ABSTRACT
An ironic gift of the corona virus is time, since so much of the usual frenzy has been put on hold. This chapter looks at how we can use this time well. Most advice on survival stresses staying positive. Hope is a good drug but many people realise that being nothing but an optimist is unrealistic, so they steel themselves to explore and even embrace their dark side. Introspection should make us more aware of our moods, which will vary during the day. It also involves thinking about our dreams, and there is evidence that people are now remembering more of their dreams. Mark Blagrove’s work suggests that talking about our dreams can alleviate distress and lead to greater empathy and social bonding. He argues that we should not worry about our dreams but take comfort in the fact that our brain is doing what it should be doing.
