Finding Balance in 2021

What a crazy year this has been. I know many of us want 2020 to be over already.

But 2020 wasn’t all bad. I learned a lot about myself during “safer at home” orders. I learned how to find balance despite the growing anxiety and stress of the world around us. Despite not being able to travel or see my loved ones.

Here are some ways to find balance:

Forgive yourself

It’s okay if you don’t get that short story written. Or if you skip the Zoom meeting with your family. These are stressful times. Allow yourself to check out for a bit. Take a walk. Do yoga. Meditate. Or do nothing at all but watch reruns of Project Runway.

Volunteer

Now I admit I didn’t volunteer with my local food kitchen like I usually do. I was worried about being in the enclosed pantry bagging food with others. I saw blog posts about the food that was delivered to the school kids’ families despite school shutdowns and how happy they were. I wished I could have joined them, but I decided to volunteer elsewhere.

I signed up to text bank and phone bank for the general election and the Georgia runoffs. I wrote 220 postcards to voters in swing states. If there wasn’t a pandemic I probably would have flown out to Georgia to canvass. I met some incredibly energized people. I feel like I made a difference and that gave me purpose.

Find support where you can

I went through days where I was having a tough time. But then a neighbor would say hello or I’d get a text from a friend. It really helped to feel that connection no matter how fleeting or seemingly random they were. Hang on to those moments. Be grateful and in turn, you will make someone else feel special by reaching out or scheduling a Zoom chat.

Live. Every. Moment.