2020 was the year of change for everyone around the world. From students doing lessons online to having meetings on zoom calls and probably spending more time in lounge wear than we thought we would. The pandemic flipped our daily routines upside down and everything we thought we knew out the window.

I would say I like to have a routine as much as possible as this helps me to manage my anxiety better. The unknown can cause me to feel a lot more anxious, have more seizures and me feel scared of doing daily activities compared to before the pandemic. I might have taken simple tasks for granted for example being able to walk around college to get to class.

I do like doing things that aren’t planned as such but if I can plan it I feel more prepared and relaxed.

As plans changed daily with new lockdown rules. I had to learn to adapt and come up with coping strategies this was hard at times. To be honest it still is now after all of us living with the unknown for quite a few more months.

However from having to take each day as it comes I have learned more about being present being in the here and now. I have also been learning to embrace the little things that bring joy to me everyday . For example having cuddles with my cats or watching a film on Netflix with the family. Maybe without this whole lockdown COVID stuff I wouldn’t have seen or appreciated the small things that make me smile and help me to be positive on a daily basis.

Another thing 2020 taught me was to try and stop worrying about things that needed to be done with a longer time frame. For example I would want to get my college work handed in way before the deadline so I could tick it off my to do list. I like to do lists as it helps me to organise my thoughts. Once everything was done I could then go and do things I enjoy like messaging friends. I sometimes didn’t listen to my body and would fight it as I wanted to carry on but I was tired. Through the pandemic I have tried to not rush doing work as slow and steady wins the race. This has really helped me with my own self care as I am now able to feel comfortable and not guilt for taking a couple of breaks and I have then been able to do better work as a result and I feel calmer with knowing my due dates for assignments.

Due to the pandemic a lot of my after college activities have been online and through social media I have been able to find new projects and groups to get involved with which I may have not found if I didn’t have more time to look for new activities to do as my routine wouldn’t of had the time available. So 2020 definitely taught me about embracing new activities, trying new things and learning new skills.

All through last year was definitely a year no one could have predicted . We definitely saw more kindness and appreciation for one another from family, to friends and from strangers.

Happy New Year! May 2021 be the year of light , adventure and kindness 💜.