Why the Pandemic Could Make Us Happier People

Why the Pandemic Could Make Us Happier People
A new narrative of happiness is emerging

Who and what will we make time for?
How will we realign ourselves with one another?
What should our new lives look like? 

What Does it Mean to Be Happy? 
Nurturing Ourselves and our Relationships during Time of Plague
This month’s article looks in detail at how being isolated can open doors to self-exploration and a deeper understanding of how to make conscious choices for healthier outcomes. 

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Hello,
We think it’s fair to say that this past year has been a time of unprecedented change, of sickness and social disruption, economic hardship and political tumult.
Most of us have felt the lack of family and social connection, especially acute for those with loved ones in hospitals and nursing homes who could not be visited.
 
There has been so much loss and pain for so many during this pandemic that in some ways how we relate to other people has fundamentally changed. 
On the other hand, through radical transformation strengths can also emerge. 
 
For our April blog, Jan and I decided to explore how people are finding meaning and mission in their lives and even an enhanced sense of wellbeing and happiness, often while working from home.

Our article from Psychology Today holds out the hope that we might discover silver linings in this time of disease and dislocation: Why this Pandemic Might Make Us Happier People.
 
This discussion has also helped us recognize a shift in our own priorities and preferences about who we choose to communicate and interact with. Who and what will we make time for? How will we realign ourselves with one another? What should our new lives look like? 
 
Maybe we can find a new sense of meaning and connection in our isolation.  
 
And, if we look deep into our hearts, we might also find love that unites and nurtures us all.
 
Enjoy! Diana and Jan

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Why the Pandemic Could Make Us Happier People

Americans are considered to be a generally happy people, both among themselves and by foreigners, but the story of happiness in this country is in fact not an especially pretty one.
 
In conjunction with our achievement- and money-oriented society that is often the source of what Alain de Botton called “status anxiety,” the belief that we are a chosen people and a shining example to others around the world to follow have set too high of a bar of happiness for most individuals to actually realize.

Self-doubt, insecurity, and uncertainty have been tightly woven into the narrative of happiness, a major source of frustration for those seeking to be happier people. 

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The coronavirus pandemic is a terrible thing, of course, but it has presented us with a singular opportunity to rewrite the story of happiness. Our priorities have realigned, in the process laying a foundation for a happier future, both individually and collectively.

We have become less acquisitional and consumptive, a very good thing given the detrimental role that the endless pursuit of stuff has played in our lives.

We’re more appreciative and grateful for what we have and less concerned for what we desire. 

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OUR BLOG SUPPO​RTS YOU

​Our Trauma Talk Blog offers relevant and practical advice, tools, 

and articles from experts that can help all of us find a new balance -- a place inside that restores well-being, that is nourishing, calm, and compassionate in these trying times.

Trauma is Real. 
 
But it can be Integrated. 
 
It can be Transformed.
 
It can become part of our
New Beginning.

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He holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Minnesota and is the author of many books. Larry can be reached at lsamuel19@yahoo.com

About the Author

Lawrence R. Samuel, Ph.D., is the founder of AmeriCulture, a Miami-and New York City-based consultancy dedicated to translating the emerging cultural landscape into opportunities.

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​Hello and thanks for being here!
I have dedicated my life and my work to understanding trauma, to supporting those who have struggled with its often debilitating effects and to helping everyone – including myself find a way to make peace with our past, to move forward by making meaning out of even our most traumatic experiences.

Let me introduce my good friend, Jan, our dedicated business partner, podcast interview host, writer and editor. We have been friends for 25 years. We have worked together professionally in business.
And we have worked together as volunteers, in our role as nationally certified mental health educators. ​

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Please stay safe and healthy!
Diana and Jan