When I wasn’t baking banana bread, scrolling mindlessly through TikTok, or binge-watching anything and everything on Netflix, I was spending a lot of time alone with my thoughts – and by a lot of time I mean way too much. I was having the kinds of thoughts I would normally have at 3am during blank pockets of time throughout the day when I would be alone with myself. I went through some ~sad boi hours~ but honestly who doesn’t from time to time?
But it wasn’t all bad. I feel like there was a lot that I discovered about myself and learned lessons that I want to bring into my life post-COVID. Here are the top 5 things I want to share:
Love yourself
Yeah, yeah, whatever is probably what came to mind after reading this phrase. It’s what I always thought too. But I feel like I finally understand what it means. Loving yourself isn’t only about how you view yourself but will also affect the quality of the relationships you have with other people. Let’s say you’re stuck in a toxic friendship. If you don’t love yourself enough to leave the situation, finding true happiness will be difficult. To love yourself means to appreciate what you have to offer the world, knowing your worth, and fighting for what you deserve.
Everything happens for a reason
Oh my God, not another one, I know, I know. But this became real for me, especially this year. It’s easy to think 2020 is the year everything went to hell. After the cheerful 2020, new decade celebrations, nobody ever expected this year to turn out the way it did. I was upset, and, no doubt, everyone else was too. But without quarantine, I probably wouldn’t have started my health and fitness journey. I wouldn’t have been able to spend so much quality time with my family. I wouldn’t have watched the amazing shows I never had the time for until this year! Even though this year was hard, there’s still so much to be thankful for. Everything truly happens for a reason, even if the reason isn’t apparent at the time. You just have to believe it.
Do what you want
This is still so hard for me to grasp, just because I tend to care too much about what other people think of me. It’s so much easier said than done. But I’d love to fully establish this mentality one day. People are already so critical of one another. We already have enough on our plates to worry about. We’re all going to make mistakes. So, why not go after what you want and be happy doing it? This goes hand-in-hand with another point: respect other people who are already doing what they want! Everyone is different, and if someone likes what they like or is living a life that they enjoy, respect them – even if you don’t entirely agree with their choices. Mind your own business instead of judging.
Be nice to yourself
We are our own biggest critics, and we really need to learn how to be nicer to ourselves. Usually when we give our friends advice, we listen and allow them to feel whatever emotions they are feeling. This is exactly what we should be doing with ourselves. We are already hard enough on ourselves, and sometimes we need a break from that. If you’re ever ~going through it,~ ask yourself what kind of advice you would give to a friend with the same problems and think about how you would make them feel better. Then, do the exact same thing for yourself. And then treat yourself to some ice cream afterwards. You deserve it.
Let it be
Lastly, life goes on. Whatever happens will happen, so don’t waste any time thinking about what could have been or what could be. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes and do better. Instead of reacting to what life throws at you, sometimes it can be best to just wait and see how life reacts to what you put into the world. Maybe your fortune cookie will come true or the ~manifesting~ you’ve been doing is finally going to pay off, who knows? Just enjoy what life has to offer, one day at a time.