As we near the end of this rather bizarre year I wanted to share with you my reflections on why we should look back positively on 2020 and the lessons we can take from it rather than looking back angrily on the last 12 months.
When I hosted a meditation evening on my birthday last December where I first spoke about my plans and purpose for Align Wellbeing and the transformative ascension energies that were coming in 2020 I, like many others, had no idea of what was to transpire over the course of this year.
Being locked down in our homes due to a global pandemic, tried and tested to our absolute limits – whether through loneliness, loss, financial distress, or lack of time to ourselves – this year has been one of the hardest in many of our lifetimes.
But we’ve survived, we’ve made it through, and – to quote Elton John…
We’re still standing!
It’s not all bad when you look at it. In fact there are a lot of positives to be taken from this year. The events of 2020 have forced many of us to innovate, pivot, and embrace new technologies. I personally was already a regular user of Zoom for business, but know a lot of you have only gotten to grips with it as a result of the lockdown, and it’s the future! Albeit my partner reliably informs me that something called “Blue Jeans” is the future of video calling and will replace Zoom in much the way Zoom outmoded Skype.
We’ve found new ways of doing things, better ways to connect – more often – and been reminded to appreciate the little things over unnecessary materialistic pleasures.
My 5 top learnings we can all take from 2020
[CARES]
- Connection
- Appreciation
- Rest
- Eating well
- Small business matters
1. Connection
I’ve always been a big fan of making new connections and friends (just call me a social butterfly!), but this year it has never been more important. Staying in touch with the people in our lives who matter the most, checking in on those who are alone or may be struggling, and making sure anyone vulnerable is ok.
This not only helps those you connect with, but also helps you through the happy hormones it releases:
Dopamine
Oxytocin
Serotonin
Endorphins
2. Appreciation
Being kind, saying thank you, and being grateful for all you have. This year more than ever I have appreciated every single thing I have, and every single blessing in my life. Actively practicing gratitude is the most powerful thing you can do to raise your vibration and attract more of what you want into your life.
Who can you reach out to right now to thank them for being in your life?
3. Rest
What’s also been really important this year has been to listen to your body’s needs and set aside dedicated time for self-care, rest, and relaxation. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, and if you’re tired and need to sleep then just do – don’t feel guilty about taking naps – lean into listening to what your body is telling you it needs.
We all have different ways we like to relax, switch off and unwind. If you like to cook being locked down at home has been a great opportunity to cook some of your favourite meals, try out new recipes, or bake goodies like cakes or cookies for treats. If it’s exercising or getting out for a good walk, hopefully you’ve done as much of that as you can while you’ve had more time on your hands. If you enjoy baths then make a bubble bath a really special occasion with candles, music or an audiobook, and a glass of wine or mug of hot chocolate. For me personally I’m not into baths, but I like to make a nice hot cup of herbal tea and curl up under a cosy throw with a good magazine, book, or a few sudoku puzzles.
4. Eating Well
We know that it’s important to eat a healthy balanced diet at any time, but it has been so important this year for increasing our immunity to illness and infection by eating a diet that nourishes our gut health. I may have eaten more than I usually would at times this year, but I’ve certainly increased the variety in the foods I consume and started cooking and experimenting with more fruit and vegetables than before.
Nutritionists encourage us to eat the rainbow – making sure we are eating lots of fruit and vegetables in all different colours such as green apples, red tomatoes, yellow peppers, oranges, green leafy veg, and purple berries. ‘Eating a rainbow’ each day means more than just getting enough fruit and veg – it’s about eating a wide variety of foods so your body gets all the essential nutrients it needs. Consuming a range of coloured fruit and vegetables will not only help diversify your microbiome but also increase the numbers of beneficial bacteria in your gut that protect you from inflammation, improve digestive wellbeing and support the health of many organs and processes in your body. So remember – you literally are what you eat!
5. Small Business Matters
Until starting my own business this year I have honestly never given so much consideration to small businesses and the importance of shopping locally. I’ve usually chosen independent restaurants and coffee shops over chains where I could, but hadn’t thought so much about shopping locally for other things – choosing the local greengrocers over the supermarket, an independent card shop over a national stationery retailer, or gift vouchers for local therapists rather than meaningless material gifts from Amazon.
So let’s not look back on this year in anger – rather, let’s embrace all that it’s taught us, the way it’s made us adapt, and the strength that’s given us to take into 2021.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful Happy New Year,
Abi xx