The end of a calendar year and the beginning of a new one can pressure one to finish tasks we’ve started and plan on completing new ones.  I feel the pressure and am working on starting and finishing new projects. Additionally, I am also celebrating (in a small way) completing my 2024 plan to construct and publish a little workbook about coping with stress and anxiety.

I finally published my paperback workbook on Amazon, Practical Workbook: 5 Simple Ways to Beat Stress and Anxiety. The book focuses on simple techniques that can help young people and adults self-assess their anxiety styles and build a simple pattern of methods to assist in feeling calmer and more confident. 

Over the past several years, I’ve written many articles and blogs covering healthful, calming, and self-care techniques. I’ve decided to combine them into a book for busy people who long for a peaceful respite from stress and responsibility but don’t have the time, money, or energy to make that happen.   The working title is Beat a Retreat: An Invitation to Care for Self and To Love Life (Reflections on Healthful Self/Care Techniques). Not only will the techniques be calming and healthful for the readers, but many can be shared with those whom readers provide care for.  This is a win-win for those busy caregivers of young children and older adults, providing relationship-building techniques that are also stress-reducing. The first draft of this book is well on its way.

My second project for 2025 will be to complete a cozy mystery novel, which I’ve already begun. Writing fiction is a new endeavor for me, so progress is slow as I attempt to complete all the bells and whistles of an interesting book. The working title is Bridges of Courage. More to come on that one!

As always, I practice T’ai Chi Chih, yoga, and qigong techniques daily to help keep me focused and calm, and I enjoy being bossed around a bit by my little Yorky-Chon, Calli, an important part of our family.

I hope you have some interesting plans for the new year and that you remain healthy and cared for.

Take care and be well,

Suanne