6 Things To Focus On In 2021
We are going to bring self-love to a whole new level.
words Zahwah Bagharib
It was a roller-coaster of a year in 2020, wasn’t it? But I think we can all agree that we did learn a few things (especially about ourselves) here and there.
It’s two weeks into 2021, and have I made any new year’s resolutions? Nope.
But what I’m going to do (and I really hope you’d join me) is to list down 6 things that I’m going to focus on this year -- including some lessons that I’ve learnt from the past year that I would want to take into consideration this 2021.
1. Health
The pandemic really made me reflect about how much I take my health for granted -- both physical and mental. I’m thankful that none of my loved ones contracted the disease, and that we are hopefully seeing a light at the end of this very dark (and long) tunnel with the arrival of the vaccine. Looking forward, taking care of my physical and mental health is something I need to prioritise. This includes sleeping well, preventing burnouts and drinking lots of water!
2. “Me” Time
When I think about mental health, one thing that comes to mind is “me” time. I never knew how much of a difference taking time off for myself could make until I started working from home early last year, and knew that I had to set clear boundaries between work and rest while at home. Nowadays, I try to do at least one thing each day that would make me happy (right now it’s either a bit of Netflix before bed or going for an evening run) and I realised that it really works. It’s something I look forward to each day, to do something for myself. It keeps me going.
3. Personal Growth
I personally don’t like to make goals because... well, they scare me. But what I’ve decided to look at instead is personal growth which I’d like to believe is happening every day. I am my biggest critic, and what I like to do is to reflect every few months and think about how I’ve grown. This may be difficult, but it is also where we need to be a little kinder to ourselves and acknowledge our wins, no matter how small.
4. Helping Others
Another thing that 2020 has taught me is that there is so much room to help. Someone else is always in need, and sometimes all we need to do is look around. I know some of you might think, “How can I help others when I can’t even help myself?” but funny enough, helping others actually makes me feel like I am helping myself in return. I also read somewhere that it is actually the secret to happiness!
5. Saying ‘No’
Saying ‘no’ may not only mean rejecting something, but it could also mean setting clear boundaries and deciding not to do or pursue something that no longer serves you or brings you peace or joy. It could be saying no to a toxic friend, an exhausting job, or even... saying no to self-doubt! Remember that at the end of the day, you are free to make these decisions on your own.
6. Gratitude & Contentment
I’ve been working on this for as long as I can remember. No matter life’s struggles, I always believe that there is always something to be grateful for. One thing that I’ve been trying to do is to live in the moment because no two moments are the same. So much is happening around us but if we try to truly live in the present and appreciate the little things, then maybe contentment in this life isn’t an impossible pursuit.
I know trying to have a positive outlook on 2021 is a bit of stretch knowing what the world had to go through (and is still going through) last year. But maybe what we can do is a little bit of self-reflection about what we’ve learnt from our struggles, and how they can help us be the best versions of ourselves.