Habits For 2021

2020 was a difficult year for many people, be it physically, mentally, financially or spiritually. So now that I’ve found my feet firmly in 2021 I am looking forward to the year ahead. I know that this year still isn’t going to be “normal” and I am far from expecting to be able to go back to how I was behaving in 2019. But the more I think about it the more I don’t particularly like the behaviours of 2019 me anyway.

In 2019 I was just living my life day-to-day and not living with purpose. I didn’t stop to enjoy the little things, I didn’t look after myself mentally and I wasn’t growing or nourishing my life. In short I was neglecting myself and my dreams which in turn, altered my relationships with people I care about. I was thinking about superficial things alot like how I looked, what clothing size I was and what other people thought of me. However, now I want to focus my mind on different goals like being more creative, living a more purposeful and slow-paced life and learning more about myself. That’s why in 2021 I want to strive to live a more meaningful life, to me personally, and I think I have a few habits that I want to instill that will help me get there.

Being grateful

Being grateful is something I have taken for granted. Although I may not live the most lavish lifestyle, I have so much to be grateful for. I have a job, a roof over my head, food on the table, a loving partner, a kind family and supportive friends. And to be honest that is more than enough to live a happy and fulfilled life. By acknowledging these aspects of my life and contemplating them more, I can see the value in them and how many joys and comforts they bring me.

Looking after my physical body

I feel like for the past few years I have been looking after my physical health in terms of exercising and eating relatively healthy. However, I haven’t been kind to my body - I haven’t been grateful to my body. I have been berating it in my head and comparing it to other bodies. And that’s not okay. I know I am by no means someone who is severely overweight, but on the other hand I am also not society’s ideal size. But that’s okay. I want to learn to love my body and all of the things it has enabled me to do like hike mountains, swim in the sea and just enjoy my life.

Spreading kindness

When everyone makes an effort to be kinder to one another, the world becomes a better place. It costs nothing to be kind, and even if someone doesn’t want to be treated with kindness, you’re doing no harm in being kind. However I don’t mean “being kind” in the cliché way of opening doors for people, helping an elderly person across the street or giving to charity - although all of these things are very commendable and kind. I mean spreading kindness through everyday interactions and activities like being more considerate of others, trying to understand their thoughts and feelings and extending empathy to those who perhaps have annoyed you or made you feel sad. After all, everyone acts or behaves in a certain way because of how they are feeling at the time - so instead of getting fed up with someone who is behaving in a way you do not like, try to understand why they are behaving in such a way. Through making the effort to understand people, we can easily spread more kindness.

Reading

For as long as I could remember I have loved reading. As a child I always had a book under my pillow to read before bed, at secondary school I would carry my current book around with me in case I had the opportunity to sneak a few pages and after graduating university and heading to work I found reading for pleasure a rare indulgent luxury. But this year I want to read everything and anything that interests me from fantasy novels and classics to biographies and research books. I am going to make time to have an indulgent read everyday. Not only does reading excite me and allow me to experience different worlds - it also helps me learn, relax and grow as a person. I feel that reading has always been a part of who I am and this year I am determined to explore that part of me even more.

Being with nature

The older I get the more I appreciate having time outside. Although my office job is something I enjoy and love - it does limit the time I get to spend in nature. That’s why I want to make more of an effort to go on long walks on the weekend, explore the local trails and even just spend more time in the garden. There is something so restorative about being outside surrounded by trees, plants, grass, earth and the animals. It makes me feel recharged, renewed and ready to take on the rest of my day.

A new year and working on yourself doesn’t always have to mean “loosing weight”, “saving more money” or giving yourself an ultimatum saying you’ll be happier when you achieve X, Y or Z. It can also mean instilling habits that are going to nurture you mentally, physically and spiritually in order to achieve a sustainably happy and purposeful life.