Supporting Aging Parents Without Losing Yourself with Leigh Shulman

About Leigh Shulman: Leigh Shulman is a writer, educator, and founder of The Inspired Writer Community, where she mentors women and non-binary writers around the world. With over 20 years of teaching and writing experience, she helps writers build confidence, develop consistent practices, and share their stories with impact. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Wired, Vox, and more. Leigh also hosts private writing retreats and is the author of The Writer’s Roadmap, a #1 Writing How-To bestseller.

In this episode, Brian and Leigh Shulman discuss:

• Balancing caregiving responsibilities with personal and family needs
• Setting emotional boundaries while supporting aging parents
• Using journaling and writing as tools for managing caregiving stress
• Navigating difficult family decisions related to aging and health 

Key Takeaways:

• Caregivers must recognize personal limitations and learn to set boundaries to prevent guilt and emotional burnout during challenging family transitions.
• Journaling provides a therapeutic and practical method for tracking critical details and processing emotional experiences during intense caregiving periods.
• Navigating sensitive conversations about aging parents' safety and medical needs requires a compassionate yet assertive approach that balances respect with necessary intervention.
• Writing about personal caregiving experiences can serve as both an immediate emotional outlet and a potential future resource for storytelling and sharing insights. 

 "Journaling is amazing for getting [emotions/stress/internal turmoil] out of your system. It's amazing for problem solving. It's also, particularly if you journal—do gratitude journaling—like, there was a study that showed if you write down three good things that are in your life each day, it improves your physical and mental health." — Leigh Shulman

 

Connect with Leigh Shulman: 

Website: https://leighshulman.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leighshulman

Twitter: https://x.com/theLeighShulman

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/leighs