The words we are all thinking right now: "Good riddance to 2020."
On a global scale, this year has been undeniably and objectively the worst year in recent history. Though a lot of us have had worse years from a purely personal perspective, I think we can all pretty much agree that 2020 was terrible for everyone, everywhere, unless you're obscenely rich, selfish, and unaffected by anything that goes on around you.
For me, I've had worse years on a strictly personal level, although this one certainly isn't ideal for me. Like many, my mental health is declining. Being a frontline healthcare worker during the worst plague of our lifetime, a lack of healthy ways to blow off steam, and a lack of human contact outside of work, have taken their toll on me. I love living alone, and I'm glad I don't have roommates right now, but there's something to be said about touch starvation when you haven't seen or gotten to hug your friends for almost a year. I'm not sure it's healthy to be alone for this long. I'm burned out from work and my stress levels are high, and I have no way to cope with it besides trying to get in as much self-care on my days off as my lack of motivation will allow. I definitely miss going to concerts and shows to blow off steam, going out of town on occasion, and all the things everyone else misses. I had to miss two of my favorite bands' concerts this year, plus several others I was looking forward to. Concerts and theatre are my favorite forms of escapism, and obviously I can't have those anymore. I miss wearing real clothes, doing my hair and makeup and feeling like an actual individual with a personality. It sounds silly, but it's led me into a bit of an identity crisis. All I am is a medical worker now. That's my entire identity, because all I do is work and stay at home. All I wear is scrubs and pajamas. I never get to just be me.
But despite the huge toll the pandemic has taken on my mental health, I'm still one of the "fortunate" ones. In my country alone, there are millions of people who have lost their jobs, are losing their businesses, their homes, even their family members or their own lives to this virus. In addition to that, we've experienced an increase in other types of crises that some people have to deal with every year, such as racism, hate crimes, natural disasters, medical bills, and the hostile political environment.
People everywhere are suffering.
Even though I've had it relatively easy on a personal level, even compared to previous years, seeing so much suffering around me still makes me consider this the worst year of my lifetime so far. I know that not everything is about me; this year has hit everybody so hard, and there's no way I could look at everything going on worldwide and dismiss it by saying "2016 [or any other year] was worse for me."
Every year that I can remember in my lifetime has ended with some people saying, "This year was terrible" and others saying "This year was great." 2019 ended on a high note for me, though many of my friends complained it had been a bad year for them. This difference in opinion is how every normal year ends. But 2020 is the exception. I haven't heard a single person claim this was a good year. It's globally acknowledged that 2020 sucked.
Now, the year is finally coming to an end, but will the things that made it so terrible continue into the new year, or even further into the decade?
Of course they will. To some extent. But we are still allowed to celebrate the ending of a monumentally bad year and make every attempt to improve what we can.
I think it's important that we approach 2021 with a healthy balance of optimism and caution. Things are already changing, and it's okay to be optimistic that those changes will bring about a more positive atmosphere. The COVID-19 vaccine is real and is being distributed to frontline healthcare workers as we speak; my appointment to get my first dose of the vaccine is actually tomorrow, on New Year's Eve, of all days. In another month, many of us will have immunity, and we can work toward getting the vaccine to even more people. By late spring or early summer, it's estimated, the general population should be able to get the vaccine, which could be a huge step toward reaching herd immunity and getting things back to "normal." On January 20, the U.S. will be getting a new president; this will also bring about a lot of changes.
For me, on a personal level, I will be starting a new work schedule that allows me to have more days off but also bring home a lot more money; and shortly after starting that schedule, I will finally have a vacation from work (a stay-cation if you will, because remember, there is still a pandemic out there) after a year of severe burnout with no rest. I think a couple of weeks with no alarm clock, no long commutes, and no taking care of sick and dying people will do wonders for my mental health and energy. Some of my friends have milestones coming up in their lives as well, such as my friend with cancer who finishes up treatment in January, and others who have recently gotten promotions or raises.
So, to me, it's clear that 2021 is already shaping up to be better than 2020 was.
However, it's also important that we approach this year not only with caution but also determination. We can't rely on "2020 is over now, so everything will be fine." We have to take responsibility and do our part to make those positive changes a reality, or else they won't make any actual difference at all.
We need to give the coming year a chance to be better. It's possible that more surprises are coming our way and that 2021 will just be "2020, part two." But it's also possible that most of the surprises are behind us now. We won't know for sure until at least a few months in (remember, 2020 didn't become quite as severe on a global scale until the third month of the year), but New Year's Eve is a time for fresh starts, so for now I'm keeping an optimistic outlook.
A lot of people view the new year as the perfect time to break bad habits and correct destructive behavior we may have fallen into. By that standard, this is a great opportunity to become more cautious and make sure we aren't contributing to the raging pandemic outside, or to any of the other problems that plague our society. Those of us who have December 31 off, let's not have New Year's Eve parties or go out to the bar, but instead ring in the new year peacefully with only our immediate households; and instead of being bitter about it, let's try to look at it as the perfect ending to a year like no other. A night to focus on resting and self-care after a year of burnout.
I don't usually go out for New Year's Eve anyway. As someone who doesn't drink and doesn't enjoy clubbing very much, I usually spend it at home, pandemic or no pandemic. Sparkling cider, music, junk food and self-care are some of my favorite ways to spend the night. And as someone with experience, I can recommend it as a nice, relaxing way to ring in the new year. During a pandemic, you'd expect more people to adopt this approach, and yet I've spent most of the holiday season perplexed as I watched people continue to celebrate the holidays as if this were any other year. Even some of my coworkers had large dinners with extended family for Thanksgiving and Christmas, despite working with COVID patients every single day at work. I couldn't understand why they weren't willing to give up one holiday season under such extraordinary circumstances.
As a new year begins, I hope those who have developed safe habits will stick with them, and I also hope that people whose habits have been more questionable will use this as an opportunity to improve them. I know this is a lot to ask considering the track record humans have, but anything is possible.
Keep up your social distancing, keep wearing your mask, don't attend any large get-togethers, and get vaccinated if you can. Scientists have worked hard to create a vaccine, but we have to do our part too. Let's give this year the best chance it has to get things back to "normal." And then, let's work on changing what we consider normal to begin with. Pressure your politicians to do better, and if they don't, work to get other people elected. Bring awareness. Donate to good causes if you're able. Do what you can to make positive change, both in your personal life -- whether it's weight loss, quitting smoking, etc. -- and for the benefit of the world at large. Let's improve the overall wellbeing of our communities in any way we can, because after a year like this, it's what we all need.
Also, don't forget: this year doesn't count toward your age! We all just got a year younger! (Unless you are under 18, in which case you can keep the year.)
I'd like to end the year with this song by the fabulous Finnish rock band, Brother Firetribe. I have a particular song I play at midnight pretty much every year, but prior to midnight, I will end my playlist with a song that feels appropriate for the year in question, either based on how often I listened to it, because it reminds me of a special moment that defined my year, or even just because the lyrics speak to me at the time. It isn't always a song that came out that year, but this time it is. In a year where pretty much the only highlights were good musical releases, Brother Firetribe's latest album, Feel the Burn, was one of the bright spots for me. I've been a fan for years, and in my opinion, Feel the Burn is their best album since their sophomore release twelve years ago. The opening track of the album is one that feels very appropriate for Song of the Year due to its lyrics, and the upbeat sound makes it great for celebrating the end of 2020. (I encourage you to check out the whole album if you feel inclined. Other favorite tracks include Battle Ground and Bring on the Rain.)
You made it this far; I salute you!
