New Year, New Resolution

~ by Carol Vartuli

After 11 months of a ravaging pandemic, a plummeting economy, and political discord, who isn’t ready to usher in hope for a “normal” 2021? 

At the end of other years, we have bantered with friends about our resolutions to lose weight, quit smoking, exercise regularly, and procrastinate less—imagining a total remake of ourselves (of course, 80 percent of us abandon those commitments by the second week in February. --U.S. News & World Report).

The transition to 2021 feels far more momentous, making typical New Year’s resolutions seem a bit self-absorbed.

Thousands are grieving for family members, friends, or colleagues lost to the relentless COVID-19 virus, and countless people are out of work, struggling to pay their rent or even to buy food. Although effective vaccines against the virus are here, they won’t be widely distributed for several months.

It’s not surprising that the American Psychological Association is recording higher-than-normal stress levels. “Seventy-eight percent of Americans say the coronavirus pandemic is a significant source of stress in their life.” And nearly half of adults report their behavior has been negatively affected: tension in their bodies, snapping or getting angry quickly, unexpected mood swings, and screaming at loved ones (Stress in America 2020: A National Mental Health Crisis).

This profound stress is inversely related to age, with the youngest generation (8-18 -years old) suffering the most. “Gen Z” adults (18-23) are at a pivotal moment in their lives and experiencing adulthood when the future seems uncertain. These young people also describe the future of our nation as a significant cause of stress in their lives. Although also affected by significant stress, older generations have experienced other adversities, over a longer lifespan.

What Should We Resolve to Do in 2021?

Perhaps the most important resolution we can make is to put our individual selves in perspective as we reflect on 2020. We can turn our focus outward, to those who have suffered from the pandemic, from extraordinary numbers of natural disasters, from financial devastation, from extreme discrimination, and from coming of age in a frightening world.

We can also forgive ourselves for abandoning our 2020 resolutions! It was challenging to exercise when all the gyms were closed. It was impossible not to indulge in comfort food, or an extra cocktail, while quarantining at home for weeks on end. After all, we made it through a surreal year, yet we will have several trying months after the calendar flips to 2021.

In the meantime, we can resolve to:

• Practice safety measures as long as the pandemic persists

• Reach out to members of Generation Z, or their teachers and parents, to share the resilience we have gained as older adults, and to help them see their path is just beginning

• Reflect on one or two good things that happen every day, whether large or small

As we say goodbye to 2020 and usher in 2021, we reflect on all we have experienced during this challenging year and look forward to new start, a fresh beginning. All of us at The Osborn and Osborn Home Care wish you and yours a safe, happy and healthy new year.

The information in the above article is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.