By Emily Stonehouse

It’s no secret that over the holiday season, our thoughts are heightened. There’s an edge to our emotions, a fray to our feelings.

Seasonal times tend to have that effect on people. Increased social gatherings, unrealistic expectations, comparisons and deadlines and a complete loss of structure and routine.

And during this time of emotional turmoil, outside forces tossed a few things into the mix. A severe storm warning and weather watch, plus the heaviest and most intense flu season we’ve seen in years.

This was one of those times that social media offered both a helping hand and a wrench in the mix. It seems to present those simultaneously on a fairly regular basis.

Our screens were filled with weather warnings. Flashing sirens, swirling maps, signs that danger was afoot. And immediately, with the help of our already heightened emotions, many of us panicked. The grocery stores were swarmed; remnants of the ice storm that slammed us in early 2025 came wriggling back into our brains. Days without power, days without communications, days of unknown.

So were we ready, this time around? Perhaps more than the last time. But in reality, we can only be as ready as we are able. There’s a level of unpredictability that accompanies Mother Nature on her journey. We can stock up our water, fill up the gas tank, load up on the canned goods. But really, we never fully know what will happen.

The same can be said for this flu season. Experts are saying it’s the worst one they’ve seen in decades. New variants are shocking the system, and a level of unpreparedness is putting the healthcare world on wobbly ground.

Again, what can we do? We get vaccinated, we listen to medical professionals, we stay home when we’re sick, we take vitamins to stay on top of it, we exercise, we nourish our brains and our bodies if we are able.

But there isn’t much to do to get ahead of it.

Often the stressors that accompany these natural disasters have little to do with the event itself, and more to do with the fact that we are chasing the answer. We can’t seem to run ahead and secure ourselves in a safety box of preparedness. We are always a few steps behind, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

So as we enter a new year, a fresh start, let’s do what we can to stay ahead. Many of the actions put in place are not measures to protect yourself, but rather, the population that shares the space with you. We listen to the people who have dedicated their lives to learning, and try to drown out the other noise that detracts from research, from reason, from rationale.

It’s easy to feel siloed in a world where we never quite feel ready for what’s next. But that’s even more reason to be cognizant of how our actions of today can impact tomorrow, how our outlook on the past can shape the future.

There are many unknowns to our world, but by focusing on what we can control, to the benefit of us and our neighbours, we can pave a path where we may never be ahead, but at least we are ready for that other shoe to drop.