2020 has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience. With the looming presence of the novel coronavirus, the year has been rife with challenges in every aspect of our lives.

The goals many of us had set last year for the start of the new decade took a backseat as we tried to make sense of the new normal and maneuver our lives around it productively.

Some of us have found a way out and got our lives back on track, while some of us are still grappling with challenges that range from grief over the loss of a loved one or a job to dealing with the anxiety of an unprecedented year.

Was 2020 an inspiring and life-changing year for you?

Or was it traumatic and challenging to cope and survive this far?

No matter where you stand, year-end reflections are a great practice to incorporate into your life. It becomes even more significant when the year is a turbulent one, like 2020.

The coronavirus pandemic has been the most destructive and dangerous public health catastrophe in recent history. The life expectancy of Americans has dropped by one year in 2020 alone, with the COVID-19, as the leading cause of death in the country today.

The world has completely changed the way we have always known it. So have our own lives.
It’s time for all of us to hit the pause button, look back, and reflect on the year that was 2020 before stepping into 2021.

Why Year-end Reflections are Important & How They Can Help Pave a Path to a Healthier and Stronger you in 2021?

The new year is a new chapter in the book of your life. It’s a clean slate that life offers you to restart from scratch or continue with renewed fervor, grit, commitment, and determination.

You may feel that the year has zipped by us too fast. But, a lot happens in a year if you look at it minutely, and if you break down the year, review what worked and didn’t, and reflect upon it, you have the chance to improve yourself in the new year. Reflection is the precursor to more efficient planning for the new year.

How to Set Health Goals in 2021?

It is easy and convenient to slip away into the busyness of the holiday season and overlook the reflections upon your year. So, schedule or block time for this vital exercise before you step into 2021.

1. Set Time for Reflection

Be brave to face and meet your inner self to celebrate your successes of the year, and explore the areas in your life that need improvement and healing.

You can journal or answer prompt questions; whatever route you choose, year-end reflections are a source of great learning about yourself, the highs and lows of your life in the year, and the lessons you’ve learned.

Research shows reflecting upon and committing upon them on paper can make it easier for you to remember and record it in your memory, even if you do not go back to reading them for a while.

Whether the year has been a positive or negative experience for you, it’s important to review them with no judgment of your emotions and thoughts. It is essential to acknowledge and embrace all your experiences, thoughts, and feelings for what they are, not the judgement you attach to them.

2. Focus on the positives

When life gets challenging and busy, it’s easy to get immersed in it and lose track of the improvements and successes along the way. If you are too self-critical, it becomes easier to look at the glass half empty and forget about the glass half full.

Among the hardships of 2020, there are beautiful moments that you need to identify and savor.

• What did you love the most about the year?
• What can you do to improve or add to your life in the next year?
• What was the best thing that you did for your health this year?
• What were some challenges you faced and overcame this year concerning your health?
• What are the top happy and memorable moments of the year?
• Which relationships have been the most fruitful for you?
• Any new exercise form that you have learned and mastered?
• Any simple pleasures that you indulged in this year that contributed to your happiness?
• Any goals you followed through wholly or partially this year?
• Did you indulge in positive self-talk?

Make it a point to smile and laugh more often in your life. Laughter releases endorphins that are good for your mental health. It’s a natural stress-reliever and boosts your social relationships. You can read a funny book, watch a funny movie or TV show, share jokes with your friends and family. Infusing laughter in your life is one of the wisest things to stay emotionally healthy.

3. Let go

Not every year is good, and it’s okay if 2020 or any year didn’t pan out too well for you. So, you planned to lose weight this year, and you gained “corona weight” from this pandemic. Or you didn’t achieve the goals you set for 2020. Or you had a fall-out or break-up with a loved one. Or you lost someone dear to you during the pandemic. Whatever the negative experiences of the year might be, try to breathe, grieve, and accept. We live in tough times, and it’s okay to be kind to yourself and others.

It’s actually a very positive thing to acknowledge the not-so-positive experiences in your life and accept them for what they are.

• What was your biggest time waster this year?
• What would you leave out in the coming year?
• What are the areas in your life that are causing you pain or anxiety?
• What makes you angry, and why?

It’s important to shed the excess baggage in order to move on lighter, clearer, and happier you. Release yourself from negativity and sadness.

4. Cultivate gratitude

Gratitude for what happened in the past still exists in the present moment, and for the opportunities that lie await in the future brings peace of mind and is good for your mental health.

Set positive intentions and outlook for the future ahead in 2021. Research shows that cultivating an “attitude of gratitude” helps you have a healthier, happier, and better social life.

• What are you the most grateful for in 2020?
• Who are the people who need to be acknowledged in your life?
• Have you expressed your gratitude for what they have done for you this year?

Gratitude is the gift that keeps on giving and adding meaning to our lives. It benefits everyone in your life, beginning with yourself. The more we train ourselves to be thankful, the more it becomes a natural part of us. Saying a thank-you prayer or meditation can boost your feelings of gratitude.

Whether it is your family, colleagues, boss, firefighters, healthcare workers, or teachers, make the time to express your gratitude to them today.

5. Be present

Charlie Chaplin was once quoted as saying, “We think too much and feel too little.”

This is an apt quote for the current times. It’s time to make the most of the present that we are in—the new normal. Absorb the good and bad moments, and inspect the threats and opportunities that lie in the present and immediate future. Set new goals for the upcoming year, month, and first few weeks of the new year. Adopting a “Carpe Diem” philosophy helps you stay on top of your short-term goals, which improves your self-confidence, efficiency, and mental health. Every moment is a new opportunity and lesson for learning. Be mindful and present.

Summing Up

We have all gone through the rings of fire in 2020 with our unique set of challenges. Year-end reflections help to look at our health at a glance and adopt a balanced perspective. It helps us to look for the silver linings in the dark clouds, wear a realistic outlook embracing the good and bad experiences, and develop an attitude of gratitude.

You can contact the Los Gatos Doc team for consultation and support for Stress and Chronic Care Management.

(Disclaimer: We routinely draw upon public health resources to inform our write-ups. Information in this article may be drawn up from multiple public health sources, including:

• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
• Medline Plus
• National Institutes of Health
• American Medical Association
• American Association of Family Physicians
• Mayo Clinic
• Family Doctor)