Survival Mode

storm clouds via Pinterest

Hi and Happy New Year!

I’m writing this from Urgent Care, which has become a place I frequent. Today is my third time visiting over the past three weeks. I vow to get a primary care physician after this.

December really chewed me up and spat me out. I didn’t realize the intensity of the month until we landed in DC for Christmas and I had to rush to Urgent Care after running into some breathing issues. It turned out I had bronchitis teetering on the edge of pneumonia, and those symptoms have lingered for longer than I care to admit. Holiday break ended with a bang when Elsie and I got the flu, with just enough weekend left to shiver and sweat it out in time to be normal(ish) for work on Monday.

As someone who writes a wellness-adjacent newsletter, I feel like a bit of an imposter admitting I’ve been sick like this. The usual me rarely gets sick, and having strong year-round immunity is something I’m proud of. But, for reasons I’ll disclose another time, my immunity is down. I have a two-year-old, who inevitably picks things up and passes them along. And on top of it all, we’re having one of the worst cold and flu seasons on record. The number of people who have anecdotally mentioned they’ve been sick for weeks on end is remarkable, so I know I’m not alone.

Here are five lessons I’ve learned from feeling “under the weather” for a month straight.

1. Always have a primary care physician (that way you can see a doctor who knows you while avoiding waiting in lines at various Urgent Care facilities, rubbing shoulders with every seasonal illness there is, and seeing a suite of different doctors).

2. It’s easier to proactively STAY healthy then it is to get sick and then better.

3. Don’t stop your vitamins for any reason. Your body doesn’t care that you’re traveling or that you ran out. Find a way to stay consistent.

For me, these are:

• Vitamin D (1,000–2,000 IU per day)

• Vitamin C & Zinc (I live and die by these, but ran out)

• Magnesium at bedtime

• Omega-3 (I like these from Needed)

• A good prenatal

4. Prioritize sleep above all else. This is when your body heals itself.

5. Hydration hydration hydration.

December as a parent is intense in ways that I’m only just beginning to appreciate. As a working mom with a small toddler, creating a magical holiday season feels like a full-time job. Factor in that Elsie has a birthday one week before Christmas, and I am fried come January 1. That, on top of work ramping UP not down, cross-country travel to see both our families, and everything else that comes with the season, this stretch of the year just hits differently as an adult.

Needless to say, I am easing into January. I’m being gentle with myself and creating space to rest without guilt. This is also why I took a break from The Lacey List in December. Something had to give, and this newsletter was it. But I promise, I’m BACK and excited about everything coming out this month. We have interviews with some of my all-time favorite experts lined up.

Separately, I am taking my time and working slowly through my priority and goal setting for 2026. After all, we have a full year ahead; we can take longer than a week to set our various new gears in motion.

I’m slowly going through the below and finding them worth while.

1. Dianna Cohen’s process to “Manifest Everything You Ever Wanted.” Say what you will, but manifestation is backed by science. I love that Diana’s process is digital (I did mine in Google Slides so I can easily revisit any time).

2. This 2026 Annual Planner by Grace Clarke (via Melanie Masarin).

3. This wealth planner from Money With Katie.

In case you are new here or missed these, below are the five newsletters you all loved the most in 2025. Enjoy!

Wishing you a healthy, happy 2026 full of everything you’ve ever wanted.

Lacey