💆🏾♀️How to Surrender to 2020 💆🏻♀️
By: Arnica Lande
The year 2020 will forever go down as the year of the COVID pandemic: of loss, of growth, of revitalized friendships, and new ways to connect virtually. The year of remote work, of masks, of social distancing and isolation. The year of new normals in hopes that we can go back to old ways once more. The year of social change, of collective social education and recognition of racial and gender disparities, of self-reflection. The year of a new definition for the word “hero”. The year that people learned to sit with their thoughts, and most importantly, learned how to surrender to what life has in store. Amongst the chaos of 2020, calamity has been found by surrendering to each moment, living presently, and embracing life as it is.
You hear your Fierce coach preach it all time - “presence” - and no, we aren’t talking about presents you receive this time of year, but the act of mindful living and being “in” the moment. It’s hard enough to be present without a disease affecting everyone’s day to day life, however, clearing the mind and surrendering to each moment so you can fully experience it can help us appreciate even the tough times. A few ways we think are helpful to living life in the present:
Exercise. It may be cliché, but you’ll never regret a workout! Exercise is a great stress reliever, not to mention an amazing way to challenge yourself and surrender to something that may feel uncomfortable. We practice this at Fierce45 every day, finding comfort in discomfort, because we know that’s when our bodies and minds begin to change. Surrendering to the challenge, being present in each moment of the 45 minutes on the machine, can help us better handle tough situations off the machine!
Meditation. For many people, the simple practice of sitting in silence for a few moments each day helps to quiet the mind, discredit doubts, and feel grounded. Sometimes the brain can feel so cluttered, and meditation provides tools for handling the clutter that may bring on stress and anxiety. Think of it as a workout for your brain! Meditation apps like Calm and Headspace have boomed this year thanks to 2020.
Talkback to insecure thoughts. Ever get caught up in your head, only to pull yourself away minutes later and realize how much time has passed? Rather than listening to any negativity or self-doubt, talk back to yourself! You’d never let someone else speak to you that way – so why do it to yourself? In noticing thought patterns, you can begin to live more presently in each moment.
Routine. For many of us with our pre-COVID routines, this year has definitely thrown a wrench in our day to day lives. We see the social memes and hear it in-studio, how people feel they’ve lost control over their nutrition and have consumed more alcohol since they did in college. It’s important to remember that this year is different from any others. For most, we are trying to cope with loss, change, and a new life, so give yourself some grace and be kind. We are all living through wild times and surrendering to this year can help us enjoy each moment a little more thoroughly.
When it feels like there are so many reasons to be down, when you feel down because sometimes, life is just plain hard, practicing presence and truly surrendering in that moment can ultimately lift the spirits. A lot of it comes down to perspective and the mental mindset, a huge part of the Fierce45 method. Enjoying the present, surrendering to each moment, will ensure we close out our crazy Covid year with a bang.