A New Year can bring a new outlook, new commitments to self-improvement, and new hope for what’s to come. As we begin 2021, there are glimmers of hope on the horizon yet uncertainties persist. With the renewed lockdown, covid fatigue is hitting home for a lot of us. This is really hard. Many activities and resources that help us manage day-to-day stresses have not been available this past year. With added anxieties that the global pandemic brings, the toll on our mental and physical health continues to increase.

As a Naturopathic Doctor I’m accustomed to emphasizing the importance of self-care and community connection. These days, I struggle to find ways to fulfill these needs. It really isn’t easy. Yet I have to find a way, so that I can continue to stay well, and to support my patients and my loved ones.

Although we can’t gather indoors or in big groups, we can still go for a brisk walk or run with a friend (wearing masks and/or distancing). We can connect online and on the phone. We can spend time in nature (yes, city parks count), get exercise outdoors and indoors. We can still access the nourishing services of health care providers such as RMTs, Osteopaths, Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Naturopathic Doctors. Now more than ever, these one-on-one health services can offer a healing space (virtually or in person) that allows for a time and place for you to be vulnerable and totally supported. I’m so grateful to continue to do this work right now, as it seems that spaces where one can feel safe and supported are getting harder to find.

With this sense of fatigue building for so many, it may become harder and harder to find the motivation to book an appointment, to strap on your running shoes or just move your body (more than from the couch to the bathroom). I know it’s a challenge. I know it can feel like too much. I know that if you just push yourself to make a move, you will feel better. You will be doing your mind, body and spirit a great service. And by accessing that tidbit of motivation, by taking that little bit of action, you will build your ability to move through the challenges of today, and meet tomorrow with a little more gas in the tank, a little more grin and grit.

If your strength is wavering, if your motivation is dwindling, if you’re wondering how you’ll get through this winter, now is the time to reach out and get some support. The theme of this year is isolation, but we cannot get through this alone. We’re here to support you, we’re here to struggle with you, we’re here to carve out a space to be well against all odds. If you’re struggling, or if you’ve found a way to keep that fire alive, I’d love to hear from you. Send me a message and let me know how you’re faring during this second lockdown. I’m here for you.

Yours in health,
Kristen Mark ND