I could start with the usual "is this thing on?" and apologies for being gone for so long, but I'm not going to do that this time. You who are reading this (both of you) are aware that I don't always keep up to date with things, and you've come to accept that. I'm hoping to stay more on top of this blog this year, but we'll see.
With that auspicious beginning... I want to talk about 2020. No, come back, don't run away! I know 2020 did a lot of us dirty, and we're going to be recovering from the damage for ages to come. I also know that it isn't truly over - no matter how much we want to blame 2020 for everything that went wrong in our lives last year (and believe me, I absolutely did), there are still a bunch of things that we're having to deal with now and will have to continue handling for months or possibly years. The work's not done, but we're getting there and moving forward.
What I really want to talk about is coping mechanisms from 2020. So, I personally have generalized anxiety and clinical depression, so my brain is on edge and cranky in the best of times, much less when the world is on fire and has a raging pandemic. I also have some difficulty in focusing on one or two things for long periods of time, particularly when the anxiety is staying at an 11 at all times. Not being able to focus, but knowing that you need to focus on something to get it done, is one of those cycles that can just lead to running a track to nowhere in your head and exhausting yourself without getting anything out of it.
One thing that I found last year that helped was a small, discrete project that I could finish and feel a sense of accomplishment. The dopamine hit of completing something is such a powerful feeling. It is something that gets my focus running on one particular track for a little while, and gives it a little more direction. After that, I am more likely to be able to focus on something a little bigger (like the stuff I get paid to do), and keep the anxiety on simmer for a little while longer.
My preferred type of project is something tangible, as it adds to that sweet, sweet accomplishment dopamine to hold the completed item in my hands. I learned how to cross stitch and crochet 30+ years ago, and while they may not always be the most useful of skills, they certainly help when it comes to small handcrafts that don't take long to finish. My new discovery last year was blackwork, and that discovery came through a free stitch-a-long from Peppermint Purple. It was set up incredibly well, so that each week, the pattern released a new block that contained one motif. It was small, self-contained, and didn't require much by way of resources (either physical or mental). I got started on the 2020 stitch-a-long later in the year and so still have a little way to go to finish it, but I'm right on top of things for 2021. (The stitch-a-long is free again this year, and available through the Peppermint Purple Facebook page - you can join any time!)
I want to spend some time this year focusing on how to move forward in this new normal where we find ourselves. 2020 did a number on society, and nearly every part of our daily lives is different than it had been in 2019. Some of those differences are going to stick; some may go "back to normal," but it won't look the same way it did before. We've all been changed by the pandemic, quarantine, lock-downs, and all the other things that caused 2020 to be a year that did the work of a decade. Whether it was the worst year in your life, or one of the best you can remember, your life doesn't look the same.
Humans, in general, aren't great with change, particularly a lot of change all at once. We have to get out of the mindset that things are different "for now" and figure out how to handle things going forward, and I hope to provide a bit of insight in some coping mechanisms that I found useful. Everyone is different (shocking, I know), so what works for me may not work for you. Still, I hope it gives you something to think about and some ideas for how you can find your new normal.
Take your meds, drink some water, and wear a mask! You are loved.
