5 simple New Year’s resolutions for better health

If your goal for this new year is to take some extra care of your physical and mental health, try one of these resolutions that your team at Evergreen can help you stick to!

Make (and keep) your health care appointments

Is your yearly primary care checkup for 2024 already scheduled? It feels like 2023 flew by, and with it some of our annual appointments! One of the easiest commitments you can make to your health is to go to your annual checkup every year.

If you want to level this resolution up a notch, ask your primary care physician about getting a referral to any specialty care departments that you’ve been meaning to visit, like the mental health department, dentist, or gender-affirming GYN.

Take care of your sexual health

There’s never a bad time to check in with your sexual health. The only way to know if you have an STI is to get tested! Evergreen offers non-judgmental, educational and understanding testing and treatment for STIs, hepatitis C and HIV.

You can make a testing appointment online or by calling 716.847.2441. We’ll get you in for an appointment quickly and you’ll get your results within a week. If you’re worried about the cost of testing, don’t be: your health is most important and we don’t turn any one away due to inability to pay.

If you’re at risk of acquiring HIV, ask your provider if PrEP is right for you. There are now several ways you can take PrEP, and anyone who is at risk for HIV can take PrEP. If your HIV status is detectable, we can help you become and stay undetectable and untransmittable through medication and supportive services.

Don’t forget, our safer sex stations are always available to Evergreen patients. Stop by anytime to pick up as many free condoms as you need.

Get into yoga

Yoga is for everyone! There’s something about connecting your body, breath and mind in a yoga class that brings a lot of people peace both during yoga class and after. Evergreen’s THRIVE Wellness Center offers a yoga class that’s available to all Evergreen patients with a referral from your doctor.

The class is designed to be accessible for people of all abilities and skill levels, and the yogis that participate come from all genders, races and body types. Ask your doctor or care coordinator for a referral to try out a class.

Get into art

Expressing your creativity and emotions through art can be healing. In addition to yoga, the THRIVE Wellness Center offers a variety of creative classes that are available through referral to all Evergreen patients who might benefit from them.

If you’re interested in trying art therapy, guided imagery, or crochet in community with other artsy folks, there’s a THRIVE class for you! Ask your doctor or care coordinator for a referral.

Start your gender affirming care journey

If you’re considering taking any steps in your gender affirming journey this year, your team at Evergreen is here to support you.

Evergreen specializes in care for transgender and gender expansive individuals. Our gender affirming physicians follow an informed consent approach to hormone replacement therapy, meaning that they work with you to make sure you understand all the changes you’ll experience on HRT, and let you be the decision maker about your transition. Your provider will customize your treatment to align with your transition goals.

In addition to informed consent-based HRT, your provider can link you with gender affirming mental health care, trans informed pelvic care, gender affirming surgeons, and free legal help to change your name and gender marker.