#coronavirus #COVID19 #FlattenTheCurve #happiness
Folks in the U.S. are more unhappy today than they’ve been in nearly 50 years.
So says a conclusion from the COVID Response Tracking Study conducted by the University of Chicago, and reported by the Associated Press. The AP article was published June 17, 2020, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Just 14 percent of American adults say they’re very happy, down from 31 percent who said the same in 2018, the article quotes the study, conducted in late May 2020.
The survey encompasses nearly a half-century of research from the General Social Survey, which has data on American attitudes and behaviors gathered every other year since 1972, No fewer than 29 percent of Americans have ever called themselves very happy in that survey, the article says.
The survey was conducted before the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis touched off nationwide protests of police brutality and the status of Black Americans in society.
Louise Hawkley, a senior research scientist at the University of Chicago, said she was surprised more people didn’t say they were lonely, given stay-at-home orders, lost jobs, lost schooling etc., the article says.
“People have figured out a way to connect with others. It’s not satisfactory, but people are managing to some extent,” the article quotes Hawkley.
As you watch TV and read the news, you can see that people are trying to get out more.
Some recklessly think that there’s no problem being normal, as if nothing is happening.
Some others think the pandemic is all a hoax, despite more than 150,000 deaths and millions of positive tests.
It’s OK to try to find as much normalcy as possible, but you must do it as safely as possible.
If everyone took the advised precautions, not only could you bring some normalcy back into your life, and potentially save others’ lives, but you also could help the world get a handle on this virus.
The precautions, though somewhat inconvenient, are simple:
• Wear a face covering or mask whenever you interact with people, either indoors or in larger crowds outdoors.
• Keep a safe distance from others not living with you, Six feet of distance is the minimum. More is even safer.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. If that isn’t available, carry hand sanitizer.
• Try not to gather in large crowds anywhere.
• Stay home if you feel sick.
You can still go to the store, do other errands and even gather with a few friends using these precautions.
Trips, vacations, weddings, funerals and other gatherings may have to wait, unless they can happen with those precautions.
If you are among those truly unhappy, perhaps you’d like to find something that could change your life for the better – economically and otherwise. Fortunately, there are several vehicles out there that can help you do that. And, you can check them out usually without leaving your house. To learn about one of the best such vehicles, message me.
Remember that circumstances do not define you. These are indeed difficult, unprecedented circumstances. Even though it will take time, it will pass. It may be a great time to take stock in your life. What had you been doing that you can’t do now, but shouldn’t have done in the first place? What economies, and efficiencies, have you created, and should keep?
Most importantly, we all have to learn to see the good in what seems bad, and learn to promote that goodness forever.
Peter