New year, new me. I don’t know about you, but I loathe that saying. It implies that you have to change who you are as a whole. You don’t. You may need to improve some things, change the situation you’re in, adjust how you treat yourself, or any number of things. But you don’t need to become a new you.

As time moves forward, we also need to keep moving. That often means taking stock of what is serving us and what is hurting us. What works, what needs to change, what can we learn more about, and what can we improve to make our lives better? Even if it is just a small adjustment, isn’t it worth it to make us happier, healthier, and ready to take what the universe serves up for us?

So, what in my life needs adjusting? What can I learn to move forward? How can I alter what I am doing in a way to make those things start serving me, or serving me more effectively? I’m going to make this a series, with a different focus on each item that is working or isn’t working and needs to be adjusted.

Health as a Foundation: Small Adjustments for a Healthier Me

In 2019, I had a check-up, and some of my lab numbers weren’t where I wanted them. The doctor wasn’t too concerned, but I was uncomfortable with the numbers. It was the first time in my life that my HDL and triglycerides were not within the normal range. I took it upon myself to change up what wasn’t working. I upped my protein. I cut a lot of my sugar intake, almost all of it, that wasn’t naturally occurring. I started eating smaller portions, roughly measuring out what I was eating. I felt better, and I lost weight. But then 2020 happened, so I never went back for more testing. I couldn’t bring myself to bother the doctors who were overrun with real issues, so I just let it go. I’ve kept up with some of those lifestyle changes, but not all of them.

Earlier this year, I started having some serious issues, ones that landed me in the ER twice. My blood pressure skyrocketed to scary levels, and my heart rate dropped. I had two really bad episodes and some other minor ones. The ER couldn’t figure it out. I would stabilize, and they would send me home. I made an appointment with my primary care doctor. At first, she thought it was just high blood pressure, and was planning on putting me on meds for that. However, since my family health history is crazy and includes a brain aneurysm, she decided to rule some things out first. I had the same labs drawn a couple of times, I had an MRI that came back clear, I wore a heart monitor, I tracked my blood pressure, and I was put on a wait list to see a neurologist (where I’m still waiting). As is the way these things go, I didn’t have a single episode while wearing the monitor. Somewhere in all of this, I was given a prescription for the med they gave me in the ER the second time. It is supposed to help with dizziness. I haven’t had another major episode, but I do take one of those meds if I feel myself starting to have the same symptoms as before.

All of that to say, my health is back to not being great. No one seems overly worried, but I need to take control, like I did before. My mom died before she turned 50. I don’t want my kids to have that same outcome.

That means it is time to adjust how I treat my body. My first adjustment of the new year is taking better care of myself. It is not calorie counting, that isn’t sustainable for me. It isn’t cutting all caffeine or sugar from my diet. That won’t stick either.

It is getting up and exercising, even if it’s just a walk, especially when all I want to do is lie there (mental health is on the list). It is making healthier choices in what and how much I eat. It is quitting smoking. It is being conscious of how much caffeine and sugar I am consuming, and choosing water more often.

This is a long one, and if you’re still here with me, thank you. Truly, thank you. Thank you for giving me a space to work on myself, mentally and physically.

I would love to hear how you plan to adjust your approach to caring for your health in the new year. We can do this together.

What is one thing you will be doing to help you become a healthier you?

This post is part of the Small Adjustments series, where I explore realistic, sustainable ways to care for my health, mindset, and life.