Heading in to 2022 in a state of exhaustion? You aren’t alone. It seems everyone is feeling as if they just get can’t get their feet underneath them—or if they do—the world shifts again—and they lose their footing or their bearings again. And this exhaustion has hit almost every family in different way—with different levels of intensity –different levels of loss-- and at different times. These two years have had the impact of chronic trauma—and one of the hallmarks of trauma is a feeling of hopelessness and powerlessness. How do you heal the exhaustion—and the feeling that you can’t make headway? How do you create some hope and energy for the year ahead? It can feel like you can’t make a difference—or you don’t have the power to make change. But one of the most important antidotes to these feeling of powerlessness and hopelessness is action—or agency. But how do you find it when you are worn out?

You start small and you work on constancy. Small, consistent, acts are the medicine we need.

I’m creating a plan called 22 for ‘22. The purpose of the plan is to create space for some small wins and the feeling of forward movement. I don’t know about you, but for me the world feels a bit too precarious for some big life goal—so instead I am advocating for a more modest intervention—a series of small intentions that can support me in feeling more sturdy right now.  22 for ‘22 isn’t a bucket list: think of it more like a teacup list. Small acts that you can repeat. Small acts that you can cross off a list.

I know you overachievers out there look at 22 for ‘22 and think it has to be big. It doesn’t. For those of you who see this and are immediately overwhelmed by your achievement motive or your internal critic: slow down—and think smaller. Over the course of this year it could be 22 thank you notes to people who have made a difference in your life. It could be trying 22 new recipes or different kinds of food (or different kinds of ice cream). It could be 22 new movies, or 22 books. It could be 22 nature walks, or 22 new kinds of flowers for your garden. It could be 22 smiles you give to others on your walk to work. It could be 22 bedtime stories for your kids or grandkids. A playlist of 22 songs that brighten your day. Identifying 22 kinds of trees in your neighborhood. You could write 22 letters to your elected officials. You could play 22 new songs on your guitar. It could be 22 acts of kindness for your neighbor or 22 prayers for those who are hurting.

You could play with the 22 and do 22 minutes of writing a day, or mindfulness a day. You could take 22 pictures on your phone of things that inspire you. You could take out food from 22 different restaurants to support them this year. You could donate 22 pieces of clothing or household items you need to get rid of. You could learn 22 new words in a language you want to speak. You could write 22 poems. You could make 22 plant-based meals.

Or if action feels too hard—what about observation? Could you notice 22 different kinds of birds? Look for 22 things that you are grateful for? See if you can spot 22 monarch butterflies this year? And if you are really exhausted it might be 22 naps you will take, or 22 times you will say “no” when you normally would have said “yes.”

Or, if like me, you can’t decide—you can mix and match! You can create a random list of 22 things because making a random list of things feels like a scavenger hunt—which feels way more “2022” than a life goal. The important thing is action. The important thing is constancy and the feeling of “I-can-do-it-ness” that goes with doing something—no matter how small.

And when you decide your 22 for ’22-- write them down, make a collage or vision board, post them, share them and inspire others. Get your friends, your kids, your parents and co-workers to join. Action and energy are contagious—and we could use way more of that contagion right now. So, what are your 22 for ’22?

© 2021 Gretchen L. Schmelzer, PhD