Why does Mars Retrograde affect us so much?

A planet is retrograde when it appears to move backward through the zodiac. This can throw the energy of the planet off since normal motion is forward.
When retrogrades end and the planet starts moving forward again, this is called turning direct. Mars will turn direct on January 12th, 2023.
Mars is the planet of energy and drive, so with Mars Retrograde, our energy and drive can be stifled. We have difficulty finding motivation for what we want to pursue and may lack opportunities to even know where to begin.
Since 2022 ended and 2023 began with Mars Retrograde(and Mercury and Uranus), issues from 2022 have likely carried over into 2023, and it may feel like this year hasn’t actually started yet. We’re kind of waiting for it to start.
With Mars Retrograde ending, we start to get some of the missing energy and drive back. We can get clearer with what we want to do, our plans and ideas, and can put pieces together.