New year: new stress?" by Elena Goodrow

Hello friends!

I hope this week has treated you well thus far. The new year is upon us and we all know what that means for some people... insurance issues, fresh deductibles, new prior authorizations and so on. That is what my life has been consumed by since the first of the year, I hope it hasn't been the same for you! The new year can cause lots of change and stress, it has certainly been difficult for me to balance all the new changes this year. How have things been with you all? Any big changes on the horizon?

I'm currently juggling a new job, new insurance, new doctor, new pharmacy, and new health issues all at once. I spent hours on the phone this morning with my insurance and my new doctor's office. I've started the new year feeling so stressed and defeated. I knew there would be big changes coming up, but now that they are all in action it has had a greater impact on my mental health than I anticipated. This has encouraged me to take a look at what my New Year's Resolutions are this year. I've been reflecting on what I want my life to look like in the new year. The stress that comes along with dealing with my healthcare is a given, but what can I do to help calm myself and bring peace to my day? How do I prevent this stress from taking over the joy in my life?

I have two main New Year's Resolutions: first of all I want to drink more tea! For Christmas gifts I received some tea and honey from somebody so I've been drinking a lot of it the past week. I've found it brings me peace to be able to stop what I'm doing to sit and drink a warm cup of tea. It's good for both the body and mind, so this year I aim to have one cup of tea each day. No matter what is going on I will have a few moments to simply enjoy my tea. 

My second resolution is to go on more walks. Not only is it an easy and peaceful form of exercise for both me and my dog, but it also allows me to take a break and step into nature. The walk can be as long or as short as it needs to be, I can drive to a local state park or just walk around my house a couple times. After hours of sitting at my desk doing work, or pacing around the kitchen on the phone, taking a walk is the perfect reset. Plus my dog loves it! I've included a couple photos of the walk my partner and I did on New Year's Day.

I hope some of the thoughts and feelings I shared today were helpful and that you can reflect on what peace you want to bring to your life this year. Please share your thoughts, it would mean so much to connect with everyone. Happy New Year!