2020 tested us beyond measure. The chaos an individual might witness in a lifetime was experienced and lived by the world in the past 12 months. Educational institutions were shut, tech corridors and offices stopped buzzing, roads were empty, and so were theatres, pubs, parking lots, and airports. The only place brimming with people were hospitals, where doctors and nurses fought day and night to save lives—while many survived, unfortunately, some lost the battle.
As the months went by, the death toll kept climbing. While we remained quarantined in our homes, witnessing the impact of the pandemic opened our eyes. We can’t take health and wellbeing for granted was the thought in everyone’s mind. It was as if the pandemic had made us realise a truth we all had forgotten—life is precious but fragile too.
Then something changed. We began to take health and wellbeing goals seriously. Social media was flooded with posts of people practising yoga and meditation. Personal hygiene became a movement. Eating healthy turned into a daily habit, and face mask, a daily need. Even the smog disappeared, and the constellations were visible—as we changed for good, the environment changed with us too.
No one knows what the future holds, for we are no fortune-tellers. But we can be fortune makers if we continue to keep wellbeing our foremost priority. So let’s begin 2021 by setting wellbeing goals for our mind and body, to be a better, healthier, and undaunted version of ourselves.
Live in the moment
From Greek philosophers to Persian poets, many have stressed on the importance of “living in the moment.” Today, after living in fear and stress for almost a year, we have almost forgotten to make peace with our present without being consumed by intrusive thoughts about the past or the future.
Let living in the moment be your wellbeing mantra for 2021. Put a reminder if you need it, but read the sentence every day, after you wake up and before bedtime. Let your brain register “the rule living” in 2021—not to dwell in the past or worry about the future. So every time stress finds you or fear haunts you, take a long deep breath, and remind yourself to live in the moment.
Sleep more, worry less
Remember the early days of the lockdown, when our lives looked straight out of the pages of a dystopian novel? It was only a few months ago when the fear of growing infection, home confinement and crashing economies gave us sleepless nights. The anxiety levels went through the roof. Lack of sleep became a great concern for experts as studies linked sleep deprivation with coronary heart disease and other cardiovascular problems.
During such worrying times, getting adequate sleep is the best thing we can do for ourselves. It puts our intrusive thoughts to rest and gives our minds a well-deserved break. These are just two of the many benefits sleep offers our mind and body. So in 2021, let’s make a goal to sleep more and worry less.
Meditate to levitate
Hardly a day goes by when we don’t hear about the importance of meditation. Describing the profoundness of meditation, Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh once said: “When the crowded Vietnamese refugee boats met with storms or pirates, if everyone panicked all would be lost. But if even one person on the boat remained calm and centered, it was enough. It showed the way for everyone to survive.”
When it comes to the benefits of meditation, the list is endless. But the most crucial of all is how it helps us manage our emotions and act altruistically, making us a better person in the long run. Pandemic or not, everyone should reap the healing benefits of meditation. It silences the mental noise and makes us ready for any curve ball life might throw at us.
Remind yourself to live in the present, without dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.
Getting enough sleep helps rest the mind, reduces anxiety, and has numerous physical and mental health benefits.
Meditation helps manage emotions, increases mindfulness, and improves overall well-being.
Volunteering strengthens communities, promotes personal growth, and brings inner joy and contentment.
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