What I Learned in 2022

Happy New Year!! I can’t believe 2023 is here. Where has the time gone?  The holidays just flew by. I barely had time to blog or post on social media. Besides life stuff, the flu swept through our household. It was nasty too. I was trying to avoid getting sick, while taking care of sick kids. I did pretty good physically. Emotionally I was a wreck! I was stressed, anxious, frustrated, sad, etc. You name it, I felt it. I spent a lot of time watching television and doing puzzles. That is all I had the energy to do, and that is okay. 

I thought I would write a post about things I learned in 2022. It was an interesting year with a lot of emotions and growth. As a therapist, my job is to help others with their emotions and growth, however, sometimes I forget about me. In 2022, I was forced to take a good look at who I am and the lessons I needed to learn. 

Take a Break from Social Media Anytime

This! Over the years I have had a love/hate relationship with social media. I’m either all in or all out. When I am out, I feel guilty, stressed, discouraged, and not good enough. I had to take a long hard look at this mentality and the way it made me feel. Why was I feeling this way about something I didn’t really have to do? Don’t get me wrong,  social media has been great for my business and connecting with friends and family.  I had to ask myself “How did people run a business or connect with friends and family before social media?”  If you were born prior to 2010, you know the answer. LOL!! We met in-person, emailed or called each other on the phone. We marketed by word of mouth and networked. So why can’t I do that? I learned it is okay to take a break. I can't give my best to my followers and subscribers if I feel terrible. I get to pause, reset and come back feeling better. I have come to terms with not posting when I don't feel good. Not posting is not a reflection of me, it is a reflection of self-love and self-care. 

Emotions Are Part of Life

Yes, I should know this right? I constantly tell this to my clients. Why can’t I take my own advice?  I had a lot of emotions in 2022. I felt sad, anxious, angry, frustrated, disappointed, confused, and scared. I tried my go-to coping skills such as journaling, exercise, meditation, and breathwork. Sometimes, none of them worked.  So, I just sat there and let the feelings flow through me. Sometimes It would take an hour, or two. Other times, it would be an entire day!! A few times I would go to bed early because the feelings were too much. I learned that emotions and feelings are a part of life. They may be uncomfortable, but I can get through them. Emotions let me know I am human. I feel things and that is a beautiful feeling. 

Lean on Friends (Really!)

That is what friends are for right?  Recently, I had a wonderful dinner with friends. I decided to vent that I had not been doing well emotionally. I text these women daily, but never shared how I was feeling. I kept everything to myself. I suffered in silence. Of course they got on me about not telling them what was going on. We all tell each other that we are there for one another. How come we don’t take each other up on the offer? I had to ask myself “was I scared they would judge me or wouldn’t know what to do for me?”  It doesn’t really matter. Looking back, it would have been nice to have friends to lean on. Just to listen. I notice that when I am going through something, I lean back instead of lean in. I go inwards instead of reaching out. It makes it worse. I’ve learned I want to lean on my friends during the good times and bad times. 

Be Patient with My Body

I learned my body will cooperate if I am patient.  I hired a weight loss coach and lost 15 pounds in 2022. I used to get frustrated with my weight loss journey. I didn’t believe I could lose weight since it had been so long since I had lost weight.  Over the past 7 months, I have learned to treat my body with love and respect. I learned to be patient with the journey. When I got frustrated, I learned to get curious instead of judgmental. It paid off!! 

Find Something I Enjoy and Keep Doing It

Puzzles, puzzles, puzzles. I love puzzles. I wasn’t the biggest fan growing up, but over the past year, I have learned to love them. They have been a wonderful coping skill that I use to calm me down. A few days ago I completed my first 1000 piece puzzle. It was so satisfying. In 2023, I will always have a puzzle on my table because it brings me joy and comfort. 

So what about you? What lessons did you learn in 2022? I’d love to hear from you. 

Many Blessings,

Mpho

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