A habit is a routine or behavior which is performed regularly. Some are good and some are bad. The upside to slowing down in 2020 meant we were able to work on the habits we wanted to create or nourish and look at ways we could dispose of the ones we would rather not have.
The ever avid list maker, I wrote them down in order to make a conscious effort to prioritise them.
Journaling
This is quite a cliched one but I am someone who has kept a diary of some kind the majority of her life. I realised during the most formative years of my life (my twenties) I have been gathering my thoughts on this space of the internet and while that is fine and I enjoy sharing things with you all journaling provides me with a new level of depth I didn’t realise I needed till I broke out a notebook in October and started yapping away. It has truly made a difference to me and how I see things offering me both perspective and clarity.
Cold Walks
There is something quite lovely about walking underneath a beaming sun with the crisp winter cold touching your skin. My walks are my time to catch up on podcasts, and gathering my thoughts. My ideal walking time is in the morning when the world is still waking up. (It is also a lot safer as there are not many people around so I feel a bit more relaxed.)
Working hard and liking it
In the world of self care where we are told to take baths and light candles (both of which are valid ways to relax and look after yourself) what we forget is that working hard and being productive is also a form of self-care. I realised this year while I do cherish my TV time or indulging in a magazine I also thrive and feel good when I know I am working to the best of my ability and striving for something so this year I want to normalise working hard.
Learning
I love learning. If I could, I would be in university forever. Sadly I can’t do that but learning comes in many forms and I am constantly looking out for them. I took part in a masterclass last year along with a writing course, I also watched far too many quiz shows which I thoroughly enjoyed which helped me with my general knowledge. (It also showed me I need to brush up on my geography) I was reminded that learning can be just for fun. I don’t need to learn French if I am not going to France but it is a beautiful language and I want to learn it why not? Expanding my knowledge is something I am taking into 2021.
Cooking in the morning
From March till I would say at least September I would cook on my lunch break. I’d hurriedly set the kitchen ablaze with different curries I attempted to cook. I ended up eating my lunch with one eye on the pot on the stove. Then for some reason, I decided to cook one morning before work, and honestly, I haven’t looked back. It means that I can have dinner ready and waiting to be warmed up when I am done work for the day and absolutely starving. I also enjoyed it a little more and didn’t feel as rushed. More of this triumph in 2021, please.
Changing the language I talk to myself in
I have done a lot of learning about myself and one of the things I want to build on is the language I use. For instance, using the word sorry when I don’t need to and replacing words like I will do this to I am doing this. Creating more of a growth mindset. I started to see it helping me last year and I want to see how effective it will be if I put it to practice more.
Being assertive
Assertiveness is actually one of my main focuses for 2021. I am the least assertive person I know. Society paints assertive people (Women especially) as rude or arrogant but that isn’t the case. You can be a kind, good person who is also assertive. Nothing wrong with that.
Writing lists
While I am a scheduler I relied on my schedule to act as a to-do list. It worked when I was younger but I realised for the person I am now I needed something else. Over the past few months, I have been keeping two to-do lists. One is for work while the other is for other things I need to do with my day. I include everything on there from having a shower and putting the laundry on to a masterclass I might have that day. Writing things down physically helps hold me to account in making sure I get what I want done but it also means I do not forget anything. I have a memory like a sieve so writing things down means nothing should slip the net.
Invest in loungewear
Like many people, I have spent a lot of 2020 in PJ’s or random clothes. I got a bit fed so decided to pick up some pieces to change into before I start work. I bought a long cardigan with matching joggers and it felt like I mastered the home workwear game. After that I decided to look into getting more loungewear and to be honest I am a bit obsessed.
Celebrating friends and family
By this I mean celebrate having them in my life. If there is something which reminds me of them then let them know, maybe buy it for them, show them they are in my thoughts even if I don’t see them or talk to them as regularly as I would like. A lot of my close friends hit some big milestones which I was unable to celebrate with them in person and it broke my heart so I tried to find other ways in which to do that.
Schedule one hour of some form a reading a day
I have spoken about this before but a lack of a commute means I had to adjust how I read. I keep the book I am currently reading downstairs during the day so if I have even five minutes spare I can get a quick spot of reading in or if my parents are watching something I cannot get into I can read with them being in the same room. I want to be a bit more intentional about it and set aside some time to read including my Apple News app so I can catch up on the latest news from the day.
These are some of the habits I formed over the last few months which I am bringing into the new year. After all 2020 has to be good for something doesn’t it?
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