What 2020 Taught Me (Part 1)- Positive Reflection Of The Week
20 Things 2020 Taught Me… – by Alia Datoo
Believe it or not, we made it! December is finally here, and while many are happy to put this cataclysmic year behind them, I am getting to bid farewell to one of the most interesting years of my life in a bittersweet way.
2020 came with its own precedent challenges, but on some level, it came packed with several opportunities for personal growth. Here are some of the most important lessons I learnt in 2020:
1: Be at Peace with yourself – One of the most important things you could do for you is learning to be completely happy as you are, in your own space. As an introvert, this was the BEST time to just crawl into my cave and be in my space. However, I know it was hard on a lot of people to be cut off from friends and family. Allowing oneself space to connect with one’s core is a great way to know and appreciate oneself.
2: Don’t take things for Granted – 2020 taught me that the plan that I may have for my life might not be the only or the best plan for me. Embrace what life brings you. The lockdown made me aware of the number of things I have taken for granted in my life without even meaning to. I realized how important freedom was. How much I enjoyed being at work, being able to catch a movie at the cinema, hike! 2020 truly made me feel grateful for every little thing that I have in my life.
3: Never Underestimate the Power of YOU – How many things are there that you thought you couldn’t do?2020 forced me and a lot of you, to step out of the ‘comfort zone’ and adapt to the new normal. It has not been easy, but I have definitely emerged stronger and more resilient than before.
4: Surround Yourself With Your Tribe – Having people who support your dreams, believe in you and cheer you on every day, is important. During the lockdown, it was impossible to meet friends and family. I missed interacting with them and everyone’s life had turned topsy turvy. On my birthday, my friends surprised me with a Zoom call. They came on from various time zones and we all celebrated like we were in the same room. That made me realize the importance of building, nurturing and valuing relationships. When one is stumbling, one needs friends that will help one discover their inner strength, and stand with them when they most need it.
5: Put First things First – 2020 taught me to build my life around the things that matter to me. Staying home gave me a lot of time to do things that I did not want or need to do, creating a backlog of the things that I needed to or wanted to do, causing unnecessary stress and anxiety.
6: Learn to Relax – When the lockdown happened and we were all made to work from home, I fell in an anxiety trap. As a result, I caught myself initially working more than 16hrs a day and deliberately looking for “work” even when there was sometimes none. Coupled with sleep apnea I was heading towards burnout. It was then, that I realized that it was ok to take a few step backs from work and simply “do nothing”. It was difficult in the start but it really helped me wind down my mind.
7: It’s OK to Ask For Help – Being caught off guard with the Pandemic, I was lost for answers. Work from home was a new concept and it took a lot of mental agility to get used to. Reaching out to a colleague to know how they are organizing their working schedules felt less overwhelming – I wasn’t the only one who felt lost. It is important to remember that no one can read minds. When you need help you need to ask for it.
Lesson 8: Take a Break – One of my New Year resolutions for 2020 was to spend less time on Social Media! Hah! Social Media ended up being the only thing that kept me going. My hands were constantly reaching for my phone to mindlessly scroll through Instagram (I discovered my obsession with Mukbang videos). It became overwhelming at a point and I decided to “switch off” and keep my phone away after 9 pm.
Lesson 9: Discover – 2020 brought a lot of opportunities to discover and re-discover things. With gyms closed and hikes on hold, I re-discovered my love for stairs as a fitness regime. I also discovered a new hobby: fountain pens and also had an opportunity to reconnect with my love for books and art, which when combined led me to certifying as an Art Therapist.
Lesson 10: Tuning Inwards – Life is less about what’s going on, on the outside and more about what’s going on, on the inside. 2020 pushed us to face all the things we’ve dreaded the most in life – many reported feeling lost, lonely, empty, sad; many found themselves recognizing their self-sabotaging patterns of behaviour; several others reported feeling a sense of loss of identity or not liking the person they seemed to be becoming. I found myself oscillating between highs and lows for quite some part of 2020, and it made me realize that inner work is, indeed, a continuous process, and one we cannot escape from if we aspire to grow and thrive.
…..Continued next week!
Alia Datoo, Transformational Holistic Energy Coach