Biggest Challenge of 2022

December Reflections Day 5

This feels like such a loaded question, doesn’t it?

The whole year felt pretty challenging. Between adjusting to my high blood pressure meds in the spring, unexpectedly moving house in the summer, getting Covid in the fall, regaining most of the weight I had lost in 2020, and working mostly reactively in my business due to Squarespace constantly releasing new features (for those who don’t know, I am a Squarespace Educator), it was an intense year.

Add to that the collective trauma of two years of pandemic and the rush back to ‘normal’, the war in Ukraine, the political circus here in the US, inflation and a looming recession… it is no wonder that my anxieties have been on high alert. As an empath and HSP world events have always affected me, and they just add another layer of angst to my already fragile nervous system.

2 and 22 are also my favorite numbers so I am a tad pissed off at 2022 as well!

Looking at this list of challenges it is not suprising that I regained so much weight. Food and overeating are still my #1 coping mechanisms for my anxieties, even though I am - slowly - learning other tools as well.

But 2022 wasn’t all bad, far from it:

• We had a lovely visit from my brother and nephews this summer.

• We are finally able to freely travel to Canada again so my beloved Vancouver and our friends there are within reach again.

• We moved to a sweet house with a beautiful yard that we love!

• My business weathered the economic uncertainty and I am on track for my fifth six-figure year.

• Our 14.5 year old cat is still healthy and active.

• My husband and I are more in love than ever. I know this sounds a bit corny, but being together 24/7 during the pandemic has brought us even closer. I don’t say this lightly, I know for many families the opposite happened. We’ve always been a great team and love each other’s company, very grateful for that.

Gratitude definitely helps, as does upping my self-care this fall. This includes slowing way down, saying no a lot and walks by the sea. I’ve also been journaling a lot about my health journey, plans are taking shape and I just ordered my updated 2023 Q1 weight loss planner. I am also resuming my search for a therapist who specialises in trauma and obesity, and considering widening my search to include online options.

I am feeling cautiously optimistic about 2023 and am looking forward to taking back control of my health journey.