With 2020 behind us and a new year filled with new goals and optimism in full swing, the reality of winter and its short days, paired with the bitter cold, is sinking in. And for millions of Americans—particularly more women more than men—winter brings with it a dose of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This winter, I'm switching up my self-care rituals to combat the symptoms of SAD I often experience. The following are areas I'm focusing on and adjusting—might I suggest you do the same?

Some of the best beginnings often come from unexpected moments of hardship or adversity. There's beauty in finding new beginnings from tough times and moments that we don't anticipate happening.

Seeing Vice President-elect Kamala Harris become the first woman and woman of color to hold office changed the game for me, and the defeated sixteen-year-old in me finally felt good enough. For the first time on this scale, our nation witnessed a woman rightfully claim a seat at the table and shatter (part of) the glass ceiling barrier above her.

As the end of 2020 quickly approaches, finals get wrapped up, and the holidays sit on the horizon, year-end is the perfect time to stop and reflect on what's behind us. An end-of-year reflection supports a healthy self-care practice by allowing you to become more self-aware and interact with your thoughts. This year has undoubtedly been one many of us will never forget, and it's essential to take with us the lessons we've learned as we move forward and look ahead.

Alyssa Towns (Swantkoski) explores niches for administrative professionals in the changing career landscape. This article appeared first in Executive Secretary Magazine.

My first job out of college was a royal nightmare. I know it sounds dramatic, but there's no better way to describe it. Before I tell you about the role and what I learned from it, though, it's crucial to understand how I got there in the first place.

Alyssa Swantkoski explains how administrative professionals can assist with employee engagement in a remote workforce. This article appeared first in Executive Secretary Magazine.

"And as the memories flashed through one-by-one, I asked myself, "Do I miss the way things used to be? Is that something I'm willing to admit?" From the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, I have tried to make the best of this unforeseeable, unpredictable situation. I always choose to see the positive, but this time in doing so, I have unintentionally turned my eye to the fact that I miss the way things used to be in my "normal" life."

"The coronavirus pandemic has permanently changed all of our lives, but certainly none more than yours. We are living through a grueling period in history. Since the moment the pandemic entered our lives, you accepted the challenge to support the collective whole. You have made countless sacrifices to commit to your duties, and gracefully displayed your servant’s heart in the process. None of us saw this coming. I imagine you had no idea you would serve during a global pandemic."

She faced 100 fears in 100 days, and now I’m sharing 100 reasons why you need to read her new book, Hello, Fears.

"In this historic period of uncertainty, daily disruption, anxiety, and chaos, I remind myself that I can face the unknown bravely. I’ve learned from Michelle’s work that I can deal with the unknown, embrace change, and redefine fears surrounding the novel coronavirus as obstacles that can become opportunities. On any given day, millions of people worldwide are understandably fearful as a result of coronavirus and the implications it has physically, economically, mentally. And even though these are not hand-chosen fears we’ve chosen to pursue voluntarily, there is something to be said about how much braver we will be when we get to the other side of this."

"Before this time in my life, I had always strived to be in control of as much as possible. But when I found myself crying hysterically on the couch in my grief counselor’s office as I began to work through my feelings, I realized that change is inevitable. It wouldn’t be a matter of if something unexpected happens again, but when. Even though I felt like I had grappled with being in control up until this point, I learned to accept that life is unexpected, and I won’t always have control over what happens."

"We’ve used our skills, knowledge, and resources to act upon an idea and identified a way to give from afar. Even though she’s no longer my professor, I continue to learn as her student. Our lessons were once textbook focused and pre-determined by educational requirements, but today I’m learning life lessons on thinking outside of the box, being brave enough to run with an idea, and how to spread generosity and kindness in a world that feels clouded by chaos."

Adjusting my mindset has allowed me to stay optimistic during this time.

"This new style of living has been bizarre, to say the least. In these times of uncertainty and change, I’m adapting as best I can and soaking up valuable lessons along the way. Here’s what I’ve learned after one week of social distancing during the COVID-19 outbreak."

"We're working from home together in a 700+ square feet apartment. Here are our five best tips for navigating how to share a coworking space for an extended period."

I joined Pure Barre while I was grieving and it changed my life.

She was attending a job interview, but she ended up changing my life.

Two episodes of grief gave me the well-being wake-up call I desperately needed.

"I’ll be the first to tell you how unreachable my big ideas seem at times. My imagination devises grandiose plans that I don’t always know how to act upon and carry out accordingly. I’ll also be the first to admit that making multiple large life changes at one time wasn’t easy to navigate at the time, but it sure was worth it."