by Sibahle Magadla
A prominent theme of 2020 is the amount of loss experienced – job and financial losses, illness, divorce, disappointment and the death of loved ones. It’s no surprise then why so many people are ready for the year to end! Before you write this year off as a complete disaster, I encourage you to apply the 7 tips below to help you end the year well.
1. Let go. Do not try to control how you should feel or behave. Don’t bottle up your feelings either. Lean into the pain and sadness when you need to; smile or laugh when the moments arise.
2. Talk about the loss. Discussing your loss with someone you trust is a healthy way to acknowledge your feelings. This is not complaining, but venting so you can release the tension and commit to moving forward with your life.
3. Practice gratitude. Gratefulness makes us open to receiving more good things. Make a list of 10 things you’re thankful for – both small and big. You could also host a thanksgiving potluck (bring and share) in the next few weeks and spend time reminding one another of all the blessings received over the year.Basically, by activating gratitude we
de-activate worry.
“Gratitude is an opener of unlocked blessings”
4. Do things that make you happy. A weekend getaway. A beach holiday. Wine tasting. Spa or nature retreat? How about an adventurous experience like bungee jumping or hot-air ballooning? Happiness is a choice, so go on and treat yourself!
5. Embrace what life is teaching you. Everything in life can be a lesson. Perhaps take a step back and reflect on the happenings of the past year. This might help you see the bigger picture and benefit from the lessons.
“Everything we do is infused with the energy in which we do it. If we’re frantic, life will be frantic. If we are peaceful, life will be peaceful.”
6. Go offline. The end of the year is an ideal time to switch off social media and focus on the real you. Social media is great for being aware of what is happening in the world. At the same time, it influences us (for better or for worse) to think and behave in certain ways (e.g. group think). Switching off is an opportunity to detox, push the reset button, and start making decisions based on our authentic desires rather than what seems ‘popular’.
7. Do good. This time of year is a great time to give. Donating to the less fortunate also reminds us how blessed we are despite the challenges we face.
Even though things will never be the same again with everything that has happened in 2020, remember that life is about progress, not perfection. So cheers to 2020; cheers to life!
“There are far, far better things ahead than anything we leave behind.”
C. S. Lewis
