Persevering Through The Pandemic

Persevering During The Pandemic

While constantly at home dealing with nightmarish news about the global death toll and unemployment figures in the United States and elsewhere, it’s easy to lose the opportunity to be joyful even for an hour a day.

Here are some tips to stay buoyant and positive.

First: Stay in the moment and find the good in the moment. Making this a mantra and personal goal at the beginning of the day can lock-in a happier sunnier day.

Second: As Dr. Phil said, “Remember that the Pandemic is only temporary. It’s not permanent.” It has an expiration date.

Third: As Joel Osteen said, “Find something that provides immediate gratification.” Plant flowers, deep clean your home, clean out the attic or play fetch with the dog. Tackle something that annoys you daily, for maximum benefit, like the unswept front porch or the dusty daily driver.

Fourth: Reading can reduce stress by up to 68% according to The World Literacy Foundation. Not only is it a form of escape, but “…it calms the mind and relaxes the body.” Actually, reading can reduce stress more than going for a walk or listening to music.


Fifth: According to a 2017 Huff Post blog, reading can also provide several important health benefits. Yale University researchers discovered that adults who read books for more than 3 ½ hours per week, were 23% less likely to die than those who don’t. The conclusion based on 12 years of follow-up. Previous studies suggest increased connectivity between brain cells resulting in lower risk of neurodegenerative diseases that shorten lifespan.

Reading can reduce stress levels. Stress is widely thought to be responsible for 60% of human illness and disease. Stress can increase the risks of stroke and heart disease, by 50% and 40% respectively. As an author, am I ready to read more given those numbers? Yes. As I reflect on the busy lives that corporate titans and avid readers like Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey and Mark Zuckerberg lead, I have to admit that I can do a better job of incorporating a couple of hours of reading into my day. Can you?

Furthermore, reading paperback books can improve sleep by making the transition easier from wide-awake to drowsy. How? Smartphones and ipads emit light that reduces production of Melatonin levels in the brain. By the way, Melatonin “tells” the brain when to sleep.

Finally, reading may supercharge intelligence. Research indicates that strong reading skills at an early age can correlate to higher intelligence.

In summary, Dr. Suess, American author, said it best, “”The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go,”

By the way, I’ve marked down both of my books, Beautiful Evil Winter and Plenty,  to 99 cents for a limited time only. Learn more about my novels at my website: www.kellyklavenderauthor.com. 

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