It’s 9am on a Monday morning. Your kids and their tabs are getting charged up for their online classes. Your spouse is furiously typing away on his laptop. The cooker is whistling in rhyme with the clanging of the utensils which you are washing. Sound familiar?
Well, this was 2020 for most of us. The year which will be etched in the minds of the world for years to come or rather the year which people might want to erase from their minds. The world came to a standstill as a new normal emerged.
But with great adversity, comes great learnings and opportunities to grow. As we step into the hopeful looking 2021, let’s look back to see what we have learnt from 2020.
1. Empathy:
One of the greatest virtue which 2020 has bestowed upon most of us is Empathy. Be it towards our family members, domestic helps (especially when we did our household chores!), colleagues or friends; we could step into their shoes and understand each other. We have exchanged notes of hope and encouragement with people who have been close to us. I have personally felt that my relationship with my closed ones has improved even though we could not meet physically.
2. Gratitude:
The attitude of gratitude is considered to be the greatest but how many of us consciously practice gratitude? 2020 has changed that for us. It has taught us to be thankful for the life we have, thankful for our health, family, friends, finances, etc. The act of gratitude has made us appreciate the smaller things in life which we take for granted and 2020 has definitely taught us never to take anything for granted!
3. Self - development:
The year that has gone by has brought out the hidden talents and also the unknown ones. It was the first time I baked a cake! Similarly, people have channelized their inner artist, chef, singer, musician. Time was at easy disposal and the social media went on a tizzy showcasing Banana breads, Dalgona coffee, amazing music mashups and you name it! People have learned new skills and started their own tutorials!
For fitness freaks, there have been a plethora of home exercise videos to choose from. Online education websites made the most revenue and DIY videos were the most searched ones.
4. Importance of Mental Health :
With so much negativity and ambiguity around, we were all susceptible to anxiety, depression, and despair. Living through such difficult times has taught us to value and give importance to mental health. We are obsessed with our physical wellbeing but mental wellbeing is equally important which 2020 has taught us.
5. Going digital
Most of 2020 "zoom"ed through unending work calls, webinars, online classes, etc. But as the physical distance grew, we realized how much we have been disconnected from our old friends and family. Well technology did blur the distance as we all got on video calls with school & college friends, family, old acquaintances and renewed our old relationships. Online games and activities bound us together and birthdays were virtually celebrated. But that was not all! All our major festivals were celebrated online! We celebrated Durga Puja at home while watching live telecast from various Pandals. Diwali wishes were virtual and so were Rakhi and Bhai Dooj.
Well these were my top 5 takeaways from 2020. It was an extraordinary year and I hope those who have survived the year it will emerge stronger, kinder and happier!
