Guest Post: 5 Ways to Make the Most of 2021

The following is a guest post by the lovely Aislinn, all about her tips for making the most of 2021!

The year 2020 has brought lots of stress and anxieties, and these have only increased as the year has gone on, with Covid cases increasing and the worst polarisation during an election in history. With that being said, we should take everything that has happened this past year, learn from it, and apply it to this New Year. 

Below are five of my biggest goals for us to apply to the future, and make the most of 2021

Travel

We’ve spent an entire year in quarantine, being surrounded by the same walls, following the same routine, day after day. I’m not sure about everyone else, but I know I’ve had days where I just wanted to curl up under my comforters and have a good cry. One thing I will make sure to do more of in 2021 (and once the pandemic is over which should hopefully be over by next year) is travel. 

Even if you just need a staycation, you can take a 30-60 minute drive away to a neighbouring town or city and just spend a weekend there. Sometimes taking some time to get away from your life and reality, all the stresses and anxieties, can really do wonders. Before the new year comes, put together a travel bucket list so that when 2021 comes you know where you want to go.

Visit Family and Friends

Quarantine has made it hard to go and visit family and friends that live in separate states or those you don’t see on a daily basis. My husband and I just moved to a new city right before Covid started so it was pretty hard to not know a lot of people while in quarantine. My family lives closer to us than my husband’s family, only living two and a half hours away, however even then it was hard to see them because of quarantine. 

Once this nightmare is over, let’s make it a point to visit our family and friends more often, we never know when the last time will be.  

Give Back

Millions of people and animals have suffered from the events of this year. People losing their jobs, some of them their homes and therefore needing to surrender their pets due to not being able to provide for them.

Helping those in need has always made me feel good inside, and with the new year coming I plan to give back more. Whether it’s to help in soup kitchens, volunteer at animal shelters, or donate virtually- giving back is another one of my big new year goals.

Unplug

Being stuck at home, we’re left with very limited options, and cell phone use has skyrocketed. Studies have shown that increased social media use has led to several health problems such as anxiety and depression. One important documentary that further proves this is “The Social Dilemma”, which delves into the reasons why social media exists and how it affects us emotionally and mentally.

I’ve even noticed that my anxiety has increased dramatically since the beginning of quarantine and I do believe a lot of that comes from my increased social media use. I’ve always set a plan to unplug after a certain time, however I’ve never been successful. I will still try to unplug before the year is over, however come next year I will make it more prominent to shut off the social media and spend some quality time with my family.

Love One Another

2020 was full of fear and hate. Whether it was about wearing masks or the election results, there were a lot of sources for contention. I could not believe a lot of the things I was reading on my social media (I actually cut out Facebook because that was a big source of hate for me), with people making fun of others or arguing with one another, it was incredibly sad to see. 

The worst part is that the majority of things I saw online were things people would never say in person, however we somehow gain the courage to say it online since we’re not face to face. 

Unfortunately, this is more harmful and detrimental because we can always go back and reread it, so it feels as if that person is repeatedly saying it to us. In 2021, regardless of what political side you’re on, what religion, skin colour, race, ethnicity– love one another. We are all human, we all look the same on the inside. Treat and respect one another as you yourself would want to be treated.  

I hope this upcoming New Year brings us nothing but joy and happiness. We’ve been through a lot in 2020 and although it may have left us scarred, I believe that we are strong enough to get through this and make it in 2021. As always, peace and love to you all.

Thank you so much to Aislinn for featuring here on my blog. If you’d like to connect with her, check out her Twitter or Instagram. You can also read more of her posts over on her blog.

Happy reading x

All photos belong to Aislinn

Featured image credit: Theo Eilertsen Photography on Unsplash

60 thoughts

  1. Lovely post, thank you so much for sharing! Definitely agree with you, especially on the point about family. Here’s to hoping we’re able to see loved ones more in 2021!

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  11. This post is so lovely!! If it is feasible, I really would like to travel to some new countries!! What are some countries on your travel-to list?

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  18. I really do hope we will be able to travel at some point next year! I have a holiday already booked for June so I am praying that can go ahead!

    Amber | The Unpredicted Page

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  21. Lovely post. It is nice to end the year on a positive note and with a positive view of 2021. I know it is not going to be an easy ride but there are so many things we need to look forward to, seeing family and travelling are ones for me to x

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  23. Excellent post! I totally agree on your post. This year has definitely made an impact on the way I see things and has made me appreciate the smaller things in life. I’ve always been one who valued family and friends but now, I realized I need to push the issue with others who say they want to connect but don’t act on it. I’ve decided that I’ll put forth the effort then and if they don’t follow through, then I know that I have tried.

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  26. I have been working from home for approximately 4 years now, but 2020 really taught me the importance of unplugging for my mental health and well-being. This is the first year that I’ve actually turned off the notifications on my phone so that I could completely step away while at home. It has been refreshing!

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