This past year for me, like many of us, has been one of the most challenging, draining and distressing years. I spent countless days lounging in my bed binging Netflix shows until 4:00 a.m. and staying on TikTok for hours upon hours (I think my screen-time hit close to 16+ hours at one point). So, even though 2021 looks promising, there’s no telling what could happen in these next few months. That’s why I want to create and stick to some healthy habits and routines that will keep me motivated and will keep me out of falling back into that mindless slump.
Reading
I love reading. However, I can’t remember the last time I read a book that I actually enjoyed for fun that wasn’t for school. I don’t have a set number of books that I want to read because if I fail to hit that number, I’m going to be left feeling discouraged and upset with myself. One book that I’ve already started to read is Journey to the Heart by Melody Beattie, which has 365 daily reflections that are geared towards helping you to connect with yourself and leave you feeling inspired. I also want to add some variety to the books that I plan on reading, like YA fiction, self-help or a book about a new topic that I’m interested in like astrology.
Practicing Gratitude
The year 2020 has shown us what truly matters. It’s shown us to appreciate the little things and to not take anything for granted, because everything can change in an instant and nothing is promised. So rather than focusing on everything that we’ve lost or how our lives have drastically changed within a year, I’m trying to focus my energy and thoughts on everything that I have to be grateful for. There’s legitimate science behind practicing gratitude, so write down five things that you are grateful for every day, and it can be anything, even the little things, like getting an extra 30 minutes of sleep, eating one of your favorite foods and that you have a roof over your head and are healthy.
Journaling
I’ve never been crazy about journaling before. I always end up buying a cute journal or notebook and suddenly feel motivated to journal every day, which never happens. I always stop journaling because I end up running out of ideas and topics to journal about and feel this pressure that it needs to be perfect. I’ve realized now that I will never be “perfect” about journaling and it won’t always be aesthetically pleasing. So this year, I’m going to be focused on just getting something on the paper, whether it’s a to-do list, a reflection or even just some information about something I found interesting.
Hopefully, by creating these daily habits, it will help me feel refocused about my day and more motivated to be productive. I want to focus on the good things this year and create healthy habits that I stick to, no matter what happens.
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