I believe that we have learnt some important things in the last year, some that may help us with work, with relationships and even with ourselves. So here goes. Here are a few things I have learnt in the past year…
Johannesburg, South Africa (20 May 2021) – Wasn’t 2021 supposed to be better than 2020? Weren’t we supposed to kick this year off on a good footing with all the hopes that come with the new year?
Then why are many of us still feeling overwhelmed and full of anxiety?
Well, simply put, we are still in a global pandemic. South Africa is still in lockdown, and there is still so much uncertainty. On top of that, our social media feeds are now being inundated with heartbreaking messages of family, friends and acquaintances who have tragically passed away. Just the other day, I saw someone referring to social media as the death roll call and the reality of the enormous weight of sadness that seems to be lingering, set in.
It’s been 420 days since South Africa went into lockdown. FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY. Typing that number out really does make me feel ill.
Our lives have changed; there is no denying that. Everything that was is no more, and we’re now navigating this “new normal”, which can feel quite traumatic in itself. New normal. Yuk, I actually hate those word. And unprecedented. I hate unprecedented. What we need now more than ever is a precedented time. How do we organise one of those?
But here’s the thing. I believe that we have learnt some important things in the last year, some that may help us with work, with relationships and even with ourselves.
So here goes. Here are a few things I have learnt in the past year:
- My average body temperature is 36,5 (this is something I really never knew).
- Meetings don’t have to be 1 hour long… sometimes, you can get waaaay more done with a 10-minute discussion. And then you can get on with your actual job.
- Not every discussion needs your input, which means you don’t have to get involved with everything that comes your way. This includes online posts or even email. Yup, not every email warrants a response.
- Some people on the internet are mean and will use you as a punching bag, but this is their own internal fear and their way of dealing with their own personal struggles. Not your fight, but understanding this makes it easier to deal with.
- Also, it’s okay to mute or block people on the internet who are triggering you – even if they are “nice” in real life. Some peeps are just not lekker online (and that takes me back to point 3).
- Friends, family and your loved ones who support you are the people you need to hold close to you. Good grief, I am so incredibly thankful for my tribe every single day!
- It’s okay not to be okay. Mental health matters!
- Exercise is one of the most incredible ways to keep my body healthy, and my mind too. It’s been 118 days of consecutive working out (just 500 active calories and 45 minutes of moving a day), and I don’t think I’ve ever been in a better space.
- Serving food on wooden boards in restaurants is really silly! Like, no one enjoys the added task of making sure your salad dressing doesn’t become a “table dressing” – a bit random but something I have learnt.
- No, is a full sentence.
- You don’t have to answer work messages or calls after hours. You just don’t. Actually, you don’t need to answer any messages or calls whenever you don’t want to. Your personal time is important and sacred. Can we please stop blue-tick-pressure?
- We need to be kinder than is necessary because it’s not enough to just be kind. One should be kinder than needed.
I guess the biggest thing I’ve learnt is that we are all dealing with the biggest traumas. And I’m not even bringing the pandemic into this – we all just want that to end. People are going through the most all the time. So we just need to keep being kinder and loving louder. That’s it. Just be a nice human.
by 