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Happiness is.. Surviving the Coronavirus
Empty store shelves. Churches voluntarily closing their doors. Banning events of more than 100 people. People advised to stay in their homes and avoid all physical contact with others. I would challenge you would have to go back to WWII to find the measures that we find ourselves facing from the COVID -19 scare. I didn’t fear dying when diagnosed with Kidney Cancer, and I don’t fear dying from this latest virus. What bothers me more than facing the possibility of running out of toilet paper is the fact that people are losing their joy of life because they have become so pre-occupied with this virus. I’m not saying we shouldn’t take precautions. If we took these same precautions all the time, it might reduce the 30,000 to 60,000 people we lose every single year from influenza. And I’m not being Pollyanna-ish. This could turn out to be as bad as the Polio Outbreak of 1952. But it’s simply a proven fact, that worrying will do absolutely no good, and will actually lower your immune system making you more susceptible to any illness.
So I challenge you to not let yourself become a depressed puppet sitting in front of the TV, or the internet, awaiting the most recent Breaking News report.
Make a list of things that makes you happy. I’ll help by listing a few things that brings me joy. Then see how many of these things you can compete every day.
- Try to wake up early enough to watch the sunrise. While watching it, give a prayer of gratitude that you’ve been given another day of life, and pray that you’ll make the most of it. Do this before you turn on the TV or your computer.
- Make a promise that you’re only going to check the news, email, and Facebook no more than 3 times that day. And you’ll not spend more than 5 minutes when you do.
- Read, or re-read, a good book. (I recommend The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Dr. Edie Eger. https://www.amazon.com/Choice-Dr-Edith-Eva-Eger/dp/1501130781)
- Find an old scrap-book, get it out, and relive a very special vacation. I did this by getting out my photo albums from my two tours of Ireland and Scotland I led for a group of 6 people. Relive happy moments.
- If you’re going to watch TV, don’t watch the news. Watch shows that will make you happy; make you laugh. Shows like Andy Griffith, I Love Lucy, etc.
- Phone someone you haven’t talked to in a while. Have a mirror in front of you, and while you talk, make sure you smile into the mirror. Let the person catch your joy.
- Each day contact a person that has been very special to you, and express your gratitude to them.
- Don’t less the stress force you to make bad decisions: limit alcohol intake, eat healthy, exercise more than usual.
- It is more important than ever, during this time, to surround yourself only with positive, hopeful people. Avoid the “doomsayers” at all cost.
Practice these “happiness effectors” daily, and I promise you, This too shall pass.
And one last thing. Go to my website, www.BringingHopeAndHappiness.com and read one of my other blogs.
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