I will spare you the 2020 anecdote because you already know all the jokes. Insert your favorite quarantine meme here and keep reading. While I can be sarcastic most days, deep down, I am an eternal optimist at heart. 2020 has been weird but there are 7 things to come out of this year I am pretty stoked about.
The DIY gel mani-pedi:
Not only is it sort of cathartic, but with a little practice, you can achieve a mani-pedi comparable to that of your favorite nail spa, but for a fraction of the price. I recommend the Red Carpet Manicure starter kit.
I became a stay at home mom…who also works full time:
I always thought when you had a child you had to choose to be a working mama or to stay home with littles. I always hated that. This year I have sustained the full-time, demanding career I love while caring for my toddler full time. This a unique opportunity I have been given as a result of Covid and is something I never thought I was capable of. It is really, I repeat REALLY hard, but I am proud of myself. Bonus: I never miss a milestone and still get to model a strong work ethic for my daughter.
I started exclusively having my groceries delivered:
Nothing earth-shattering here aside from the time I have gained back in my days. Also, nothing compares to winning feeling when your order has zero substitutions, am I right? 2020 helped me justify this.
I tried therapy:
Around July I hit a wall going a million miles an hour on the Corona coaster. While managing fulltime work, and child-rearing my father had a stroke. That knocked me off my feet. That same weekend our AC went out, in AZ, in JULY. We had to scramble to find a place to stay that was safe for my daughter, who has respiratory issues, during a pandemic. The common theme; I was doing all the things without processing all the things.
I was on the cusp of a panic attack every day. I tried out online therapy through talkspace.com. It was something that I stumbled across right as I hit my breaking point and by just taking steps to better my mental health I felt an enormous weight lifted off my shoulders. Sometimes Mamas, someone just listening to you can make a world of difference.
I discovered the genius that is Tik Tok:
Here is the gold within Tik Tok for busy moms. You can learn about anything in just a few seconds. Seeking tasty low carb snacks? There is an account for that. Need to know you are not alone in whatever your mommy struggle of the day is? There is a Tik Tok for that. Want to indulge your need for aesthetically pleasing app organization on your iPhone after the latest software update? Tik Tok has you covered. I resisted during the first and second wave of popularity. Then I caved and my husband now finds me randomly laughing hysterically at the insane content that exists within that app.
I started to run and ACTUALLY liked it:
In 2019 if you would have asked me if I would enjoy running, I would have asked you if you were feeling OK. Being cooped up in 2020 left me feeling crazy. I ordered a treadmill and downloaded a free couch to 5-K app. I made myself a calendar to visibly display workouts I could then cross off. Before I knew it, I hated waiting for the recommended day in-between workouts and looked forward to my next run. Rookie tip for treadmill runners: watch something intense or scary while running because the adrenaline only helps.
Weekly face time dates with my bestie: Before everything closed in March, I gave all my free time to the mundane things in life like getting gas, driving to and from daycare in rush hour, and grocery shopping. Since then life has slowed down in some ways and I save my time for the people who really matter. Despite being best friends, prior to 2020 we hardly saw each other. We never faced timed because it seemed strange. Since strange is our new normal we still facetime every Wednesday like clockwork even if we can see each other in person. It is good for my soul and fills my cup to connect with someone experiencing the same things I am day in and day out. We now both prioritize making time for this.
I find myself thankful for the ways 2020 has forced me to take on hard things. My challenge to you is to reflect on 2020 and find your silver lining. Big or small there is a lot of beauty that has come from this mess of a year.
