Lockdown season: Making the most of it
Hacks that can make you happier
“Who isn’t looking for a little more happiness in life, especially now?” said Shereen Marisol Meraji in NPR.org. Psychologists who study the science of happiness have identified simple practices that can boost your mental state. Gratitude, for example, is “super good for us.” Whereas complaining reinforces negative emotions, writing a list each day of what you’re grateful for can significantly improve well-being, and quickly. Or write down everything you appreciate about someone, schedule a visit or video chat, and read the letter aloud. Another tool, called WOOP, helps you get more done. While you may often have a wish (W) to apply yourself to achieving a certain outcome (O), you must also consider the Obstacles to achieving the wish and develop a Plan for overcoming them. If you determine the obstacles are too great, fine: You’ll be happier knowing which wishes you can’t pursue.
The men who don’t wear masks
Men are more reluctant than women to mask up these days, but there’s no reason to give up on even a “swaggeringly toxic” mask foe, said Adam Tschorn in the Los Angeles Times. Rather than trying to shame a guy into covering up, remind him that a mask isn’t about his health but others’. Masks, after all, do less to protect the wearer than they do to keep unsuspecting Covid carriers from expelling viral microdroplets on others. So tell him he should be a hero and protect the weak. Try appeals to patriotism, too—urging him to “do his part” so the country can return to normal. A starspangled face covering might help, or a camouflage print, or a sports team logo. Just go to Etsy.com and type “manly mask.” The options “practically ooze testosterone.”
How to get a 9-year-old to read
There’s something about turning 9 that makes kids stop reading, said Meghan Moravcik Wahlbert in Lifehacker.com. They’re busier, usually, and they start to see reading less as pure pleasure than as something that’s “expected of them.” You can keep kids reading by first never stopping reading to them yourself. Until they’re in eighth grade, they’ll be able to handle more complex material by listening than by reading, so choose books you like that’ll stretch them intellectually. A 9-year-old might be ready for genre reading—perhaps something by horror master Stephen King. Offer to let them stay up later if they spend the time reading, and don’t discount any reading that they are doing. “Comic books are books, you know.”