Page 12 - BusinessWest December 22, 2021

Editorial
WReflecting on an Uncertain Year
ell, that year was ... something. surprising ways. Whatever the factors, the Great Resignation is real, It was certainly something different than 2020, when and will continue to reverberate into 2022.
COVID-19 took everyone by surprise, not only launching That said, all that pivoting created a more resilient business
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a serious health crisis, but disrupting the economy in ways both immediate — many businesses were shut down for weeks and even months — and in the longer term (the broken supply chain).
Everyone learned to pivot — yes, the word everyone got sick of in 2020 — and that made us all more resilient during 2021, a year when business began getting back to normal in some ways, while in other ways, we wondered if we’d ever see normal again.
Take remote work, which may prove to have the longest legs when it comes to trends that emerged from COVID. By the fall of 2020, employers were crafting plans to bring homebound workers back to the office. Plenty of those workers didn’t want to return, and made it clear they were perfectly productive without a commute or face-to-face contact with co-workers. More than a year later, many of those employers have backed off and have made remote work, or at least a hybrid schedule, a more or less standard model.
We certainly hope supply-chain and inflation challenges don’t prove to have the longest legs, because those are problems no one can afford to live with forever. We’ll see what the federal response is in 2022 — rising interest rates seem inevitable — and how these issues continue to depress the ability of businesses to invest and grow.
The other factor suppressing business growth, of course, is an ongoing workforce crunch — a combination of older workers retiring early and younger ones wielding newfound leverage in
Opinion
culture in Western Mass. this year, one that has become more nimble, more adaptable, and more entrepreneurial. Sectors like tourism rebounded nicely, while cannabis continued its unimpeded progress. You can read more about all these trends, the positive and not-so- positive, in our special Year in Review section beginning on page 23.
But back to that hard-earned sense of resilience. Whatever industry we covered this year — construction, auto sales, manufacturing, nonprofits, you name it — when we spoke with business leaders, no one shied away from the lingering pandemic and its global side effects, and how those factors continue to make it difficult to do business.
But there’s a sense of optimism in the air, too. Many feel like, if they’ve made it this far, 2022 can only get better, even if no one can be sure when the pandemic and its ill effects will recede. They’ve survived, they’ve rebounded, they’ve learned — and they know their customers want to get back to normal, to buy and invest and experience as they used to.
In some ways, it’s frustrating to think we’d be in better shape than we are now, on many levels. But for most, things did get a little better in 2021 — and we’re sensing plenty of optimism for 2022. And we’ll stay on top of it, as always. Happy holidays from BusinessWest. v
Holidays Can Challenge Sobriety
By Alane Burgess
The holidays are a stressful time in some way, shape, or form for everyone. However, for those
folks in recovery, this stress can become intensified around festivities and tradi- tions tied to the season and undermine their sobriety.
An individual in recovery invited to a work gathering may ask themselves, “what am I going to do if someone offers me a drink or they offer me a substance? I may feel uncomfortable disclosing to my col- leagues and my co-workers or other people that I am in recovery.”
Holiday gatherings with family mem- bers can be an emotional minefield of negative memories, bringing up feelings of guilt, shame, and remorse. There is also the potential for an individual in recovery to know they will be with a close family mem- ber with an addiction that is untreated. The person in recovery wants to avoid being offered an alcoholic beverage or other type of substance, and this type of encounter could present an especially stressful situa- tion for them.
The question for the pern in recovery becomes, “am I going to be able to say no or be able to help myself prepare for a situ- ation that I know that I may not feel com- fortable in from an emotional standpoint?”
I address these situations around holi-
day sobriety with the individuals I work with in recovery by telling them to con- tinue to focus on their physical and mental health.
Rest, relax, and rejuvenate are three key words to remember about self-care during the frustrations, busyness, and exhaustion of the holidays. I ask people to ask them- selves, “am I getting good sleep at night? Am I eating healthy? Am I engaging in exercise?”
I work, too, with people on the ability to say no or to pass on going to a certain celebration or relative’s house. If someone does go to an event, they should have an exit plan so they can leave if things start to get really uncomfortable or they feel their sobriety might be at risk.
Most importantly, holiday sobriety is about staying connected to one’s support system. This may be a close friend or a fellow member in a self-help meeting. It could be a sponsor or a pastor.
Sometimes people get so caught up in the holidays that they skip a support meet- ing or call to their sponsor. This could be a real trigger for someone to worry about — that they get out of their routine and their pattern of supports that they have for their security relapse planning.
What would I advise someone hosting a celebration or family gathering and inviting
someone they know is in recovery? Make sure there are a lot of choices
available in terms of non-alcoholic bever- ages — many drinks advertised as “non- alcohol” contain some alcohol.
Also, have an open dialogue with the individual who is in recovery and ask them, “what can be done to help you feel safer and more comfortable with your recovery while you are here?”
I really believe in people having as much open dialogue as possible. The per- son in recovery is the best person to say what is going to be most helpful to them. Sometimes people’s actions are really well- intended, but they may not realize their actions could trigger a relapse.
And I always tell the person in recovery that their recovery and sobriety come first and to be honest with themselves in that approach. I remind them again: if you don’t feel going to any particular celebration or event is safe for you in your recovery this holiday season, it is OK to say no, and it is important as well to remain engaged with your supports — all those things that have helped you stay in your routines. v
Alane Burgess is a licensed mental-health clinician and director of the Mental Health Association’s BestLife Emotional Health & Wellness Center.
12 DECEMBER 22, 2021
OPINION
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