2020 was one heck of a hard year.  Never has one year taken such a toll in so many different ways. We are politically and physically divided unlike ever before… and yet there is also a sense of a breaking dawn. Hope for what 2021 will bring is almost palpable. There is a vaccine that is being distributed as we speak and a new political administration on its way to the White House.  Nothing changes over night, but for many of us there is reason to be cautiously optimistic.  How can we be hopeful in a time where there is still so much to be done?  How can we maintain positivity in this new year when the burden is still so great?

Traditionally, a new year creates moments where we reflect and resolve to do things a little differently.  Given everything that happened in 2020 does it even make sense to create resolutions in 2021?  If so, how can we be better at keeping our new year’s goals?  What type of thinking traps us in old habits? Can we ever really break free from old patterns? As we’ve discussed in previous episodes, substance use hugely affects mental health.  If you’re someone whose resolution is to use less in the new year, check out this week’s blog. “Resolving to Drink Less.“