I have felt tired and grumpy. I have felt sad and angry. I have felt confused and embarrassed. I have felt lazy and unproductive.
Every year is full of a wide range of emotions. It might be your best year ever, it might be your worst, but you surely felt many things regardless of how a given year went.
But I think we all can agree that 2020 has flared every emotion I can even name. The pandemic, politics, social unrest … the news cycle has been overwhelming, routines have been changed, we have all suffered loss (Loss isn’t limited to death. People have lost jobs, lost sports seasons, lost days in class, lost plans, lost routines. Remember to have empathy because everyone is going through something).
One emotion that I have ignored a little too much this year is gratitude, and as much as 2020 has been a colossal shitshow, I have a great deal to be grateful for.
Where to start:
• I’m healthy and my loved ones are all healthy. During a pandemic, or really at any point, that is not something to take for granted.
• I am still employed and that is never a given in my industry.
• I am able to work from home, where I feel the safest. And my loved ones who don’t have the ability to work from home are all healthy.
• I want for nothing.
2020 has dealt all of us a lot of shit. I’ve been lucky, that’s for damn sure, and while I’ve had plenty to get stressed out over (some of it my making), and concerned about, I’ve had it pretty easy. And when I’m feeling low because my routines are out of whack or because the world feels like it is going to erupt or because I spend 99 percent of my time in my room by myself, I’ll remind myself to feel some gratitude.
Because I have plenty to feel grateful for.
Scott Martin 