As we move into 2022, the 3rd year of the pandemic, self-care and our mental health is becoming critically important. This past year COVID certainly continued to impact our small, woman-owned business on the home front.
So how did we do in 2021 with Self-Care in Healthcare?
Here’s our short story as Dr. Ginger Garner shares it – her self-care story for PT’s and OT’s and for anyone who values integrative therapies and self-care in PT an OT practice, and in healthcare in general!
But here’s how we navigated 2021, and we have some good news for you!
Winter 2021: Getting it Done in Spite of Heartache and Pain(ful Surgeries)
This winter brought no shortage of hurdles to clear as I navigated a second breast surgery and the subsequent fallout: lymphedema, new cording, cellulitis, and a really strange allergic reaction to sutures that caused funky adhesions and scar tissue throughout my chest wall.
However, I’m sharing that to get to the point: I *still* went snowboarding (for the first time in 20 years, yep, because my kiddos needed a supervisor on their first ski experience and I wasn’t gonna sit on the sidelines!), started horseback riding lessons (as soon as my wounds were ready for it), embraced my new lymphedema status (and lymphedema pump and compression garments), and somehow kept a balance between giving physical therapy and teaching integrative therapies and receiving intensive physical therapy for my recovery.
We’re only as strong as the adversities we’ve overcome.
Self-Care Spring 2021
Mindfulness in the Pelvic Ortho PT House! 
Using Horseback Riding as Mindful Physical Therapy! 
Our first flight since COVID and our first family flight since 2017! 
Vaccinated Family Visit! 
Nature Nurture! 
Postpartum Integrative PT Shoot 
The Snarky Psoas was a hit! More workshops followed… 
But also Lymphedema Pumping Time too! 
First time without my lymphedema sleeve for an evening soiree, we’ll see how it goes! 
Patients are starting to drive in (and fly in!) from a distance. Our town is still small enough you can run into them headed out for dinner! Love this! 
Morning Meditation 
How am I doing so far?
The spring brought some outdoor fun, and our first family flight in YEARS plus our first flight since COVID hit. I continued to work on new projects, including launching The Snarky Psoas workshop, which is a huge hit!, and taking a whole week off to spend with family, a first since pre-COVID forced me to reinvent our entire continuing education program and the way I practice physical therapy.
I also did some filming for an upcoming Postpartum Yoga project, as well as continued to grab every second I could for nature nurture – because I feel my best and most productive when I’ve had a chance to get my dirt therapy outdoor time on each day.
When do you feel your best?
Self-Care Summer 2021
William’s Test Shoot (for a Modeling Contract he landed later this summer!) 
Another shoot with my intern and recent A&T grad, Vivian Jackson! 
Shooting another Course for Yoga U! 
Our first rafting trip as a family! 
Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, the largest Scottish Highlands Games in the USA 
Releasing another series, Three Thursdays! 
Representing my great grandmother’s Clan Bruce 
Date Night, because that’s part of self-care too! 
The Pack Mule Arrives to Work! 
Happy 9th Scout Finch! 
More Nature Nurture! 
Mad Hatter to Splash and Throw Paint, anyone? 
Surprise trip for rollercoast riding! 
Wedding Time (and another date night!) 
Gone fishin’…. 
We have a new driver in the house! 
Throwback to when this little driver was first starting out! 
Happy Birthday to me! How old am I?
This summer was packed full of excitement, from 4 photo and film shoots (one for my son and the rest for work!), the release of another workshop, Three Thursdays, a 3 week Core Strength Series, and a whole rash of fun weekends, which included an actual unprecedented second week of vacation with my kiddos. There was a ton of hiking and outdoor adventures, and my body started to slowly feel like mine again. I began to venture out of compression garments, with good results, knowing to keep them nearby just in case there was a flare.
I also celebrated the print of the Italian translation of my book (see below), and had some necessary, new headshots done for the first time in 5 years. Wow, time flies.
Autumn 2021
We are a baby friendly practice! 
Patients are traveling from all over for therapy – Aloha! 
First In-Person Training since COVID, wow! 
Some kind words about our Level 3 MTY Training! 
Drum Making at L3 
Grandfather Mountain Backpacking Trip! 
New Course Alert! 
Hip Differential Diagnosis & Integrative Management 
Nature nuture! 
Speaking at PPS this fall 
Self-Care in Healthcare: Heading into Winter!
The autumn has given way to winter as of December 21, and we are barreling toward 2022 with LOTS of wonderful new programs in tow!
Our New 2021 Programs include:
- Synapse – Our Scholarship Foundation that provides worthy PT and OT students with a FULL RIDE Scholarship to our Integrative Therapy Certification. Learn more here.
- Catalyst & Synergy – Our two new flagship Coaching Programs! Catalyst is focused on professional development and self-care, and Synergy is focused on that PLUS entrepreneur development (aka business coaching and job opps!).
- Learn more about Catalyst and Synergy
- Hip Differential Diagnosis & Integrative Management – Our new 12 hour CE that covers all things hip labral injury and impingement!
- Integrative Lifestyle Medicine Certification – which also covers Functional Medicine as well. It is a 24 hour CE approved for PT and OT.
Happy New Year from everyone at Living Well Institute!
We wish you the best Self-Care in Healthcare for 2022!
