OMG Wonderful ones! 2020...need I say more...what a rollercoaster….well, it’s almost over…
How do you feel at the end of this year? And how do you want to feel in the new year?
I am sure you feel you have been missing out on so many things in 2020, that the year has passed without you even realizing and that you couldn’t do what you wanted to do.
The pandemic has led to a rise in fear, anxiety, stress, and depression among the population. According to studies conducted towards the end of this year almost 80% of the population experienced at some point during the year feelings of anxiety or depression because of this situation. And this is absolutely normal. Anxiety is something most of us had to deal with this year. We were confronted with an unprecedented situation and uncertainty. We might have felt hopelessness and seeing no end, or felt fear for losing our loved ones, our jobs and businesses or even our own lives. While this is absolutely normal and we need to allow these feelings to be and acknowledge them, I am sure you don’t want to experience these emotions again next year.
What if I told you you could accomplish in 2021 what you planned for 2020 and for 2021 together?
Here are 6 things that we learnt from this year that will help us reclaim the time we lost in 2020 in the next year:
First of all nothing is permanent - this is for sure no news but in 2020 the illusory veil of stability was just lifted away. That can be quite unsettling information and many might not know how to deal with it. What shall we do with it? Enjoying every moment like it was the last. We only live once. This seemingly overused phrase makes more sense than ever. There is no better time to start practicing mindfulness, to learn how to be present with every moment, every day without just being the victim of your ‘TO DO’ list, jumping from one task to another, but savour life.
If you want to live an epic life you have to sit on the driver’s seat and not live on autopilot, drifting along, living an unfulfilled life but create your every day with intention.
Always keep your priorities in check - reclaiming your life means staying loyal to yourself and staying on track, committing to yourself. Think of all the things you always wanted to do that you told yourself you will do them one day. Unless you make that day today, it will never come. Start shifting your focus on actually scheduling and doing the important things rather than the urgent ones. At the end of the year what do you want to have achieved? Looking back to your overall life at the end of it, you won’t be able to adjust anything. Start living that life today.
Life is too short for drama. More than anything, eliminate from your life anything that does not serve you, that is not aligned to who you really are or that is toxic, that is not uplifting. For some this might be finishing certain relationships to make sure we keep only the healthy and supportive ones in our lives, those that nourish our soul and help us thrive or for some it might be changing your habits or getting rid of items that you have been hanging on but that only keep you stuck .
Build a habit of gratitude. Every morning before getting out of bed hang in there for another minute without reaching out for your phone (you can also do it in the evening before you go to bed) and think of all the things you are grateful for. You can start for example with the things we did not have access to during the lockdown, like that you can go outside and walk around more than 1 km away from your home, that you are able to meet friends whenever you want, that you can go out to a restaurant or coffee place, be grateful that there is peace where you live (hopefully that is the case). Be grateful for the good things and people in your life, for the abundance that is ceaselessly pouring over you. Practice appreciating all the little things that you usually take for granted, like how your lungs make you breathe air effortlessly, how your whole body is functioning perfectly in the background, how ecosystems are creating the perfect environment for our wellbeing and the list is endless. Be in awe at what a paradise we usually live in and we tend to take for granted. Pick one different thing that you are grateful for every day.
More than anything, 2020 made us practice acceptance: Life can always surprise us with things taking a completely unexpected turn. Of course we have to do everything we can to change what we want to change but we also have to understand what is really in our control and what is not and accept what we cannot change. Taking action there where we can have an impact and letting it be where it’s out of our control. And stop worrying. As Mark Twain once said "I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened." If we don’t use this tool of acceptance we will end up being unhappy forever or it will drain us of energy and will end up depressed. When we accept what we can’t control we replace worrying with planning and deliberate action and our mind will magically adapt to the situation.
And last but not least, Build healthy habits - Don’t wait to get sick to change your life. Since we realized that health and having a good immune system was probably one of the most important things to have in this year, this is why it is so important to build healthy habits in our life.
Feeling overwhelmed by the whole situation, many of us unconsciously get stuck into unhealthy habits; Take a moment to think of the habits you currently have, what you eat, how much you move and take a committed decision to build healthy ones instead. Especially after a year like this it is important to reflect on the habits that got developed this year.
Here are some examples of habits which you could commit to:
stop buying the things that harm your body and choose sugar free food and drinks
make sure to move every day
a routine to meditate to improve mindfulness
or build a habit of daily sun exposure of at least 20 min to keep your vitamin D levels in the green
activate the step counter on your phone to track every day if you have been moving enough. Movement is key to having a strong mind and immune system.
I hope you found these insights and tips useful and if you feel you need a personalized easy to follow step by step action plan on how to move forward, message me directly for a no compromise free Coaching consultation and I would be happy to walk you through building the 2021 you wish for.
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