So. What should we do about 2022?
So. What should we do about 2022? I was set to share a post on the topic of new year resolutions but decided to change the course after a friend and I worked through the question ourselves.
It’s hard to know what the year will bring – do we ever know, though? If the quickly settled somber mood (depending on where you’re reading this from) seems to suggest, it feels impossible to keep living and operating the way we are and yet, here we are.
If you find it hard to even think about the weeks, let alone the months, ahead, you’re not alone. We were making such great strides and so many of us find ourselves presented with yet another round of disappointing school and business closures, concerns over symptoms, frustration as to how one medical expert put it over the phone to me today, “the indignity of having to search for a test when they’re so critical to transparent decision making”.
With so much percolating for so many people, I worry.
I worry about the increasing impacts on our collective mental health (Dr. Bill Howatt has told me many times – by 2023, mental illness and suicide will be the leading cause of death in Canada).
I worry about the ever-growing opioid crisis.
I worry about the uptick in substance use.
I worry about kids falling behind, and I worry about the anger that has otherwise stayed away from most of us.
So much continues to be stressful and heavy. That said, 12 months of opportunity and hope lies ahead of us. We must find the courage and the strength to keep going. From the workplace to our homes, protecting our personal and community well-being has to be our top priority. Booster campaigns to help protect one another are the first step, yes. But more, we need to call on our leaders to do better and do more of it. Every day. We also need to ask ourselves what it is we can do for each other and ourselves.
The next few weeks will be of high intensity, there’s no denying that. Go easy on yourself, share words of encouragement with others, protect your mental health by staying informed using only top-quality media sources, and give yourself permission to seek help when you need an extra ear. I know I need one. Maybe two. Lucky for me, I have a fresh pair in my home - my husband and I just welcomed home a new toy poodle. Meet Roo!
When the pandemic was first ripping through Italy, I recall the heart-touching videos of people singing together in unison. Rallying together to keep each other alive. So much light that otherwise now feels dimmed once again. What can we do about 2022? Follow public health guidelines and remember that this is temporary. Here and now and very real, but temporary.
As for me, I plan on:
Giving my time to the people, causes, and ideas that matter the most
Making my health appointments and sticking with them – by staying well, I’ll develop the stamina I need to pull through
Showing a renewed sense of patience and compassion to the people in my lives
Committing to trying one new thing to help support my well-being every day – we can’t grow if we stay stagnant
Living the words as shared by my best friend, Caterina: “I’m starting the year with the reminder of who we are, where we come from, and where we can always go home to. 2022, please be good to us but if you’re not, I’m not afraid.”
We’re not afraid. Tired….but not afraid. You might know how you plan to keep well this year, or perhaps you’re still giving it some thought. Keep healthy, stay well, and may you remember that you’re never alone.
