Image courtesy of Pixabay.com
Things to look forward to in 2019. Depression is known to be so emotionally draining in part due to the fact that those who suffer from it feel permanently and chronically “stuck,” with nothing new to look forward to on the horizon. Sound familiar?
The late comedian George Burns once quipped that his secret to feeling young was to “have something to look forward to when he woke up every morning.” If you’ve been dealing with the holiday blues, or if you deal with mental illness issues like anxiety and/or depression regularly, perhaps you’ve been thinking that now that the holidays are over, that it’s January 2019, and that there’s nothing but grey days in store for the next couple of months. But think again.
It’s interesting to hear so many people diss on a year that’s coming to a close, without thinking about all the great things that happened. Think of all the people you know who have grumbled something along the lines of, “Wow, 2018 was terrible. I can’t wait for the new year!”
Remember that it’s always better to be grateful than to be a critic. Here are just a few of the great milestones we saw in 2018:
- The unemployment rate in the United States fell to the lowest it’s been since 1969.
- After several decades of Cold War-style animosity and standoff, North and South Korea officially vowed to end the Korean War.
- New York and Virginia were the first two states ever to require mental health education in public schools.
- Scientists thought of a way to stop glaciers from melting.
What’s to Look Forward to?
To help you keep some “big picture” perspective for the new year, from tech, science, movies, social change, the following are some things we can all look forward to in 2019.
- The world is (most likely) not going to end. Hey, there’s a break! A few years ago it was predicted that an asteroid was going to pass by the Earth in 2019 with a minor chance of crashing into us (which would have been nothing short of utterly catastrophic). NASA, however, has officially declared that such a collision with earth will not occur and that the asteroid will not fly by as closely as initially predicted. In fact, it will pass by us over 2.5 million miles farther away. Sorry, YouTube conspiracy-mongers.
- Five eclipses. Remember the 2017 eclipse that went all across North America? South America and South Asia will now have a turn at amazing eclipse views. July 2, 2019, will show us a complete solar eclipse over southern Chile and Argentina, as well as over parts of the South Pacific. On December 26, the day after Christmas, another total eclipse will head across the Arabian Peninsula and then over areas of South Asia. All in all, the world will enjoy five eclipses in 2019, some solar and some lunar.
- 2019 Women’s World Cup. The FIFA Women’s World Cup, will take place in June through July 2019 in France, whose men’s team happened to win the 2018 World Cup. The U.S. Women’s National Team returns as the event’s reigning champions from the 2015 World Cup in Canada. Not a soccer fan, but prefer rugby instead? The Men’s Rugby World Cup is set to happen in Japan in September.
- A world printed in 3D. 3D printing hit the stage as just a seemingly nerdy passing fad. 2019 is anticipated to be the year 3D printing really takes off. Think 3D bioprinting for medicine/healthcare, more precise, sophisticated 3D industrial metal printing which has the capacity to revolutionize manufacturing and more user-friendly 3D printing for hobbyists. Xerox is getting into 3D printing, developing a home 3D printer this year.
- A $100 million Fortnite gaming tournament. If you’ve never heard of the game called Fortnite, here is a great way to become better acquainted. There is a large Epic Games Fortnite tournament coming in 2019 with a winner’s pot of $100 million. Anyone with a gaming console, lots of attitude, and skills can join in. Qualifying brackets have already begun, but qualifications will go on through the better part of the year before the big tournament begins.
- Lots of highly anticipated movies! Get ready for the blockbusters you’ve been waiting for at the theaters, including “Avengers: Endgame,” “Captain Marvel,” “Joker,” “The Lion King,” “Aladdin,” “Dumbo,” “Frozen 2,” and of course, “Star Wars: Episode IX.”
- New Star Wars park at Disneyland and Disney World. Speaking of being strong with the Force,both Disney theme parks are opening the highly anticipated new Star Wars-themed areas of their parks in the fall of 2019. “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” will include 14 acres of all kinds of exciting activities, rides, and restaurants Star Wars fans of all ages. We’ll get a first in-person glimpse at the Star Wars galaxy’s planet Batuu, along with enough galactic riff-raff to make George Lucas himself proud.
So, there you have just a taste of what there is to be excited about coming your way next year. Which brings us back to George Burns. Another piece of sage advice he left behind for us involves an old saying, “Life begins at 40.” George Burns’ take? “…That’s silly. Life begins every morning you wake up.” Here’s wishing you a great 2019!
Concerned about your own depression and/or anxiety? Both are treatable and manageable. If you or someone close to you need to talk to someone about mental health issues that seem overwhelming, we can help. Consider reaching out to our expert team at Solara Mental Health at 844-600-9747.
