24 days into 2021

Better days are coming in 2021 

“The depth of our suffering can also result in the height of our joy” I recently read this in the book of Joy by Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Douglas Abrams.

I am believing this for the rest of 2021, more so to see how it all unfolds. 

The year might have started on a sour note with uncertainty but surely that can’t be what we focus on every single day. Amidst everything, we have the gift of life and where there is life there is hope.

Being in lockdown has become the new norm globally and with essential travel taking place, the only outdoor escape you can do in my shoes is a quick walk to the supermarket for essential shopping or that one exercise a day running in the cold weather. Sometimes the snow makes an appearance and this brings me so much excitement to me. If you are from sunny Africa you will definitely know why.

Some days have been difficult especially on gloomy rainy days when the sun goes into hiding or the days when you hear about a loss of a loved one. You become easily triggered and wonder if things will ever get better. On those days I have to feel whatever I’m feeling and nurse it..cry about it, talk it through and go through it. You cannot numb the feeling away, it catches up with you.

I am entirely grateful for the human connections with people all around. This pandemic has made me appreciate face to face interactions with friends and family when the situation was normal. The closest thing now has been keeping in touch virtually and there is a new sense of connectedness all around even on social media.A few days ago, I received a phone call from a friend who was checking up on me and we ended up chatting and laughing for quite some time.This really spiked my mood and left me feeling loved and cared for.Pick up that phone – You might just be the only voice someone gets to hear today.

Just the other saturday, we had a games evening with some of our friends over WhatsApp video. On each side of the video we had the 30seconds board game and played virtually over drinks and popcorn. If you are looking to break the pattern of Netflix and chill, this is an alternative to “double dating” or catching up with your friends and family. If you want to keep the games in-house you can also play the wooden block tower which is also child friendly.

On days when you don’t feel like socialising, why not curl around on the couch and read a book? If you have run out of ideas you can find some books to read on my “bookstagram” story highlight on my Instagram. If you are into audio and e-books and want to read for free, download Libby audio app or many books.net and borrow books across all genres.

I have also been participating on the dry January challenge which is an initiative where you go alcohol free for a month. I have seen some positive results so far and I’m in no rush to indulge in a bottle of wine anytime soon especially since my bank balance seems to like this.

My mental health is still my biggest priority.On days when I can, I try and go running to chase feel good hormones like endorphins to boost my well-being. I am also getting in the habit of counting my blessings everyday to fill my cup of gratitude and celebrate the present. After all it is all we have isn’t it?