The start of 2020 was like waking up to an apocalypse or a bad dream that we just couldn’t shake ourselves out of. Every day, whether it was a weekday or weekend, seemed to be a repeat of the prior day..much like the movie Groundhog’s Day with no hope in sight of when the pandemic will be over. With unemployment rates skyrocketing, there was this constant pressure to overwork. I know I had a rough time disconnecting from work because I had so much fear and anxiety that I could potentially lose my job any day. Even if things resumed to normal, the thought of zoom calls ending, returning to office, and interacting with colleagues in person again was nerve wrecking.
What if I get so used to being remote that I will have a hard time adjusting to a life that seemed so normal just one year ago?
Amongst all this pressure, my kids and my husband have kept me grounded. For the first time, I was forced to sit in the 4-walls of my home and become closer to the people that matter to me the most. No more meeting up with friends for Sunday brunch or going out for a run to the mall to pick up an outfit for a meetup. None of those materialistic and superficial things mattered anymore. Somehow, I found power and comfort knowing that I was the protector of my babies who couldn’t comprehend the scope of everything happening in the world around them. That feeling singlehandedly kept me motivated to wake up every day even if it meant reliving the same day for an indefinite amount of time.
As the spirit of the holidays are here and the year is coming to an end, it has brought back hope that there is some light at the end of the tunnel. I am now in the process of packing my bags to spend the next several weeks with my family back in New York and be surrounded by people who love me and my family the most. After spending this entire year self-reflecting, I am now committed to take charge of my life again and not letting the events of this year overpower my personal goals. My personal goal? Focus on balancing my home/work life and being physically and mentally fit.