Surviving 2020 – Bring on the New Year!

It is safe to say that 2020 has been the closest we have come to something as crazy as the zombie apocalypse. COVID-19 has turned the world upside down and every aspect of life as we know it has changed drastically. Gone are the days of quickly popping into the shop with just your wallet in hand – there are a plethora of items you need to tick off before you can even consider getting into your car – sanitizer, mask, life insurance, gloves, wet wipes…

Currently, every single South African is in survival mode since being locked down for 5 whole months! The question on everybody’s lips is how we are going to survive the rest of 2020? It was already an achievement that the majority of us survived lockdown with our spouses! The following survival tips are the only way:

• Plan out the rest of the year – as best as you possibly can
  As pedantic as it may sound, organising your life in and out of the classroom in an Excel spreadsheet or Word document is not the most ridiculous idea, considering what the year has had in store. Ensure that lesson plans are sorted per week and which assessments you will be doing since students have to play major catchup. Also slot in some activities that you can do before the curfew hits to maintain some sanity in your personal life.
  
  
• Think about 2021…
  It may seem way too early to think about next year, but we are definitely all very excited to see the back of 2020. You can also save yourself so much time and stress by planning what you need to do for next year. Whether it is for personal or work reasons, open that Pinterest account if you don’t already have one and find some interesting things you want to try in the classroom in 2021 or even some DIY projects for your home.

• Be kind to yourself
  It really is sometimes okay not to be okay. Even though we are all slowly getting back into a somewhat ‘normal’ working routine, our mental health is definitely not what it was when 1 January 2020 made its appearance. Don’t feel guilty to drink that extra glass of wine if you feel like it, or indulge in your massive stash of #staycation snacks that you bought during your panic shopping spree before lockdown hit. Extra-long bubble baths and binge-watching series come highly recommended!
  
  

• Don’t let unnecessary subscriptions suck your wallet dry!
  Every single person has been affected financially by the global Coronavirus pandemic. Look after your bank account. It is frightening how many hidden subscriptions we all have. Something as simple as that Yoga app you downloaded at the beginning of lockdown because you promised yourself that you are going to become a lean, mean fit machine, might be chomping into your budget every month without you even realising. Make sure you cut all those little bloodsuckers and at least be at ease with your financial situation.

Remember to lean on your support networks, we are all in this together and will come out stronger on the other side. Here’s to 2021!