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  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...

by Jeanette R. Harrison  Do you remember laying your clothes out the night before school? You had a plan for what you were going to wear the next day. I still do that—at least mentally. I plan what I can wear each day for the week. And yet, no matter how much time I give myself, I always seem to be rushing. So I grab a pair of earrings, a scarf, a bag, or the right shoes— something that makes me look and feel a little more put together. Like I did more than lie in bed the night before, right before my prayers and meditation, deciding what I was going to wear. Even as I’m writing this, I already know what I’m going to wear to a meeting tomorrow. The thing is, we put so much thought into planning what we’re going to wear—but how much thought do we put into planning our day? Part of my morning ritual is drinking my coffee and going through my plans for the day.  It’s like the old saying: you can’t just plan for your wedding; you have to plan for your marriage, too. I’m a pla...

by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH This post is part of my ongoing gratitude practice inspired by The Magic by Rhonda Byrne. The book offers 28 days and 28 different ways to practice gratitude, and I’ve come to appreciate this approach because I genuinely believe in dreams. My own copy is literally falling apart, I have used it so much.  As Walt Disney said, “A dream is a wish your heart makes.” In my guided journal, Bragging About You , I built space to track dreams and goals side by side. I believe many dreams become possible through actionable steps. That’s what a goal is: something you believe in, plan for, and work toward. I’ll be the first to admit that my life hasn’t followed a typical path. Some people want me to focus only on disappointment — to frame my story as proof that I’m less than, undeserving, or somehow a failure. They want me to accept the word “loser” so their judgments feel justified. Yes, my life has been hard. When someone says they’ve experienced trauma year afte...

by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH I’m 54 years old. Yet, people like to act as if I need to "grow up" when I ask anyone for help.  I want to explain — calmly, clearly, and honestly — why that comment isn’t just wrong, but deeply disrespectful. I have been a grown-up since I was a child. I entered foster care when I was three or four years old. That is not a childhood filled with safety, ease, or protection. From a very young age, I had to take care of myself and help care for my younger sister. Survival requires responsibility. Responsibility forces maturity long before a child should ever need it. Since I was 18, I have been on my own. I have paid my own bills. I have supported myself. There has never been anyone quietly handling things behind the scenes for me. I paid my way through college. I worked for my education. I lived on my own in New York City. I survived homelessness. None of those experiences are possible without discipline, problem-solving, and resilience. Later, I r...

 by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH I have an unpopular opinion to express: I like mornings. Even as a kid, I woke up early — really early. Not 7:00 or 8:00 a.m. Early before the crack of dawn. People would say, “Why are you up in the middle of the night?” But waking up between 5:00 and 5:30 a.m. always felt natural to me. Growing up in small-town Iowa, I rode the bus to school every day. Even though we lived closest to town on our route, we were the first stop at 7:00 a.m. So my dad started waking me up at 5:00. It was a whole routine. I was slightly conscious as I heard him downstairs throwing wood into the furnace. I could smell the wood embers drifting through the house as the backup furnace turned off. I would stay in bed until he opened my door and said it was time to get up. His words the night before — “ 5:00 comes awful early ” — always rested in my mind as I tried to wake up. I finally dragged myself out of bed to take a long, hot shower. I fixed my hair in our three-way ba...

 by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH There are so many small things that shape our lives—for better and for worse. Today, I want to focus on the little acts of service that other people do that make my life just a bit easier. You know the saying, “It’s not easy being green?” That’s how I feel most days. This week, I was accidentally caught in two different pictures at my day job. The first was in an Instagram video someone was filming. I walked right through it at the end of the day, carrying my big pink purse, wearing a grey sweater that hit right at the widest part of my hips, and somehow looking 50–60 pounds heavier than I actually am. I’ve always believed that when someone doesn’t like you, they portray you negatively—even in photos. When someone takes an unflattering picture of me, I call it a hideograph . And that first image was definitely pushing the hideograph scale. A few days later, we had a team lunch, and again I was caught on camera. But this time, the picture actually look...

The holiday season is here — and for many of us, that means long to-do lists, family gatherings, and the pressure to make everything perfect . But you don’t have to feel drained before the celebrations even begin. Here are five practical strategies to help you stay energized and calm this Thanksgiving week . 1. Take Micro-Breaks Even 5–10 minutes of quiet time can recharge your mind. Step outside, stretch, or just breathe. These mini-breaks make a bigger difference than you might think. 2. Keep Expectations Realistic The holidays don’t have to be flawless. Focus on connection and self-care, not perfection. 3. Prioritize Energy Sleep, hydration, and quick healthy snacks help you maintain focus and mood throughout the day. 4. Share the Load Let family or friends help with cooking, decorating, or errands. Delegating doesn’t make you weak — it keeps the holiday fun. 5. Pause for Gratitude Take a moment before meals or gatherings to notice something positive. Even brief mindfulnes...

by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH The other day, someone texted me and said I was “doing great.” I know they meant well, but when you’re barely able to cover your basic bills and working in a job far below your qualifications, it doesn’t feel like “great.” A lot of the challenges I’m facing now stem from years of people minimizing my needs, making assumptions about what I “deserved,” and encouraging others to withhold even basic support. For a long time, I didn’t realize how deeply that affected me. When I moved to Idaho, I met someone who finally showed me something different—what genuine friendship looks like. This person treated me with kindness, consistency, and respect. They helped me begin to understand that it’s normal for people to do kind things for one another. That friendship was the first time I truly saw that needing help isn’t a flaw, and accepting help doesn’t make you weak. It’s simply part of being human. Notably, that person did not attend my undergraduate institution. He...