I thought my early 20s would be a journey of exciting new beginnings and fun adventures, but boy, was I wrong. Spending my entire 21st year in quarantine brought me struggles, taught me lessons, and led to endless overthinking. However, this year I plan to use those struggles, lessons, and thinking to help me blossom and grow. Today, I will supply you with a list of things I have struggled with and am trying to overcome in 2021.
Comparison is the thief of joy: focus on yourself.
Scrolling aimlessly online through everyone's highlight reels is quite daunting on one's mind. Quarantine has led me to fall into a hole of comparison with peers, family, and even celebrities. It seems like everyone around me is getting engaged, traveling, or getting their dream job; I, on the other hand, have spent my entire pandemic working, laying on the couch, and trying my best to get in shape. OOF. But as I said before, people post their highlight reels; they don't post break downs from stress or their daily struggles. We are all trying our best to stay afloat during this pandemic, and no matter where we each are in our journey, we should be proud that we are alive and trying our best every day. I challenge you to grab a pen and paper and to start writing down a list of things in your own life that make you happy when you start comparing yourself to others. Focus on yourself!
2. There is no time like now to create a healthy habit
I personally used 2020 to get in the habit of working out every day, and it has positively impacted my physical and mental health. Working out has given me a healthy outlet to de-stress and re-focus my energy. Other habits I have created include: hydrating more, making my bed in the morning, and checking in on my friends. Before quarantine, I always made excuses of why I shouldn't go to the gym or why I couldn't send a simple text. Working out is now essential to me, and I truly try my best to stay connected with those I love because I understand how important it is to have a support team.
Side note, even if you haven't spent your time checking in on loved ones or focusing on health, that's okay too. This is a challenging time for everyone, and there is no need to feel bad if you have been doing less than usual and spending more time alone. Just know, there is no day like today to get back on track with doing things that make you happy and healthy. If you want to start a healthy habit, start small and go from there.
3. No matter what, you can find sunshine in the rain
There were numerous times I felt like my world was falling apart this year; but at the end of the day, I can find positives in almost all those horrible situations. For example, I didn't get to walk across the stage at graduation; on the brightside, my family didn't have to sit through a long ceremony. I absolutely hate wearing a mask, but I get to hide from all the people I don't wanna talk to from highschool! I feel like I lost a lot of friends this year, but quarantine revealed my true friends.
These are all things that were true before quarantine; yet, being in quarantine really gave me time to reflect and see what is and is not important to me. I would love to know what kinds of struggles you faced in 2020 and how you plan to over come them in 2021. Comment below, and as always, feel free to message me with what else you would like me to write about! XO Darian
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