Get lost 2020; Four things we shouldn’t bring into the new year

BY JANIECE CAMPBELL

Now that we’re in 2021, I think it’s safe to say that last year sucked. However, it’s a new year! Let’s start it off with a clean slate and a fresh perspective.

Even though the previous year was filled with many shortcomings, we’re eagerly entering a new season with new opportunities. It’s crucial that we self-reflect on every area in our lives in order to be our best selves all 2021.

Besides the most obvious thing, COVID-19, here are four things I’d like to see left in 2020.

The term ‘new normal’
First of all, this phrase will always give me a good laugh. What exactly was ‘normal’ about the world before all of this mess anyway? Politicians are still corrupt, people are still dying and there’s still a debt crisis. A global pandemic was just the cherry on top.

I don’t like this term at all, because it gives the idea that the present is okay simply because normal means regular. Can we all agree that absolutely nothing about 2020 was normal?!

It’s not normal for society to be isolated. It’s not normal that this eerily contagious disease is deemed ordinary. It’s not normal that many people have and will continue to lose their loved ones but are forced to accept that this new morbid reality is now standard.

Unfortunately, there’s no return to whatever ‘normalcy’ was. We shouldn’t be forced to assimilate into this altered life and view it as a regular blip in the system. The way we live and our daily routines may be different now, but it’s extremely far from normal. Let’s stop calling it that.

Pessimism

I get it. We ended off 2019 on an optimistic high. Everyone prophesised that 2020 would be their year, that we’d all begin this decade with an abundance of success, growth and prosperity. Boy, the majority of us were incredibly wrong.

It’s truly disheartening to see how much damage, death and destruction the entire world has faced in 366 days. Sometimes, your mind might question, “could this get any worse?”

Though the year was far from what we thought it would be, so what? Sadly, but true, things can’t always go the way we want it to. And that’s okay. How about the fact that you’ve been fortunate to see another year, an opportunity that a lot of people didn’t get? You’re already walking in blessings!

FYI, according to a study of over 71,000 male and female heart patients by Boston University, pessimism can lead you to an early death. In fact, the optimistic patients demonstrated an 11-15% longer lifespan and had far greater odds at reaching 85 years old in comparison to the pessimistic patients.

Do yourself a favour, rid yourself of the negativity. Be hopeful and live longer!

Remote jobs and learning

Face it, remote work is NOT it! At first, it seemed perfect. Saving on gas, finishing your work in your pajamas, not having to make small talk with classmates or colleagues. It was just you and your own four walls. It was good until it wasn’t.

For those of you that found no problems with working from home, I applaud you! You have a type of strength that I yearn for.

For others like me, having your alarm go off at 8 a.m. just for you to lounge in bed, power up that laptop and get to work was not a fun way to begin your day. In between poor Wi-Fi connectivity issues and an overall lack of motivation, this alternative needs to go!

Obviously, due to lockdown and various restrictions, it will be making a comeback in 2021… but hopefully for a much shorter period of time.

Conspiracy theories

Rumours, hoaxes, fake news, whatever you want to call it! 2020 was THE year of misinformation. From 5G antennas being implemented into surgical masks to aborted fetuses as an ingredient in the COVID-19 vaccine. If I hear another false headline, my head might explode!

A fatal flaw of social media is how quickly things tend to spread. It’s like an international game of broken telephone, but less fun and more fear.

Sometimes it can be hard to differentiate what’s real from what isn’t, especially on the internet during a global crisis. And especially when it’s coming from a rage-tweeting world leader. But sometimes, all it takes is a simple Google search to find out if these theories have been debunked. Often times, they are.

Spot cyber propaganda by verifying the sources and doing your own research! Listen to me: don’t you dare open those forwarded ‘informative’ Whataspp videos this year! Your mind will be at peace without the fake scandals.

Now, let’s collectively move on from the year-that-must-not-be-named. It’s a new year to free yourselves of bad habits and thrive! Let’s ring in 2021 with more compassion and less criticism.