, and over the years, we’ve noticed just how much parenting and caregiving have in common. Here’s just a peek at what...
