Even if you’ve been lucky enough to survive the last year, you’re probably not operating at your peak performance, emotional highpoint, or (as they say) living your best life. And whether you’ve been holed up at home alone or trying to manage a busy family while working full time, you’ve likely noticed that other people are struggling too.

This isn’t just anecdotal. According to a survey by the US Census Bureau in December 2020, more than 42% of people surveyed reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in December, an increase from 11% the previous year.  Case in point: Since the beginning of the pandemic, calls to Los Angeles suicide and mental health hotlines have increased 8000%.

And yet, many of us feel like we should be “over it” already—and those around us should be over it, too. It’s been a year, after all. Aren’t we in the “new norm” now? Isn’t the worst behind us?

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