2020 Has Taught Me To…..Put My Phone Away (and Eat Chocolate)

I was reading an article in a magazine which my mum had gifted me, it’s an issue from January 2020 before anyone had heard of Covid-19 and when life was “normal”. I have a long-standing joke with my mum that I will make time for myself, the hand-me-down magazine is her way of trying to look after me. As you all know my life is busy - work, the pre-teen, teenager and third child, plus throw a puppy into the mix (yes – we did!), so it’s taken me a year to flick through the magazine. I came across this one article, it was relevant, interesting and it hit a chord. It was almost talking directly to me….”Put your PHONE AWAY”. It focused on awe, allowing yourself to really experience a moment, finding wonder in everyday things. It benefits the body and mind scientifically. Awe begins in the autonomic nervous system which serves to regulate heart rate, blood pressure and stress reactions, having a calming effect. Something we all need at the moment!

Looking ahead to 2021, it’s simple for me. Whilst it’s been an extremely challenging year, with high levels of stress and worry, the greatest thing I have learnt in 2020 is to live in the moment. Sometimes, just sometimes, this involves putting my phone away or eating some chocolate. I am a very disciplined individual, but I have started to be a bit kinder to myself. That’s not to say my standards or work ethics will reduce but that it’s OK to take a few seconds or minutes to immerse myself in a positive moment.

The puppy has helped to teach me exactly this. He doesn’t understand or like technology, he gets annoyed if I’m on my phone and not fully focused on him; he punishes me by eating the skirting boards, chairs or walls! He rewards my full focus and attention with unconditional love and loyalty. It’s been a wonderful lesson. I haven’t posted photos, although I have quite a few, but I’ve taken time to get to know him, to train him and to show him that he’s safe and loved. And, the puppy has also made the pre-teen, the teenager and the third child stop and live in the moment too. It’s usual for the pre-teen to Tik-Tok whilst talking to me or the teenager to ignore me with his headphones permanently attached. And the third child….he’s generally on back to back video calls or is swiping at his watch at the dinner table (it’s not a phone so it apparently doesn't count!). But the puppy has been a good break to all of these things. The day we brought him home we surprised the kids. Our daughter walked through the front door and saw the puppy in the hall. She didn’t take a photo or post on social media. SHE PUT HER PHONE DOWN. She put her hands to her face, her eyes opened wide, her mouth formed a perfect “o” and she said “OMG” a million times! We couldn’t tempt my son to come home straight from school, so we drove the puppy to him. He came out to the car and again, NO PHONE! He was in the moment, happy, shocked, with a huge smile on his face. I’m not saying the puppy has stopped extensive use of mobile phones, apps, laptops, the xbox…..but he makes us live in the moment and it’s a blessing. For anyone who knows me well, I used to live in high heels; I did the school run in high heels, I ran around the supermarket before work in high heels, I took the kids to activities in high heels. Who would have thought I would be walking across muddy parks in the rain, obviously not in high heels! But I’ve begun to notice the world around me….that mud can be washed off, that the happiness of a puppy who can run freely is a wonder, that the early morning chats I’ve had with my husband whilst walking before work are our time to listen to each other, that the sound of birds singing isn't only part of summer but that they tweet all year round!

As I’ve said to my mum, I’m not going to moan about 2020, it has mainly been out of our control. I’m just so grateful for the lessons I have learnt. I have a wonderful family and I’m now looking forward to a period of rest, playing board games, walking, watching Christmas movies, eating chocolate and living in the moment! Then I’ll be ready to go again in 2021!