Lessons Learned from 2020

2020 has been one for the books! We have all been challenged mentally, emotionally, and physically over the course of The Covid-19 pandemic. Our lives were changed and coping mechanisms were persistently put into practice. This year, the Slick Chicks ladies learned a thing or two about coping during unprecedented times: 

“One of the lessons I learned in 2020 was the importance of sleep. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, my anxiety was at an all time high. Feeling out of control because of so much uncertainty caused me to have many sleepless nights. Instead of spending time and energy worrying about things that weren’t in my control, I tried to channel my energy into taking better care of myself. I found that when I slept an average of 7-8 hours a night, I was more energetic, productive (though not everyday and that’s okay), and in a better mood. Now, I realize how crucial sleep really is and especially unplugging from the world (ie. less screen time on cell phones or laptops).” - Helya, Founder and CEO   

“This year has been very difficult for everyone, we all lost our focus points, whether we are talking about our work or our social life. One of the lessons I learned this year is that whatever happens around me, I am still in control of how I act and react to it. Covid-19 made me go out of my comfort zone: I had to change my habits, create new ones, and try different paths to adapt and navigate in this new normal. I learned that if I am resilient and persistent enough, inevitable changes have the potential to turn into new opportunities. I don't want another pandemic to show me how to make the best out of a bad situation, but it definitely helped me see things in a different perspective.” -Mylene, Digital Marketing Manager   

"A very important lesson that I learned in 2020 was that I need to move! During the quarantine I found myself just sitting for hours on end whether it was on my computer, phone, or watching TV. Time would slip away and hours would be gone in what seemed like minutes. I found the more I sat the less productive I became. I realized that when I went on a hike for an hour, I would come back with a renewed energy, new ideas for my business, and projects that I could work on. On the days that we had bad weather, I found doing something as simple as yoga or just stretching would clear my mind and make me feel better." -Wendy, Director of Sales  

“One of the biggest lessons I learned this year was about timing and patience. There is a time and a place for everything and most often, it is never when or where we want it to be. I, along with mostly everyone this year, had to give up a lot and the feeling of being out of control was terrifying. The second lesson I learned because of that was the importance of community and self love. I never really understood how much every small interaction or connection with friends and family meant until it was taken away. I had a lot of time to work on building better relationships with them and with myself. It's hard to give love to others when you're not loving yourself so I did a lot of working out and focused on my diet and mental health more than I ever have and I was able to come out of this year with a lot more to be thankful about than I thought.” -Abby, Manager of Social Media 

“One of the lessons I've learned this year is how important the practice of meditation is. Since the start of the pandemic, my depressive episodes have drastically increased and my energy and productivity levels have continued to dwindle down. There was a point during the first mandatory quarantine period that I felt helpless to the situation. In order to accomplish my daily tasks I knew I needed to reset with myself mentally. Through (a great deal of) trial and error I learned to adjust my schedule to set aside time to fully settle my mind through meditation. This was quite difficult for me to accomplish at first due to my ‘stay busy’ mindset but I believe it has tremendously helped my mental state throughout quarantine.” -Sarah, Social Outreach Intern