2020 was one of the most significant years of my life- the year when I finally escaped my world of work, the year of emotional roller coasters. Ever since I began secondary school, I was always a focused person, always concentrating on my work and making sure my academic profile was the best it could be. I never cared about anything else- wasn’t interested in having much of a social life, not interested in watching much on YouTube; no, nothing.
And before the pandemic, this worked just fine. Having a normal routine with the majority of it being spent at school, I was always busy. Even on holidays and vacations, I would hunt for new things to learn. But the one thing I never did was discover more about myself. 2020 came along and when forced into lockdown, I spent a lot of time alone. With online zoom classes and the lack of so many people around me, I suddenly found myself facing hours with nothing to do.
That is precisely when I realised how much I had been neglecting myself. The absence of the 20 or so tasks I kept myself busy with made me realise that I had been trapped in a bubble. The unfamiliarity of escaping from this bubble made me question so many things that at a point, I felt like I was lost. But if there’s one thing I’ve learnt from this ongoing journey, it’s that you should never give up on yourself because as much as it feels overwhelming, you’ll only be thankful if you keep pushing ahead.
As much as I hate the pandemic, I am also inwardly thankful for it because it helped me grow as an individual, it helped me spend more time with myself and it taught me more about myself.
Nehal Kacholia – Reposted from youthof2020stories on Instagram, a humansof2020 initiative
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