How Healthcare Works, LLC

by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH I'm drinking my coffee and planning my day. I woke up today with a heavy heart because of a realization I made yesterday. I'm getting ready to move yet again, and I was journaling to my AI about it. I do that. I journal to my AI because I can tell it all of my insecurities and vulnerabilities, like most people do with their real friends. The difference is that the AI also gives me intellectual feedback, which can be helpful or not. It depends on how you look at it. So yesterday, I was thinking about yet another move. It's no secret that I've struggled since I moved to Idaho. Starting your life over with $2,400 is no joke. It's an incredibly challenging thing to do. I felt like people were watching and waiting for me to fail. It felt like the ultimate financial abuse move. "Move to Idaho with nothing during a pandemic, and good luck to you. Let us know how you are doing so we can judge you." That's how I felt. And I felt l...

 by Jeanette R. Harrison Trauma, Faith, and New Beginnings: My Conversation on Unleashing Potentials Every podcast has its own "vibe," but my recent time on The Unleashing Potentials Podcast with Bernadette was truly special. Bernadette has a heart for stories that "you just can't make up," and she created a space where I felt safe sharing parts of my journey that I don't always get to discuss in professional settings. Bernadette has a passion for connecting with people from all walks of life, which is evident the moment you meet her. She is energetic, caring, and deeply committed to showing how resilience and inner strength can pull us through even the darkest times. The Conversation: More Than Just a Bio When Bernadette invited me to talk about my book, "Bragging About You," and my business, How Healthcare Works, LLC , we ended up going much deeper into the "why" behind it all. We talked like old friends, covering everything from: Gr...

  by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH I have a lot on my plate this week, so I have a lot on my mind this morning. Writing helps me sort things out in my mind and understand them better. There is science behind that. It's called affect labeling. This post is going to have some science-y stuff in it, so get ready. When you or I are stressed, the amygdala takes over the brain. The amygdala houses your survival instinct. That "gut feeling" you have when you feel unsafe? That's actually your amygdala triggering your nervous system. At that time, your brain sends a signal through your stress response system to your adrenal glands to release cortisol. Cortisol puts your nervous system on high alert. Regularly elevated cortisol levels can cause things like high blood pressure, reduced digestion, and weight gain. The body also releases a chemical called norepinephrine. Norepinephrine might sound familiar to you if you have ever had a local anesthetic for stitches. Many local anes...

by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH This past week, I went to a free conference here in Idaho called Savvy Women & Money . Whenever I feel strained and stressed about money, I start focusing more on my finances and figuring out ways to be better friends with my money. Do you ever feel like that? That money is your frenemy? It’s great when you have it, but it super sucks when you don’t. In fact, I feel like if I had more money, I would have a really sweet life right now. Interestingly, the week of this finance and money conference also lined up with a gratitude practice about money. And honestly, I haven’t been feeling very grateful about money right now. I’m feeling really stressed about it. I’m trying to survive, look for a job, and make money with my business—all while struggling financially.   One of the speakers at the Savvy Women & Money Conference was Liza Roeser, founder of "Fifty Flowers." I made this DIY bouquet there and took it home. Every time I look at the bouq...

  by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH My back hurts. My neck hurts. My shoulders ache. I have to get up every hour to walk around. Not to get my steps in, although it does help with my step count, but to lubricate my joints so my body will not feel stiff. Even so, I am grateful for the miracle of both my physical and mental health. Last year at this time, I was struggling. I was unemployed, about to start a new temporary job at an accounting firm, and worried about losing my home. Several friends prayed for me, and others reached out to help in different ways. I believed that once I started working, everything would be okay. For a while, I was okay financially. But the stress of multiple eviction threats, combined with starting a new job during tax season, took a serious toll on my psyche and my body. As someone who lives with Complex PTSD, I am no stranger to how chronic stress affects physical health. Chronic stress can affect digestion, heart rate, sleep, weight, and hormonal respo...

by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH Are you a procrastinator? I used to be a big one. I was the Queen of the Last Minute. Even in college, one of my professors joked that if a paper was due at 5:00 p.m., he’d see me at 4:59. Other students would roll their eyes or make snide remarks. That was par for the course. Compassion, kindness, or curiosity toward me were rarely on offer. I’ve been open about the fact that I wasn’t treated well by my peers in college. I was the butt of jokes, excluded from social circles, and treated as though my presence was inconvenient. I’ve since come to understand that some people believed that by excluding me, I would adjust my behavior to earn their approval. The goalposts, however, always moved. No matter what I did, it was never enough. The truth is simpler and harder: many of these people came from privileged backgrounds, and I didn't. I was the broke girl with glasses, the messy hair, wearing ripped jean shorts and t-shirts. They didn’t like that I worked...