If one really wanted to remember 2020, it would be remembered as the year no one wants to talk about. The pandemic has so far claimed more than 1.7 million lives (as on December 28, 2020) across the globe. There have been devasting natural disasters in different parts of the world, and we have also lost some of our most loved celebrities.

Our 2020 resolutions went out the window as the world woke up to a new way of life and we spent almost the whole year at home. With 2021 approaching, we’re building up our hopes again for a better year with healing and happiness for all. To that end, we made our own resolutions for the new year, so that we can make 2021 better for ourselves and our loved ones at least. Fingers crossed.

Here are Team AAE’s resolutions for 2021! Feel free to take inspiration.

1. Meditate every day — Bani

If there’s one thing that 2020 has taught us, it is the importance of having a calm mind and focused energies. This year has been hard on practically every person on this planet. The lockdown and social distancing even heightened existing mental health conditions for some. Thus, the year has been an eye-opener in a way for many of us to focus on our mental health. And practising meditation on a regular basis is a great way to start.

Related: Relax Your Mind And Body: 8 Types Of Meditation Techniques To Alleviate Stress

2. Get over my fear of dentists — Sukhmani

Dentists are some of the scariest medical practitioners in the world. To be fair, it’s because of the nature of the work, not their personalities. It’s just the thought of having sharp instruments poking around in our mouth that makes the toughest of the lot freak out. But with 2020, emergency dental procedures made many realise that it’s better to get over the fear and make regular visits to the dentist. We really don’t want another dental emergency during a pandemic-induced lockdown.

3. Donate for marginalised communities — Shahana

2020 also put a spotlight on the massive inequalities in our societies. While one part of the society was lucky enough to comfortably get through the lockdown, others didn’t have it as easy. Millions across the globe lost their jobs this year, while marginalised sections of society suffered much more than they regularly do. The situation made many of us realise this gap and count our privileges with a determination to give back to society as much as we can.

Related: 9 Delhi NGOs That You Can Donate Your Clothes To

4. Start saving money — Anjali

With so many people losing their jobs due to the pandemic, it also put a much-needed emphasis on the importance of saving for a rainy day. For many families, this year was one with zero income leaving their savings as the only option for survival.

Related: #AAESurvey: How Do Women In Urban India Save And Invest?

5. Read all the books I’ve bookmarked — Ravnoor

This year also gave us a lot of free time to find more activities to engage in. We were able to go back to the old hobbies that we had given up on over the years. Some people realised they could cook professionally, while others learned how to play instruments. But after managing the lockdown, the pressure of full-time jobs, and household chores for so many months, we realised that the lack of time was only an excuse.

Related: Mystery, Thriller, Drama, And More: 10 Books That You Won’t Be Able To Put Down

6. Work on patience and tolerance — Mansi

Patience and tolerance are the two things that were put to test for a major part of the year. Most of us found ourselves snapping at our families, friends, co-workers, and basically anyone who dared to breathe around us. The lockdown was pretty frustrating for the social butterflies who hate staying at home. But with rising tempers and irritability, this year helped many of us see the flaws in our reactions to situations.

Related: What Is Mindfulness And Why You Need To Try It During Stressful Times

7. Learn to limit my screen time — Vrinda

The lockdown also increased screentime tremendously for many of us. It wasn’t just social media that hogged our time but also the increase in the number of OTT releases that kept us glued to our phones and laptops. And let’s not forget the numerous video calls per day to catch up with work and our loved ones. With 2021 just around the corner, limiting screen time is something that we can all work on for the sake of our eyes.

Our team reviewed a lot of movies and series this year. You can find them here.

8. Cook more food and order less — Sukhmanjit

If there’s one thing that made our moms and digestive systems really happy in 2020, it is the number of days we survived on home-cooked food. We not only ate ghar ka khaana but also turned into master chefs thanks to YouTube tutorials. And believe it or not, after nine months of home-cooked food, many of us have reluctantly started seeing the point our parents have been trying to make for years.

Related: 13 Lesser-Known Cooking Tips You Need To Become A Kitchen Pro

Our resolutions for 2021 are all set. What about you?

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