Homemade Acne: Rekindling My Love for Reading During COVID-19

From the Editors:
Our Pandemic Hobbies for Mental Health

This March marked one year since the beginning of COVID-19, and with it, the start of enormous changes that are still unfolding. We found ourselves challenged in many ways as we tried to balance the state of the world with our own mental health.

In this From the Editors series, Verywell Mind editors take a look at the past year of quarantine and reflect on the pandemic hobbies, both big and small, that helped us cope with the stress of the pandemic and bring back a sense of joy and peace.

Brynn Holland,
Senior Manager, Growth and Content Strategy

I have always loved to read. E-readers, specifically, have obvious advantages: They hold large numbers of books, they're lightweight, you can read samples, they're immediately delivered—the list goes on. But during the last year of quarantine I found myself at the end of a Zoom call-filled day wanting nothing to do with another screen, backlit or not.

I was going from desktop screen to laptop screen to TV screen to smaller iPhone screen, and I couldn't get myself to read on another screen. I really wanted to read, though. Then my brother-in-law suggested something revolutionary: a physical book. I pulled out my laptop and endlessly scrolled on best book lists, sent free samples to my kindle, and even perused book reviews on my phone at night.

I was trying to make the decision during an anxiety-laden global pandemic about what books to read so I could stop staring at my screen (and that decision, in itself, required a screen!). I was feeling stuck again when I found "Book of the Month."

For a monthly fee, Book of the Month provides five book choices. You pick one, and a hardcover copy is mailed to you. I am reading at least one physical book a month now. It's been a delight. I highly recommend physical books, and for me, the less I have to choose, the better. Do what works for you, and support your local bookstores when you can!