Homemade Acne: How I Stayed Connected During My Year of COVID-19

Amy Morin,
Editor-in-Chief,Verywell Mind

I live on a sailboat in South Florida. So that means being on "lockdown" didn't really change all that much for me. My home moves, so I could still abide by the stay-at-home order and go snorkeling or visit a sandbar.

One thing that did change was that I no longer traveled to speaking engagements. That meant I had a lot more time in my schedule.

So I decided to launch a podcast. It seemed like a great opportunity to talk to people about mental health—and a great way to be able to talk to people in general. I interview interesting guests and get to have great conversations with people I might not normally cross paths with.

It's been good for me to connect with more people during a time when I might otherwise just keep writing articles (which can be quite isolating in the best of times). I get to talk to people about how they stay mentally strong. I've learned a lot from them and I love sharing their stories. Knowing that other people are experiencing similar struggles helps me feel less alone at times—and I hope it helps the audience feel the same.

In the past, I've spent much of my time writing books. And there's always a long lag in between when the book gets written and when people actually read it. But a podcast allows me to hear from listeners in real-time. They send me messages about what's working for them or what strategies they're implementing based on what episode they just heard. Being able to get that feedback so quickly has been a lot of fun, especially during a time when so many people are struggling.

I plan to continue the show after the pandemic ends. It's been a lot of fun and I want to keep using the podcast as a way to spread awareness on mental health and mental strength.