The pandemic is not over yet, and it’s not likely to be over by the end of 2022, and this is not necessarily a bad thing. The new Omicron strain is more transmissible but less serious in most people. When I write this, much of my extended family have tested positive, yet I remain positive.
There is definitely a reason for optimism.
For most of us, 2020 and 2021 were the worst years ever. Some of us lost loved ones; almost all of us were holed up in our homes for much of the time. I’m certainly not a scientist or medical professional, but I chose to believe that the worst is behind us.
Why don’t we look and see what we can do to make sure that 2022 is the best year of your life and certainly the happiest?
Learn a new skill.
I took up the piano in 2021. In my early 50’s I have no delusions about becoming a concert pianist or even playing in a band, but it is a lot of fun learning how to play both the classical and popular songs that I enjoy. It’s about expectations. Write a novel or short story, learn to ski. Make a list of 10 things you’ve always wanted to try, pick a few and do it. Do it with the understanding that you will likely never become the best in the world at it.
Maybe the best that will happen is that you will impress your friends and family with your new skill and that’s not a bad thing. That will be enough to encourage you to keep going and make you feel better about yourself.
Begin a blessings journal.
Blessings don’t have to have religious connotations, although they certainly can. Do you own a house? Are your kids healthy? I don’t listen to music when driving in the car alone. I occasionally listen to something inspirational or educational, but mostly, I count my blessings. I consider all the things that I have to be thankful for and I dig deep. I don’t have to keep a journal because I feel like I’ve mastered the process, but you might choose to do so.
Imagine, if you spend a few minutes every day writing something good about your life, what kind of a list would you have after a few weeks?
Avoid Negativity
In addition to my business presence, I have a personal social media presence as, I’m sure, most people reading this have as well. The major difference between most people and me, I’m not stingy with the Unfollow, Block and Unfriend buttons.
There are many divergent positions on how to handle it in these uncertain times. I found that people whose opinions differ from my own usually add to my anxiety. I generally take disagreement harder than most people, and the reason for this is suitable for a different discussion. Nevertheless, it is so.
If you are like me in that way, then feel free to unfollow or otherwise cut social media ties with these people; you don’t need them.
You probably can’t do anything about negative co-workers, but you certainly can learn to appreciate the positive ones. Spend as much time as you can with the people who bring you joy, pay attention to what brings you peace and follow it.
Experience
Go for walks; chances are you have undiscovered paths, nature walks, or even retail stores in your community that you haven’t discovered, or at least used to their fullest. This might be an opportunity to explore things with friends or family that you might not have considered.
It might be hard at first to break the inertia of the comfortable chair or couch, but once you’re up, it gets a lot easier.
Just spend time doing what makes you happy. Even if nothing mentioned above resonates with you, there must be something, you just need to take time to think about it and act on it. Don’t spend another gloomy year sitting in front of Netflix.
Find your passion.