It’s no secret that 2020 put many of us through the ringer. With a pandemic, layoffs, online school, and so much more, it’s not surprising that many of us are looking for ways to stay hopeful for the future. This year, I’m keeping some of my old practices and looking back at the time I spent alone to find hobbies I’m passionate about continuing in 2021.
- Journaling
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As someone who loves to write, journaling has always been important to me. As life gets busy, however, I tend to slack off on my nightly journaling practices. I started keeping my journal near my bed with cute pens, so when my mind races before bed I can channel it into the pages!
- Reading
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Quarantine genuinely made me remember how much I love reading. When I was in middle school, I was obsessed with books. I’m talking about The Hunger Games, The Fault in Our Stars, and of course the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before series (if you love the Netflix movie and never read the books, I highly recommend doing so). I started getting back into great novels and read 10 books over the summer! If you’re looking to reignite your love for books, try Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, and The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes.
- Exploring Outside
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As I make my way into the real working world after college, I know 9-5 days might be difficult to adjust to. I really want to make sure that no matter what my schedule looks like, I will make time to get outside and decompress. This could be in the morning before my daily tasks, or in the evening. Even a quick walk can totally change your mindset and give you something to look forward to throughout the day.
- Crafting
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When I was younger, I loved crafting with polymer clay. Recently I’ve seen the trendy clay earrings that are popping up all over Instagram and Pinterest and wanted to get back into my hobby! I remember how nice it was to draw, doodle, and just get creative. I love making cards and gifts as well, so getting crafty was especially useful during the holidays.
- Discovering New Entertainment
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I have been absolutely obsessed with watching good shows lately. I don’t even feel bad about binging shows anymore because I know I deserve it. I love thinking about someone’s creative vision coming to life in their media! My favorite shows recently have been Sharp Objects, Big Little Lies, The Handmaid’s Tale, Dead to Me, and The Queen’s Gambit.
This year, I want to focus on valuing my free time. I don’t want to feel guilty about having time for myself. I realized I actually do have a lot of hobbies, and it’s about time I started keeping up with them! What are your favorite self-care practices?
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