Hope for the New Year
Thankfully, 2020 is in the rearview mirror. However, its effects continue into 2021. Can we still have hope for this new year? Simply, yes, we can, but it will take some adaptation and adjustment, things we are familiar with from this past year.
The most obvious glimmer of hope is vaccination. It is moving to see healthcare, frontline, and essential workers receiving COVID-19 vaccines. Of course, there is always more work to be done in vaccinating the greater community. In the theme of continuing to look at issues through the social justice lens, we should remember patients of color and other marginalized groups who may be hesitant about or distrustful of COVID-19 vaccination have good reason due to the history and current effects of racism and inequity in our healthcare systems. As family physicians, our long-standing patient relationships will prove beneficial when counseling patients about COVID-19 vaccination. The AAFP has resources to guide these patient conversations: https://www.aafp.org/family-physician/patient-care/current-hot-topics/recent-outbreaks/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine/patient-education-resources.html.
Another way to maintain hope as we move into this new year is by cultivating hope within ourselves. Burnout is prevalent after so many months of the marathon of 2020, and it is nearly impossible to take a break from our busy medical and personal lives. There are small things that can help us be happier and more optimistic. Consider keeping a gratitude journal—simply writing down what you are grateful for once or twice a week—or learning brief meditation. Incorporating these techniques into a routine can have physical, psychological, and social benefits and lead us into a more hopeful frame of mind. Of course, there is always the tried-and-true strategy of reaching out to a friend or colleague with the goal of mutual encouragement that is even more relevant in this time of social distancing.
Hope is here this new year. Some of us may have to adjust how we see that hope, but it is present nonetheless.
