New Year Resolutions – with a difference | Sunday Observer

New Year Resolutions – with a difference

2 January, 2022

Another New Year is upon us. This year, 2022, should hopefully be better than 2021, which was marked by lockdowns and the emergence of two variants of the Coronavirus – namely Delta and Omicron. Everyone suffered a lot in 2021, with some even losing their livelihoods. It will go down in history as the year in which Covid-19 conquered the world, bringing death to around five million people and infecting 285 million.

Primary goal

The good news is that the vaccines for the most part are working, even against the Omicron variant and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed the hope that 2022 could see the beginning of the end for Covid-19.

New Year is a time for making resolutions. Not all of them can be achieved in a given year, but this year, the primary goal should be staying healthy. The first rule to remember is that Covid 19 is not going to go away in 2022. Thus following the stipulated health guidelines such as washing hands frequently, keeping the distance from the next person and wearing a face mask (or two) are mandatory even during this year. These habits can also keep you off from various other diseases such as the common cold, which is also caused by a type of Coronavirus.

Healthy habits

Quite apart from the Coronavirus precautions, health should be the overriding theme for the year. Stick to a healthy diet, do plenty of exercise, drink plenty of water, sleep well and do a health check-up especially if you are over 40 or if your family members have a genetic history of diseases such as heart ailments. But once in a while, indulge in the pleasures of life such as a decadent dessert. After all, barring reincarnation, you only live once. So live it to the fullest and enjoy every moment.

Do something new

This year, you should be determined to take up something that you have never tried before. If you have never read biographies of famous people, pick up one or two such titles and leaf through. There is a lot we can learn from the lives of eminent people from various countries and fields. If it is ages since you last rode a bicycle, give it a try. If you were stuck at home for the better part of 2021, give travel, either locally or overseas, a chance in the New Year. This of course depends on Coronavirus restrictions, but there is nothing like travel for discovering people and places and even yourself.

You can also begin a new hobby, from stamp collecting to watching movies. If you have a library of movies that are waiting to be spun in your Blu-ray or DVD player, give them a go. If that is too much of a hassle, you can always stream movies online. It is also easy to learn a foreign language online. You can also try your hand at creative writing and most newspapers including this one are willing to accommodate such creations by newbies. The only limit is your imagination itself.

Discover your spiritual side

It is also time to discover one’s spiritual side. You need not necessarily be religious to do so. Meditation is easy to practice regardless of one’s religious beliefs (or the lack of it) and will literally set your mind at ease. It will also give you a good night’s sleep. It is also likely to make you a mellower person overall.

Spirituality can also mean gaining other qualities such as kindness and compassion towards other human beings and animals. If you have never had a pet before, why not let one in, in the New Year? Pick a stray kitten or pup off the street or from an animal shelter and see it play and grow. If you can, add a human baby to the mix and watch them share life together. It will be a joyous experience.

And there are numerous ways in which you can express your kindness to others – sometimes without spending a red cent. Helping a blind person or an old person to cross the road does not take much of your time, yet it is enormously satisfying. There are many charitable causes that you can contribute to if you have money to give away.

Eco-friendly citizen

This year, we all have to think of the environment. Climate Change is causing havoc throughout the world. From wildfires in Brazil to flash floods in China, freak weather patterns have upended our lives. But we can do our bit to save the environment and the planet. Thus one New Year resolution can be about living a more frugal life from an environmental perspective. If you used the car to drive up to the junction to pick up the newspaper, opt for a walk. With fuel being so expensive, this makes sense from the point of view of your wallet too.

Save energy

If you see a bulb burning or a fan turning in an empty room, switch them off. Also, take the 3R’s to your heart – Reduce, Re-use and Recycle. Reduce your consumption so that you do not have to throw any food away, re-use bags and bottles and also hand over any items that can be recycled to recycling centres (or put them in marked bins).

Grow some plants and vegetables if you have the space – this aligns well with the authorities’ plans to grow a million trees or more and moreover, any leftover foods can be turned into compost for fertilising the plants.

Be positive

The greatest challenge in 2022 will still be Covid 19, but with two new pills that can control the disease gaining approval in many countries, we might just be able to see the back of Covid 19 during 2022, especially if the rich world distributes vaccines equally. All countries should work together to beat Covid and countless other diseases that threaten mankind.

It is worth remembering that Covid-19 will not be the last pandemic to hit the Earth if we continue pillaging the planet. This year, the world should be determined to evolve a mechanism to stop future pandemics and make our planet safer for all beings.

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