#shareyourstrides: Stepping Out, Stepping Forward in a COVID World

Enjoy the little things. One day you'll look back and realize they were big things. ― Kurt Vonnegut

I think we can all agree that 2020 has thrown a lot of curveballs at us. Some of them were easy to “hit,” while others gave us a sense of striking out. My 2020 started off great; I moved out of my parents' house and started a new job at CCAHT that I loved. Unexpectedly, COVID-19 came into our lives, bringing chaos and fear. Being a natural worrier, I started to overthink situations and my anxiety went through the roof. I worried about my family, my health, and wondered how we as a community would ever bounce back. What made this year even more challenging was the fact that I was stuck at home – my new home – alone. I felt isolated and depressed. My co-workers and family checked up on me which helped a little, but I still felt like I had this weight on my chest.

One day I was browsing through the Washington Post and came across an article talking about how important it was to go outside and walk for your mental health during COVID-19. The author wrote, “At a time when many of us feel isolated, stepping outside can reconnect us to something larger than ourselves.” That sounded a little too easy. But I went out that day and walked anyway, for almost two hours.

I felt like I could breathe easier, my mood improved immediately, and I overall felt better. I realized that it wasn't being alone that made me feel isolated and depressed; it was the fact that I wasn't giving myself enough attention and taking care of my mental and physical health. 2020 hasn't been terribly kind, and we've had to learn how to roll with the punches. We've had to relearn how to enjoy the little things and take peace and comfort in knowing that those little happy moments can keep us going and propel us forward to the next day.

This month through Share Your Strides, I'm striding for the survivors who come to the CCAHT feeling isolated and alone. It can be overwhelming and scary for survivors when it comes to making that first step toward a new place, a new routine, a different life – as it would be for any of us. The CCAHT is here for survivors and for our community – for you – every step of the way, with love and resources to help those we serve – and East Tennessee – heal and grow. That first stride is hard, but it's made easier when we take it together.

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Click here to learn more and register for Share Your Strides, a virtual stride-a-thon event to benefit the CCAHT.