By Alexis Grace
Hands down, 2020 is one of the worst 365 days of most people’s lives, probably including yours. If you’re living in Utah, about 10% of restaurants shut down for good because of the pandemic. The unemployment rate increased to 5% in September.
For 2021, attract only positive vibrations with these ideas:
- Get Plenty of Sunlight
You may have spent much of 2020 inside your home. This 2021, when everything is hopefully better, get as plenty of sunlight as possible.
Sunlight can improve your mood by boosting the production of serotonin. A day out is usually associated with gardening, walking, or relaxing — activities that also do your body and mind real good.
You can also invite more sunlight by pulling the curtains in the morning and opening the windows. If you’re working at home, you can place your home office near a window that gives you enough ventilation and perhaps some view of nature like trees and fields.
- Make Your Affirmations Visible
Sometimes people themselves are the biggest barriers to their success, although the reasons may be complex. They may have grown up in an abusive environment, have poor self-esteem, or experienced massive failures, particularly in 2020.
You can counter all these beginning with self-affirmations, powerful, impactful words that could help change the way your mind thinks.
According to the Association for Psychological Science, self-affirmations may enhance one’s performance and improve their receptive to mistakes. In 2015, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology seconded APS’s claim and added that it might also calm your nerves.
You can explore various ways to use affirmations. You can listen to podcasts or meditations on YouTube or create your own. However, you are likely to remember and reflect on them more deeply if you often see them.
One of the best options is to look for a laser-cutting specialist and let them create plaques and frames you can display on your wall or at home. You can also gift them to your friends and family. After all, everybody needs some good vibes these days.
- Smudge the Space
While the idea of smudging with sage needs more research, some studies show that it may help clean up the space and even your mind from bad juju.
In 2003, the University of Newcastle upon Tyne shared that using sage may improve your memory. The researchers believed this could be due to a chemical in the oil that works as an antioxidant. It may also have anti-inflammatory and estrogenic properties. Estrogen is a hormone that alters the brain by possibly heightening cognition.
Meanwhile, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology revealed that burning sage might have psychoactive effects. Using frankincense, for example, may then decrease depressive symptoms.
Burning fragrant herbs can also remove unpleasant odors naturally, soothe stress, and enhance sleep quality.
- Get Rid of Anything Toxic
If there’s one lesson most people learn this 2020, life is short to spend on toxic things and people. This 2021, purge. Let go of individuals and objects that don’t make you happy for whatever reason.
You can Marie Kondo your way to it, removing things that no longer spark joy. You may also do the four-box method. Gather similar objects and then classify them according to the following: for donations, for sale, for keeping, and for throwing.
Create boundaries, especially when it comes to your time, talent, and money. Great people will respect your limits.
The truth is no one knows what 2021 holds. One can only hope it’s way better than 2020. What you have control over is how you react and perceive it. You can be more positive and confident with these tips.
