It’s Okay to Not Have a New Year’s Resolution
--
2020 marked the beginning of a new decade. For many that meant planning out grand plans to top the previous year. However, for most people, 2020 was a time to reflect. The various lockdowns that went on forced many of us to slow down. For families, it meant parents spending time with their kids both big and small. We bonded with our kids in a way that had not been done since babyhood. People were picking up skills like baking sourdough bread and cinnamon rolls.
Dealing with Isolation
Going into 2021, many people want to avoid the resolutions, myself included. My goal for 2020 was to grow my community of friends. Instead, 2020 was one of the most isolating years I have ever experienced. At first, it was good. I spent the spring hiking the Czech countryside. However, I started to miss my friends. I started to miss going out. During this time, I was also figuring out if the relationship I was in was what I really wanted.
The pandemic has forced many of us to really spend time with ourselves and with the people we live with. Cracks in romantic relationships that we would just patch over are now leaking. As a result, we have to deal with the situation head-on. Sitting in the ruins of our homes and realizing things will never get better because we have nothing else to distract ourselves with is both refreshing and scary. We have to have hard conversations with our soon-to-be exes that we have had in our heads for years.
Healing My Spirit
The awareness that comes with living through a pandemic also means we cannot ignore the bad stuff when it comes to ourselves as individuals either. We are forced to stew in the personality traits we don’t like about ourselves. It is really a time of introspection.
This year, I don’t have a resolution. I just want to heal my spirit. So, I have just been journaling a lot. I have been trying to figure out what my weaknesses as a person are. I am figuring out why those weaknesses exist and attempting to heal the trauma that has caused them.
A Time for Reflection
Really 2021 is a time for reflection. It is a time to heal and to show kindness to ourselves. This year I really want to focus on my mental health. So, I am reading the books. Hopefully soon, I will be able to start therapy as well. We all have to try our best to stay sane during this time.