To say that the year 2021 has been challenging is to say the least.
Some days this past year have been great. Everything was going as planned, and you even managed to balance your private and work life. However, sometimes the other days hit. The days where your motivation was low, everything seemed to be going horribly wrong, and all you wanted to do was go right back into bed.
When the bad times are upon us, it is difficult to feel positive about anything. Yet, maybe the simplest way to be able to turn a bad time into a more positive one would be to focus on what you can be thankful for.
Thus, despite all of the ups and downs 2021 has brought us, there are still things we should be thankful for. To help you reflect on some, I’ve listed 7 fundamental things that I am thankful for in 2021. It could be that not all of the items on this list work for you, maybe not even any, but use what I’ve listed down to create your own list.
- Being alive- I wanted to list this one first because it’s something so simple to be thankful for yet so easily forgotten. It is amazing to be alive to experience all the wonders that our world has to offer!
- A place to call home- As the cold winters in Malta are approaching, it is important to reflect on the fact that you have a place to warm up in. Even when you are having a bad day, you can always go home, curl up in a blanket and put on your favourite series to distract you from the day
- Having food and water – Sometimes we tend to take having food and water for granted. It is something that we never stop to be thankful for. However, according to water.org, there are 785 million people who don’t have access to drinkable water. This shows that it is not always easy to be able to just simply drink, let alone to eat food. Luckily, we are able to not go thirsty or hungry, which I believe is something we should really be thankful for
- The ability to work in the virtual world – It’s true that working online has had its challenges and we have missed out on connections. Yet it has also allowed us to work comfortably in our own home. No need to go out early in the morning and get stuck in traffic or take long to get home after work
- Family, friends, and partners – Most of our lives revolve around the relationships we form with these people. Be thankful that you have them in your life, for their support and kindness throughout the relationship
- Feeling healthy – It’s true that sometimes we feel sick but overall, our body helps us function in our day-to-day life. When we’re not feeling sick, our body allows us to do everything that we want to do. I feel that this can be taken for granted at times.
- Your failures – When we view failures as something we can learn from, they can become a sign of strength. The fact that we keep pushing ourselves to keep going shows that we are ambitious to achieve anything that we set our mind to.
I hope that this list will help you start reflecting on what you can be thankful for in 2021. Allowing yourself to become aware of all the positive and good in your life will help you become more thankful for it. We will always have down days and problems to solve and it’s ok. This is what keeps us moving forward.
If you think that you can benefit from professional support on this issue you can reach out here.
Mandy Brincat is a Gestalt psychotherapist who enjoys working therapeutically with adults on various issues. These include general mental health and wellbeing. She also has experience working with anxiety, victims of domestic violence and eating disorders.
References:
Murphy Jr., B. (2020). People Who Can’t Say They’re Thankful For These 7 Things Will Have a Very Hard Time in 2021. Inc.com. Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/people-who-cant-say-theyre-thankful-for-these-7-things-will-have-a-very-hard-time-in-2021.html.
Water.org – Water Charity For Safe Water & Sanitation. Water.org. Retrieved from https://water.org/.