How Healthcare Works, LLC

  by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH You know that scene in the movie where the writer gets inspired, takes off the cover of the typewriter, blows the dust out of the keys, and starts click-clacking away? This is that moment for me. I feel like I haven't written anything in months. Not on this blog anyway. I'm not sure where I am taking this today, we will see where this post takes us.  At times, the hardest part of moving toward a goal is starting or even restarting. I look at my laptop every day. It takes that one moment, that one morning, like today, that says, "I should start writing on my website again today." Maybe it also takes that one word of encouragement from a friend, a coworker, a neighbor, a client, or maybe a family member to get you going again.  Photo by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH In this case, I was already writing. I had written for years. What stopped me? What thwarted my efforts? What demotivated me? Who influenced me in such a way that stopped me from m...

Published in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Content created by the CDC.  Heart attacks and strokes are catastrophic, life-changing, and all too common—yet most are preventable. Alarmingly, more than 800,000 of these events happened to adults ages 35–64 in 2016. Many opportunities to spot and treat risk factors, such as identifying people with undiagnosed high blood pressure and improving physical activity, are missed every day. Visit  cdc.gov/vitalsigns  to read and share the latest  Vital Signs  report, which provides important details about people at risk, including: Americans ages 35–64 are less likely to use aspirin or statins when indicated, and only about half of them have their blood pressure under control. Blacks/African Americans are more likely than whites to develop high blood pressure—especially at earlier ages—and are less likely to have it under control. People w...

Published in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Post created by the CDC.  CDC has launched  Life is Better with Clean Hands , a national campaign encouraging adults to make clean hands a healthy habit at home and away. Washing your hands is easy, and it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Studies have shown that handwashing can prevent 1 in 3 diarrhea-related sicknesses and 1 in 5 respiratory infections, such as a cold or the flu. Follow these five steps every time. Wet  your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap. Lather  your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails. Scrub  your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice. Rinse  your hands well under clean, running water. Dry  your hands using a clean towel ...

by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH The holidays are upon us. It's time for laughter, cheer, meeting with friends, gathering gifts, and feeling stressed. In fact, if you are feeling burned out, the holidays can add to that feeling. Let's face it, the holidays can be a lot. During the holidays, you can burned out pretty easily. You have extra activities on your calendar and may feel like you have less money in your pocket. To help you out, we designed the course, "Dealing with Holiday Burnout." Because Holiday Burnout is a real thing.  Sign up here for "Dealing with Holiday Burnout" Through the course, we provide you with 8 tips for surviving the holidays. This can be in your work life or in your personal life. The 8 tips we will discuss in the course are: 1. Practice Gratitude 2. Plan Ahead 3. Meditate 4. Get Plenty of Rest 5. It's Okay to Say No 6. Make Friends with Your Money 7. Take Time for You 8. Take Care of Your Health Use Coupon Code Holidays23* To Get ...

  by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH What is being a domestic violence survivor like? It's a complete nightmare. How do I know? I am a domestic violence survivor. I have been a domestic violence survivor since I was physically abused and neglected as a child, and I was, in turn, abused as an adult. In fact, over 75% of domestic violence survivors continue to experience abuse throughout their lifetime.   Contrary to popular myth, children who are abused are more likely to not be abusers... at over 75%. However, children who are abused are more likely to be abused as adults. They experience what is known as poly-victimization . That is, they experience abuse or bullying from multiple individuals.  I could cite a lot of statistics about what being a domestic violence survivor is like. However, I think telling what it is like from my perspective may emphasize my point better. I would like to warn people this may trigger certain individuals. I also would like you to know this i...

The following is an excerpt from the best-selling book, "Get Your Walk On." It's also now an online course!  Foreword I started filming walking videos for the Billion Steps Challenge in January 2020. Then, COVID hit, and my walking videos became about encouraging other people to get outside, how the diffusion of molecules made the disease less likely to spread, how being outside boosted your immune response, and also increased vitamin D production. My walking videos became about my health and encouraging others to be outside because "outside was okay." If you check out How Healthcare Works on Instagram or the How Healthcare Works YouTube channel , you can see the original walking videos from the past two years.  Get Your Walk On is for sale on Amazon I originally started the walking videos in Grain Valley, Missouri. Because of the cold weather in Missouri, many days I would walk around my living room or my basement or do steps in my home just to reach a few thou...

This post is courtesy of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP).  With all the fitness fads and conflicting health advice flooding our news feeds, it can be hard to catch people’s attention with the physical activity messages that matter. The Move Your Way® campaign can help. ODPHP developed the  Move Your Way campaign  to share key recommendations from the  second edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans , released in November 2018. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, Move Your Way emphasizes personalized, practical strategies that people can use to fit more activity into their busy lives, while clearly communicating the amount and types of physical activity Americans need to stay healthy. And you can help spread the word! The Move Your Way campaign has resources for health professionals, organizations, and communities to reach adults, parents, kids, and older adults. Use our fact sheets, posters, videos, and intera...