Let’s face it- 2020 has been an exceptionally bad year. Depending on your circumstances, it may have been horrendous, alright, or somewhere in the middle. Some of the tough things you may have experienced this year could’ve had absolutely nothing to do with the coronavirus pandemic that continues to rage on. To say that 2020 has been an absolute shitshow is putting is nicely for a majority of people.
For me, this year hasn’t been particularly kind to me- and that’s largely due to the aforementioned pandemic. I lost a majority of my clients, meaning that I’m still stuck living in my parents’ house while finding more remote work. On top of that, I gained weight due to a combination of not working out and overeating more than ever before. So I’m making not as much money as before and am at my highest weight in my life. Oh, and my mental health is trash due to the two reasons I just mentioned.
Before you say anything, I’m aware that my troubles could be far, far worse. I’m more than a little sympathetic to anyone who has experienced tragedy during 2020. But when I think about how this year has turned out for me and me alone, I feel awful. As guilty as I feel for this, I can’t help it.
So when the going gets tough, what do you do about it? If that’s what you’ve been thinking, then I would argue that that’s the wrong question to ask. The question we should be asking is what CAN you do about it? The answer will vary depending on what you’re going through/have gone through. Things such as weight issues and financial woes are fixable, even though they won’t necessarily be fixed overnight. It won’t be easy, but that’s okay because it can still be fixed either way.
But then there are things that simply cannot be fixed whatsoever. It can be the death of a loved one, losing the job that you love, losing your home, or something else entirely. What do you there? Unfortunately, there’s really not a whole hell of a lot that you can do. But one thing you can and should do is to keep moving forward. Dwelling on all that has happened will only hurt both your mental health and emotional health more. But the past is the past; it cannot be changed. It’s critical to keep moving forward because there’s not a whole hell of a lot you can do.
When the going gets tough, you just have to hang on and keep going. It isn’t easy in a year where things have been hard and depressing (to put it lightly). 2020 is only going to last for about a month and a half, and then it’s over. We can do this.
Does this mean that 2021will be better or worse than 2020? There’s no way to know. But you should remember that when the going gets tough, you shouldn’t give up at all. You need to continue pushing on because good things will eventually come your way. That may seem impossible or unlikely to happen, but don’t think like that. Just because things are bad now doesn’t mean that things will continue to stay bad.
I know this is kind of different from my regular blogs, and I apologize if it seems all over the place. I’ve been thinking about this for quite some time, and I decided to just get it all off my chest. Please let me know what you think in the comments, or reach out to me on social media. I hope you’re all doing well as we try to get through what’s left of 2020 in one piece.
xo,
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Sarah Larkin 