Are you in a crisis? Call or text 988 to speak to a crisis counselor.

12 Days of Self-Care: 12 Tips for Prioritizing Self-Care During the Holidays

  • Taylor Carter
  • in Blog

Summary

Twelve simple self-care ideas to prioritize your own mental health during the holiday season.

Although they are based on joy and laughter, the holidays can be difficult for many different reasons. Spending extended periods of time with family, breaking routine, holiday shopping, and increased alcohol intake can all add unwanted stress and anxiety.

It is so important to take time for yourself during this busy time – even if just for 5 minutes a day. Here are some simple self-care ideas for you to really focus on during the holiday season. 

  1. Get outside. Even if it is cold, grab a coat and go for a walk. Or even just find a small patch of sun and sit in it for 5 minutes. Sometimes fresh air is all you need for a little reset. 
  2. Treat yourself to a homemade meal. Light a candle, pour a glass of wine or your drink of choice and fine dine yourself! Even better if the meal is healthy.
  3. Journal. Jot down your thoughts, dreams, questions, or anything else on your mind. Try Stream of Consciousness Writing, whatever you do, get it out of your head and onto some paper (or type it out digitally!).
  4. Call a loved one. Or even better, video chat! Hearing the voice of someone you love can really turn a day around. 
  5. Try breathwork. Breathing exercises can slow down your heart rate, help you overcome stress or anxiety, and bring you back to the present moment. From box breathing to alternate nostril breathing, there are tons of techniques to try out. 
  6. Move! Get up and get your blood pumping. Whether you go to the gym, on a walk, or have a dance party in your kitchen, it doesn’t matter the activity, as long as you break a sweat.
  7. Relax. Take a bath, pour yourself a glass of wine or some hot tea, wrap yourself in a warm blanket, do a face mask – whatever makes you feel good and relaxed. 
  8. Prioritize your sleep. Make an effort to turn off all screens an hour before bed. Try reading a book or meditating before you fall asleep instead.
  9. Try meditation. Just attempt it. Use a meditation app like Calm, Headspace, or Insight Timer. Find ten minutes of uninterrupted silence to sit with yourself. Let your thoughts come and go. 
  10. Play! Get up and dance, sing, or get silly. Letting loose can feel so good!
  11. Practice gratitude. Write down something you are grateful for, call a loved one and tell them you’re grateful for them, be mindful and present every day. 
  12. Love yourself. Give yourself a hug and say an affirmation out loud to yourself in the mirror. You are doing a good job. You deserve happiness. You deserve rest. You deserve love.
1200 628 Taylor Carter
Share
Previous Post
Veterans and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD
Next Post
Where to Look After Your OCD Diagnosis
Start Typing

Revenue Cycle Director, Oak Brook IL - Psychiatry Practice

Position Purpose

The Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) Director for APS Innovations will lead the revenue cycle management of a multi-clinic psychiatric practice based in Illinois. They will have a direct impact on accounts receivable, cash acceleration, and net revenue. The ideal candidate will have multistate payor experience in the field of psychiatry.

Responsibilities Include:

  • Engage in all aspects of Revenue Cycle Management. The RCM Director works
    strategically, proactively, and collaboratively, aligning our system resources to ensure effective outcomes.
  • Manage payer relations to negotiate contracts, resolve unpaid claims
  • Review underpayments and address them in a timely fashion
  • Work with external agencies to address patient collections
  • Monitor billing reports delivered by the contracted billing service and hold them accountable for items they should be completing and providing.
  • Improvements for revenue cycle efficiencies. Measure account performance against revenue cycle KPIs (e.g., days in accounts receivable, first-pass payment resolution, net collection benchmarks, and best practices for timely filing.
  • Establish and maintain system parameters and setup that support timely submission of claims resulting in payment maximization that is both efficient and effective.
  • Utilize system tools to identify at-risk accounts and determine actions required.
  • Manage accounts receivable, including analyzing by category and by the payer and offering strategic solutions to reduce time in aging.
  • Direct follow-up work to determine unpaid claim status and take appropriate actions to ensure prompt payment.
  • Create A/R Plans to drive improved results.
  • Serve as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) in revenue cycle management, including reporting results to senior leadership, identifying performance issues, and recommending actions to drive success.
  • Spravato & TMS pre-authorizations

Qualifications

  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to analyze and interpret large amounts of data.
  • Organized with the ability to identify and track progress against priorities.
  • Committed to delivering tasks and projects on time.
  • Highly skilled in setting expectations and delivering communication/coaching.
  • Has exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability engage with front end staff to board members
  • Ability to work in a highly fast-paced and independent environment.
  • Flexible and adaptable.
  • Constantly in search of new and better methods.
  • Bachelor’s Degree in healthcare or a related field required; Master’s Degree preferred
  • 10+ years of provider-based healthcare experience within Revenue Cycle required, and at least seven (7) years of experience managing others required
  • Knowledge of broad Revenue Cycle Systems
  • Clear and concise verbal and written communication skills and the ability to advise our clients professionally and positively
  • Strong people leader, adapt at managing team’s work while developing colleagues’ capabilities
  • College Degree / MBA
  • Senior level of knowledge of medical billing, including commercial payers, Medicare, Tricare, and patient responsibility, is required
  • Training on HIPAA privacy and security requirements

At APS Innovations we believe in and foster diversity, inclusion and equality for our employees, patients, and community. We are an equal opportunity employer. We offer competitive benefits inclusive of:

  • Health, dental, vision, and life insurance
  • 3% Employer Match retirement/401K plan
  • Paid vacation, paid holidays, and other personal time off
  • Advanced training/career advancement opportunities

Interested applicants must submit a cover letter with salary requirements along with their resume.

Now Accepting New Patients

Fill out the form below, and we will be in touch shortly.
Name(Required)
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.