15 things 2020 taught me
Last year was quite an unexpected one. Corona virus started spreading worldwide. All of the sudden everyone had to start social distancing , Limit their contacts , lots of public places had to be closed and the so-called normal was gone. what a crazy year! Pandemic is still going on as we are now in the year 2021. But like the saying goes “every obstacle is a learning opportunity.” Here is a list of 15 things i learned in 2020.
1.Find beauty in simple things. Last year forced every one of us to stop and look for all the beauty around us. For example soap bubbles created by washing dishes look quite beautiful if you focus on the details.
2.Making mistakes is only natural. I have always been so worried about making mistakes but 2020 taught me to be gentler with myself while being a reminder about how everybody makes mistakes. you cant learn anything if you don´t make a single mistake. Real-life example : I have been communicating in English so much more than previous years and at the beginning found my self terrified of making grammar mistakes. But it turns out that nothing bad happens and most likely you are still able to be understood by others even if you don’t use the correct words 100% of the time.
3. Giving feedback is valuable ( even tho it is terrifying) I´m part of this discord group surrounding one podcast i listen to often. We were asked to give feedback about specific episode that unfortunately was not really meant for me. I was so scared of writing that comment while being sure that person receiving my message was going to get angry at me or something. But nope, my feedback was appreciated and i was thanked for being brave and saying my thoughts out loud. Not so scary experience after all. I was just over analyzing that whole situation beforehand.
4. Keep that childlike curiosity while learning new things/having new experiences. All of us are told that after certain age we should all start acting like adults and leave that childlike playfulness behind. I´have learned how learning new things is so much more enjoyable if you don´t take yourself so seriously and keep that childlike mentality. Age is only a number you are allowed to be exited about new things no matter what age you are.
5. Daily routines are so important! Establishing specific morning and nighttime routines has been so important in order to keep my anxiety in manageable level. Routines make me feel some sense of control while rest of the world is in chaos
6. regular exercise makes you feel good especially in those days were you don´t feel like doing it. It´s so important to move your body not only for a physical standpoint but even more importantly for your mental health. Some days it feels so hard to go for a walk or do a bit of yoga but trust me it feels so good afterwards. you just can´t feel anxious while exercising.
7. Silence is powerful. We are living in a information overload thanks to the internet you can fill every second of your day with some kind of a noise or other source of distraction. I feel like we have forgotten what being in silence feels like. Some of you might even be fearful about the idea of not having your phones close 24/7 . There is something so beautiful about enjoying your morning tea without any distractions.
8. There is no need to be perfect doing your best is enough. After the pandemic started and some countries went in to lock downs and everybody were asked to stay in their homes as much as possible ,internet filled with videos and articles about how to get best out of your quarantine time. But actually you don´t have to start learning languages , clean you whole home or anything like that if you don´t want to. Some days the most important thing is to breathe and go for a walk . That´s okay be gentle with yourself these are Difficult times for all of us .
9. only certain thing in life is that everything is always changing Nothing stays the same. Your body changes,your mind changes , everything around you changes. One day libraries are open next day those have to be closed again etc. this is just a nature of life. pandemic has taught me to learn how to accept that you just don´t know what the next day is going to be like.
10. Difficult times connect people We are all in this together, entire world is trying to figure out how to get past this pandemic in the best way possible. First time ever if you tell someone about being anxious due to health related stuff almost everybody will understand your feelings. difficult times makes connecting with others even more valuable. You are able to support each other no matter were you live in the world.
11. Meditation creates the space for real you. I have been meditating for quite long time now. Especially during these times daily meditation practice has made all the difference for my mental health. While you sit in silence with your thoughts real you can come to the surface. You can´t escape your thoughts anymore. I have had many realizations during my meditation sessions. When you learn to listen your thoughts you will eventually know yourself better.
12. You can learn to breath with mask on.
Before 2020 we all thought that masks were only meant for those who work in healthcare ,but because of the safety instructions in order to stop the virus from spreading we all had to learn how to breathe while wearing a mask.
13. Be grateful for something every day. 2020 was full of scary news and at times i felt super scared and anxious. so i had to remind myself about all the little things to be grateful for. for example having a home, clean water and ability to breathe. even in the darkest of times there is always something positive around us.
14. It´s okay to ask for help. We don´t have to do everything alone. Asking for help is sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself . There is always someone who can help you to go forward no matter what your situation is.
15. You don´t always have to be available to others. In the modern age we live on you can easily feel that others expect you to be available 24/7. It´s so important to sometimes unplug , put your phone in to do not disturb mode and focus on you instead of everyone else. I have created a habit of not answering anyone else´s messages in the first and last hours of each day. those hours are just for me. especially now when we spend so much more time in our homes its easy to forget how important self care is. I can´t help others if i don´t take time for myself. i´m actually planning on writing whole post about why going offline is beneficial.
It´s amazing to realize how many new things you can learn in the course of one year. We are living in strange times that can be scary sometimes, but it´s important to remember that everything changes, this will pass, some day in the future we are back to normal and can meet each other again without needing to worry so much. Normal in the future might not be the same we started with but things will get better ❤ we just have to stay strong and ask help when you need it. ( Credit for the picture used goes to Jordan- Sight on pixabay)
