Grateful for 2020

Happy New Year, everyone! 

Before we get into today’s post, I just want to tell you that you’re a badass for surviving last year. Give yourself a pat on the back because you’re here, you’re reading this post, and you made it through 2020! It was rough, but you did it! Whatever issues you dealt with or are still dealing with, you’re still standing today and that is something to be celebrated. 

I’m sure I speak for a lot of us when I say that 2020 was a hard year. There were many times last year that I just wanted to run away from everything and go live in a cave and cry for all of eternity (forever a Drama Queen *faints*). Seriously though, last year pushed my mental health to the absolute limit and I know many people in my life felt the same way. Not only did the pandemic hit us and completely derail our lives, we had an insane presidential election in the US, on top of dealing with the extreme racial inequality in our country. It was a lot to get through and unfortunately we are still not completely out of the woods.

Having made it through 2020, I now realize that what helped me get through all of the bs was gratitude. It’s a simple thing, but reminding myself to be grateful during times of great stress helped to get me into a headspace where I could solve my problems and see things more clearly. It didn’t matter what I was thankful for, just that I had something to be thankful for. Some days I’d be thankful for my coworker who bought me a latte. Another day I’d be thankful for one of my favorite songs, or the sunshine, SNL videos on Youtube, whatever! 

Even though I definitely have my issues with 2020, I think it was a good year for healing myself. If 2020 hadn’t been the way it was, I may not have had the opportunity to deal with old trauma that I had been ignoring. I definitely would not have moved up to Sacramento, I may not have reconnected with some of my old friends, and I may not have made the friends I made. Those are things that ended up being huge gifts in my life that I know have changed me for the better. 

Today’s post is going to be short and sweet, but my final word of advice is to find something every day that you’re thankful for. I know times are tough, but even when things seem like they will never get better, try and make an effort to be happy about one thing each day. Maybe put on your favorite shirt, or get your favorite drink from Starbucks. It won’t solve all of your problems, but sometimes it’s the little things that we do everyday that really help us in the long run. I know that it definitely worked for me. 

Let’s hope that 2021 is a bit kinder to us all. Thank you for reading and stay safe, everyone!

-Gianna