Body and health: 2020 Felt Like Groundhog Day

subota, 26. prosinca 2020.

2020 Felt Like Groundhog Day

From the Editors: Lessons Learned in 2020

2020 hasn't been an easy year for anyone. The Verywell Family, Fit, and Mind editors look back to reflect on their biggest challenges of the year and anticipate what's to come in 2021.

Emily Rose, Senior Editorial Director

Is anyone else's sense of time completely distorted because of 2020? We all joke that it often still feels like March, or that it's simultaneously been both the longest year and the shortest year ever. When every single day feels like Groundhog Day—wake up, (maybe) workout, work from the kitchen table/desk, ponder my next meal or snack, worry about the state of the world, spend hours on Zoom, find time to go outside, read, or watch TV, pass out, toss and turn, and repeat—it's no wonder we're all confused!

Adjusting to this new routined reality was a real challenge for me—someone who simply can't stand repetition (or the movie "Groundhog Day" for that matter) and who thrives on being a planner. Whether it's organizing social things with friends and loved ones, dreaming up the next place to travel, or thinking about larger life goals with my husband, I love to take an idea or conversation and turn it into an experience.

So whether I liked it or not, this year taught me to let go of trying to plan every little thing all the time. Sure, I was still tapped to host a bunch of family Zooms for holidays and special events and I'm still fantasizing about using my passport again someday, but there were plenty of curveballs this year that made it clear "plans" were a thing of the past.

As a result, I've become more mindful and focused on the present moment and the few things I can control—like my own personal happiness.

I've always been a big believer that you are responsible for your own happiness and have had to harness that more than ever this year. But before the pandemic, that used to mean planning for my happiness—the classic "I'll be happier when ________" pitfall.

Now, and moving into 2021, it means finding it right here, right now and making the most of the simple joys each day can bring. It's those special moments that help me keep a positive attitude, lead with positivity, empathy, and kindness toward others, and shake off those Groundhog Day feelings as much as possible.