9 Silver Linings of 2020

I’ve always been one of those people that tries to find silver linings because it makes life a *whole* lot more enjoyable!

While this year has been absolutely crazy, and I would never want to make light of a global pandemic or anything else our world is facing right now, I do think it’s important for our mental health to find things to be grateful for!

I’m actually writing this post from New York, where I flew (as safely as possible with a face shield, mask, and many wipes!) last week to see my family. Of all the things I’m thankful for, being able to be here is probably the biggest one! I know not everyone has been so lucky, but even aside from that, there have been a few things this time has brought into my life that make me count my blessings. Maybe you’ve felt some of these, too!

1. Being able to work from anywhere (and more quality time!) – While I’ve personally been working from home for over a year and a half now, Alex just started this past March and will be WFH until January at least! It comes with its challenges, but it also means we can do things like come home to see our families for a month 🙂 My dad is also WFH too, so I get to spend more time with him while I’m here, as well!

2. Taking more time for self care – Less plans = less time commuting to places = more time for myself. Having even just 15 extra minutes a day would be amazing, but I’ve gotten so much more than that back, now that I’m not all over the place. I find myself taking more and longer walks, sipping my coffee more slowly in the mornings, and unplugging earlier in the evenings.

3. Being able to try fitness classes all over the country – This one is HUGE for me and I’m so grateful studios have pivoted to offer their classes online!! Last week I took a class from a studio called Jane Do in NYC that I’ve always wanted to try through ClassPass (you can book live streaming classes with your credits, and search literally *any* city!), and tomorrow I’m taking a dance class based in NY, too!

4. Diving into new (and old) hobbies – Over the past few months, I’ve done a couple of zoom “art hours” with friends and it’s been SO fun to get back into doodling!!! I used to take cartooning (fun fact) and absolutely love drawing and coloring. I also got back into tie dying, and even started a business out of it!

5. Saving money – I think this might be the biggest one for me. While I rarely went out to eat or drink before, I do it even less so now! I’m also saving a ton of money on travel, which I miss greatly, but know I would’ve spent so much more had I gone on all the weekend trips I was planning to take. I’m also saving money on things like clothes because I can’t really justify buying a ton of stuff if I have nowhere to wear it!

6. Spending more time outdoors – Since we don’t have a ton of options for things to do these days, I’ve been meeting friends at different parks around the city for social distanced picnics!! In my 9 years of living here, I’ve never spent that much time at parks and it’s seriously so lovely. Fresh air, for free, in good company – you can’t beat it!

7. Going on more local adventures – Since options are more limited and we try not to go where it’s too crowded, we’ve been finding different neighborhoods and trails to explore! Even in our own neighborhood I’ve found some new places to walk, which has made things feel a bit less mundane.

8. Experimenting in the kitchen – When you’re forced to cook at home almost 24/7, you really get creative!! While we definitely don’t make anything fancy, it has been fun to bake a bit more, try new recipes, and new ingredients! We started getting a weekly CSA box with local fruits and veggies and it’s forced us to get out of our comfort zone in the kitch!

9. Connecting more (digitally) with faraway friends – I can’t imagine I’m the only one, but I swear I’ve FaceTimed and Zoomed with more of my friends in different places than ever before during this time! It’s like because our schedules all changed drastically, it’s almost easier to make the time for each other, plus we need it. If we can’t connect physically, we need to connect emotionally with others to get through it.

What are some silver linings helping you feel hopeful during this time?

xo Jordan