By Bibiana Dianiskova
At the beginning of the year everyone felt excited about the new decade, and was ready to enjoy “The Roaring 20s” at least as much as Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby did. However, let’s be honest, the world has not been as positive this year and it became a very scary and unpredictable place at times.
The whole year suddenly made a turn and we all found ourselves in a never-ending episode of Black Mirror. Covid19 took over the year 2020 and made us all feel very upset, hopeless and disappointed in the world.
Now, let me help you shake off the negativity as that is what might free you of those feelings mentioned above. Even though it might be difficult, look back over the past year and find the positives, and let’s turn the year 2020 into a positive memory. Let’s appreciate 2020 for what it was and not dwell on what it could have been.
The most important thing I reminded myself of throughout 2020 was that the situation will not last forever. So even now that things still might not be back to ‘normal’ I assure you COVID 19 and quarantine will not last forever. And that is a positive message you should remind yourself of daily. The world stopped like it never has before, and it was a new situation for us all.
There were many people left jobless, hopeless, isolated or sick. However, we were and still are all in this together and you are not alone, however lonely you might feel. This sense of community and aim for little things to make us happy have been crucial at difficult times.
Appreciate how you slowed down in 2020
Most of all, think of all the time you suddenly got just for yourself. Think of how this year made you slow down and focus on yourself, your significant others and your family. Appreciate all the self-care and self-development you had the time to focus on in 2020 due to quarantine and lockdown. Even though the world situation was stressful, time we got to focus on ourselves helped us get through it.
I got through a lot of skincare items, and most definitely did way too many at home facials. Regardless, it made me feel great and put-together. I realised how important self-care is for my mental health and I will definitely keep finding time to take care of myself in 2021.
Appreciate how you managed 2020
If you worked from home you probably went through a great number of zoom calls and the loungewear became your daily uniform. I hope you worked in your pyjamas at least once, and can laugh about it now. On one hand, yes it must have been a great change from office to the living room, but on the other hand you managed to keep your job. Such a positive thing to be grateful for at the moment!
However, you might have been one of those who lost their job or could not work due to COVID. Think about how you managed the situation, and how you got through it. I am sure it must have been difficult, but think of how much stronger it made you.
Ask yourself: “WHAT DID 2020 TEACH ME ABOUT MYSELF?”
“Struggles not only make us into stronger, better and wiser people, they also let us learn more about ourselves and our purpose in life.” – Auliq Ice
Appreciate the new knowledge and the skills you gained in 2020
Did you learn something new over quarantine? Learning is always a huge positive!
Maybe you figured out how to bake, did an online course, read an educational book or downloaded Duolingo like me. I jumped into the app daily learning Italian imagining myself eating pizza in Capri surrounded by the language. Appreciate the skills and knowledge you got in 2020 because they will stay with you forever.
Appreciate all the free time in 2020
We all spent a significant part of 2020 in quarantine. Did you quarantine by yourself, with your partner, your buddy or family? I hope you made the most out of any situation! Dressed up, had a bunch of date nights or game nights. Binge watched a TV show you wanted to watch for a while. Made a fancy dinner that took you hours to make. Read a book you never could find the time for. Gardened, spent time in the sun.
Just think and remember all those things you finally had free time to do, simply because your schedule freed up. Maybe you picked up a new hobby or found a new passion. Yes, it was because of the unfortunate situation, but nonetheless you made the most out of it.
Appreciate the workouts in 2020
If you managed to stay motivated and moved your body daily, appreciate that! You did not only push yourself each time, you focused on your wellbeing as well. With the gyms closed, there was a great opportunity to do at home workouts.
Numerous Instagram live workouts created a sense of community where we all could join and stay motivated together. Daily runs, or even daily long walks, might have helped you feel sane and get out of the house, appreciate that!
Appreciate all the social justice movements in 2020
When 2020 got hit by the pandemic it did not make life easy. Therefore, when the social injustice in America suddenly became so real, visible and viral it left us feeling hopeless and full of rage. The racism and social injustice have unfortunately existed for a long time and they were not something new in 2020. However, this year opened everyone’s eyes to the system full of flaws and injustice.
If there was a positive thing to find within the situation, it were the social justice movements that sparked out and unified all the people. The sense of community, compassion and support. All of us were fighting for a better and more fair world!
Appreciate all the frontline workers in 2020
Finally, I could not write this post without the praise and appreciation of all the frontline workers who kept fighting hard in 2020. This year must have been especially hard for all the healthcare staff who kept risking their lives in order to help us stay safe and healthy. And we could not be more thankful for their strength and bravery.
Now looking back at the year 2020, I try to appreciate the small things and to focus on the positives. This year will be just a memory one day and you should definitely make it a positive one. It has been a year full of struggles and hopelessness but it has been a huge learning experience for us all.
In case you have been struggling mentally, please don’t be hard on yourself. We have all been facing different challenges, but I encourage you to think that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and you will come out of this whole situation stronger than ever!
I hope that this post gave you some strength and made you think more positively about the past 12 months. Let’s start 2021 on a positive note and be kind to ourselves!
Bibiana Dianiskova
Bibiana is a marketing graduate based in London with a huge passion in content creation. She is a proper beauty and wellness enthusiast and a lover of books, podcasts and Netflix.
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