A HAPPIER
healthier you PHOTO COURTESY Jamie
Brown on Unsplash
in 2021
By Garrick Hoffman
Healthy habits to help you ride out the pandemic
T
he COVID-19 pandemic has proved to be paradoxical
Porter. In addition, he said, “Some
for our health: it’s engendered unhealthy habits by
research has found an association
incentivizing some people to eat and drink more, exercise less, and consume more screen time in a sedentary state. Conversely, it also fomented a new culture of self-improvement, inspiring
between exposure to blue light at night . . . and chronic conditions like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.” To consciously seek out ways to buffer your screen time, consider
people to learn how to eat healthier, and pushing them to use
picking up a book. THE MAINE BOOK CLUB/
their free time to exercise more and get in shape.
DISCUSSION group on Facebook is a great resource to get an idea of what to read, with nearly 2,000 members in the
Here’s how you can be part of the latter
ways, according to Dr. Jordan Porter, a
group offering recommendations and
category if you wish to stay happy and
lecturer with UMaine Orono School of
forming small, online book clubs.
healthy as we continue to ride out the
Nursing.
pandemic.
“Prolonged exposure to blue light
Another way to combat the adverse health effects of the pandemic
emitted from computer screens and
is to head outdoors, where again, we
mental and physical health is by
hand-held devices can suppress
can divorce from our screens and
reducing screen time. Excessive
natural melatonin production, which
delight in all the vitamin D the sun
screen time can languish our mental
upends our circadian rhythm and
offers, which studies show improves
and physical health in a myriad of
often results in sleep difficulties,” said
both physical and mental health.
One way to pursue improved
4 Spring 2021
