by Anastasia Fermin, Sunshima blog writer
2020 was certainly a year of learning. The whole world had to learn to adapt to living, working and going to school during a global pandemic. Even for those who avoided personal loss, there were disappointments and setbacks, and a lot of uncertainty still remains as to what the future holds or when things can be ‘normal’ again. While it was hard for many to adapt to the ‘new normal’, with the knowledge that we acquired during the year, we can now use it to soldier on into 2021. So how can you face what 2021 may bring?
Keep Optimistic
Work hard to keep an optimistic mindset as you face personal challenges. Looking for the good in every situation and keeping thoughts positive can prevent you from becoming too anxious or stressed out. It will also help you to adapt more easily to changes and to maintain a clear-headed approach to dealing with any obstacles or setbacks. Being positive can also help the people around you. Encouraging others and cheering them on when times are hard are simple gestures that can make someone’s day brighter.
Continue to practice safety protocols
With the success of the first vaccine approvals, hope lies around the corner. This doesn’t mean that you should slack off on social distancing, wearing masks in public or frequent handwashing and sanitizing. It will take some time before the vaccines are widely available and in large quantities. Preventing the spread of Covid-19 should still be a top priority as you go about daily activities.
Live a Healthy Lifestyle
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle or starting a shift towards a healthier lifestyle is also important. The pandemic was also a wake-up call for many to change their lives and adopt healthy eating, exercise and taking better care of their bodies. Many people now know how important it is to have a healthy immune system and to achieve this it means eating cleaner and making healthier choices. Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t just mean a clean diet and exercise regime. It also means having more balance in your life to avoid stress and improve your mental health.
Develop skills
After witnessing job cuts and businesses closing down due to the economic effects of the pandemic, there is no harm in learning a new skill. Learning how to cook, bake cakes, plumbing or other craft skills can eventually be something you can rely on for a side income if you are faced with reduced work hours or redundancy. Whatever you are good at or whatever you’ve always wanted to learn, go for it and unlock new potential.
Appreciate everything
As the new year unfolds, it’s a time to reflect on the months that have gone by. 2020 has taught us all the value of things we used to take for granted such as hanging out with friends at a pub or travelling to visit friends and family abroad. One thing that should be more frequent in 2021 is appreciation and gratitude for people, good health, places and things that are dear to us!