It’s a New Year, Now What?

Welcome to 2022. People tend to feel excited by a new year, full of possibilities. New year resolutions are made, people are hopeful they can do things different and make the new year even better than the last. For many people, January 2022 feels far from new and different. We’re entering a new year but feeling stuck in the same place. The pandemic continues. The weather is cold and the skies are dark. Covid case numbers have been rising and people have been retreating to earlier times in the pandemic. In many ways we have moved forward and yet at times it feels as though we’re reliving March 2020. The uncertainty of how and when life will return to what we once knew dampens the excitement of a new year. So what do we do? How do you celebrate moving forward if you feel you’ve moved backwards? I always encourage clients to feel their full range of emotions. That might mean sitting with less desirable feelings like sadness, frustration, and hopelessness. For most people the hardest part is believing that things will not be this way forever. Over the last two years the pandemic has ebbed and flowed. There were moments that felt excruciatingly difficult and others that felt manageable. Moments of happiness happened too. Remind yourself of the easier times. I understand how challenging this new year feels. I encourage you to find joy in the small things. You can do this by catching yourself when you’re smiling or laughing. Think about what made you feel that way and try to hold onto it. This can be anything from marveling at how good your leftover pizza tastes heated up in your new air fryer, laughing with a loved one on the couch, completing a tough puzzle, to booking a future vacation. These small moments can lead to greater happiness.