The New Normal: A Roadmap to Resilience in the Pandemic Era – Dr. Ashton's Expert Guide to Mental Health, Safety, and Wellness

by Jennifer Ashton

From Dr. Jennifer Ashton—the Chief Medical Correspondent at ABC News covering breaking medical news for Good Morning America and What You Need to Know—comes a doctor’s guide to finding resilience in the time of COVID, while staying safe and sane in a rapidly changing world.
In March 2020, “normal” life changed, perhaps forever. In its place we were confronted with life and routines that were unusual and the new normal.  As we’ve all learned since then, the new normal isn’t just about wearing masks and standing six feet apart—it’s about recognizing how to stay safe and sane in a world that is suddenly unfamiliar. And no one understands this evolving landscape better than Dr. Jennifer Ashton. As ABC’s Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Ashton has been reporting on the novel coronavirus daily, helping Americans comprehend the urgent medical updates that have shaped the nation’s continued response to this public health crisis.   Now in The New Normal , Dr. Ashton offers the essential toolkit for life in this unfamiliar reality.  Rooted in her reporting on COVID-19 and the understanding that the virus isn’t going anywhere overnight, The New Normal is built on a simple thriving in this evolving world demands accepting the new normal for what it is, not what we want it to be. No longer is wellness a buzzword, but an imperative for surviving this unprecedented time. Using her trademark practical, easy-to-follow advice, Dr. Ashton gives you all the necessary information to reclaim control of your life and live safely—from exercise, to diet, to general health—showing how to prepare your body and mind for challenges such   - Taking proper medical precautions to protect yourself and your loved ones - Exercising during the pandemic, even if you no longer feel safe at the gym - Finding emotional balance through these uncertain times - Deciphering complicated medical news to learn what to trust and what to ignore   With these straightforward and accessible strategies and many more, Dr. Ashton helps empower you to make the unexpectedly hard decisions about socializing, food-shopping, seeing doctors, and most of all, finding normalcy. At once reassuring and urgent, The New Normal is a holistic roadmap through the ongoing struggles of the pandemic, providing the guidance you need to navigate this unsettling time and take charge of your future wellbeing.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Self Help, Medical, Psychology, Audiobook, Mental Health

288 pages, Hardcover

First published February 9, 2021

About the author

Jennifer Ashton is a Board-certified Ob-Gyn, author and TV medical correspondent. She is chief health and medical editor and chief medical correspondent for ABC News and Good Morning America, chief women's health correspondent for The Dr. Oz Show, and a columnist for Cosmopolitan Magazine. She is also a frequent guest speaker and moderator for events raising awareness of women's health issues.

Librarian's note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Jessica (Odd and Bookish) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (William Morrow) in exchange for an honest review.

This was an incredibly insightful and informative read!

First off, this book is so accessible. There is no medical jargon here. Everything is broken down in easy to understand language. Dr. Ashton does a fantastic job explaining the basic science behind COVID in a way everyone can comprehend.

Secondly, the book is also very practical. Dr. Ashton provides readers with advice that is realistically attainable which I appreciated. Sometimes books like these can prompt readers to do some lofty things, so I was happy to see that this book offered more grounded advice.



Throughout the book, she also shares anecdotal stories about her life during the pandemic which made the book relatable. Seeing a doctor go through similar struggles shows that this pandemic affects everyone in some way and that we all have a common struggle.

Since the virus is constantly changing, parts of this book are a little outdated. That was to be expected. Because of that, there is no discussion on the vaccines.

The book is generally, very well written. However, it is sometimes circular and repetitive. She will sometimes state the same ideas again, even though she just said it two pages ago.

Overall, this was a great read. I recommend it if you’re looking for some practical guidance in navigating our new normal!

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had pre-ordered this book when I felt, as psychologist Adam Grant says, languishing: feeling a sense of emptiness and stagnation.
I read The New Normal very slowly, depending on the subject. It’s well written and some parts remind me of Dr Ashton other book The Self-care solution. There are good tips on maintaining equilibrium during the pandemics. I’ll keep it as a reference book.

[Valerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, the author misrepresented several statistics to argue her points, which seems to be the exact opposite of “focusing on facts” like she preached. I was also disappointed that her section on critical thinking was either inaccurate (mentioning to believe it if all the networks say it’s true) or inadequate (not a single mention of logical fallacies.) She wrote much of this book about her own life, which wasn’t useful for me. There was some good advice in the book, but it would probably only fill 50 pages worth.

[Cristie Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may be a bit biased in reviewing this book, as I am a huge fan of Dr. Ashton. I feel that this book perfectly summarizes the advice she has been giving since the pandemic began. She has always stressed an importance of self-care, even prior to the pandemic. This book gives the reader advice on how to do things like workout when being afraid to go to the gym, how to go to stores when feeling afraid and so many other situations that we are ALL finding ourselves in. Dr. Ashton doesn't sugarcoat and say that things are going to be easy or better quickly, she focuses on giving advice on what we can do NOW to protect ourselves and live our best lives . I appreciate her honest and straightforward approach to guiding us through this pandemic.

[Katie Routh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book itself is fine, but this isn't what I was expecting. It's less than 2 months old, and already extremely outdated. Current event information isn't really able to be presented in a book, and this proves it.

[Mahrya Q · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book with good tips. Talks a lot about preparing your immune system by being healthy, mentally and physically. Not a whole lot in here that I didn't already know. HOWEVER...this book did make me realize how much safer it is to be in an airplane than I thought.

[Natsumi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Best to skim this one if you choose to read it at all.

[Donna Schwartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked quite a few of the chapters Dr. Jennifer had in her book. She talks about about taking care of your body and what foods to eat, especially keeping track of your weight which is a big factor in contracting COVID. It reminded me to be more careful of stress eating, which I have been doing more of then I should have.
Exercise is talked about, along with alternatives to going to a gym.
Sleep is another big one.
After that she talks about how to limit your contact (pods of people) and of course, how to think like a medical professional in order to evaluate the risk in anything you do.
The one drawback to this book is that fact that it doesn't talk about the various vaccines. I had the feeling that some of the most up-to-date information about the virus could not be included and so anyone reading this book would need to be paying attention to new information coming out daily.

[Leila Kern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. I love that Dr. Ashton wrote for the average person and did not sugarcoat the information. If information is not known, the information is not known. This book is a keeper; I like that i can refer back. Very well written.

[Holly Vaughn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dated already

[Dee Roll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting summary of her experiences during the Covid crisis

[SB Senpai Manga · Rating 4 out of 5]

We’ve been in this pandemic for nearly a year now and during this time, we’ve all made sacrifices and had to change to fit our new normal. It’s not always in large ways, but even in small ways including how we interact, shop, eat, work, etc.
This book did a good job of gathering all the evidence from the pandemic as well as give practical guidelines on how to be safe yet still be able to make the most of a situation with a positive mindset.
A brief read, but still a good place to to go to if you want to read the full breakdown of the pandemic.

[Shannon]

I was so thrilled to get one of the 1st copies of this to hit our library. Yes, there is a timeliness to the topic (for instance, not much about vaccines is in here as we didn't have them when it went to print). But to take a broad view of this pandemic, and listen to Dr. Ashton's measured, calm responses to so many questions that have come up, it makes me feel so much better.

Dr. Ashton writes and lays out each topic this in a similar as her last book, The Self-Care Solution, which I also got a lot out of and would recommend.

I think my favorite part was in the last chapter, Silver Linings, speaking of how we have all realized what resilience we possess inside us, with this quote, "Hard times create little stones of strength inside everyone who endures them." Well said. 👍

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good summary of what to expect in the world's New Normal after the pandemic and hints on how to live going forward. Dr. Ashton provides good tips on food, exercise, and sleep as well as, caring for our minds and finding healthcare. She writes in an easy to understand and direct manner.
I liked that Dr. Ashton also brought in her own perspective, fears, and activities so that she not only appears as the medical authority but also an average person dealing with the pandemic right along with the rest of the world. She closes the book with Silver Linings so that the reader can look at the good from this pandemic and rather than wallow in fear can find gratitude.

[Julie Bestry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book surprised me by how well-written it was. While I realize Ashton had a co-author (credited in tiny letters), it must have been very difficult, while handling two full-time jobs (OB/GYN and TV medical expert) to craft a book in the middle of a global pandemic, but the end-result is largely a calm, relatable book on health and resiliency.

Some people are faulting this book because it came out too late. Published in February 2021, it would certainly have been more helpful in July 2020. But you can't fault a book for it's timing, and the truth is a) the pandemic is not at all over yet (even if North America and Western Europe are returning to a "new normal") and b) 80-90% of this book is applicable all the time, and not just during COVID.

This is largely a book on how to live a healthy life, mentally and physically. While written with COVID in mind, most of the chapters are about healthy eating, exercise, sleep, and dealing with the mental health fallout of both pandemic issues and life as a whole. Ashton's advice in this regard will never be out of date.

As for the COVID-related medical information, no printed book can be 100% up-to-date because medical issues change as quickly as a virus can mutate. But Ashton explains complex issues in a clear ways; for example, not just that people with diabetes are at greater risk of complications from COVID, but exactly why, and she explained it better than any article for laymen (or even my own endocrinologist).

Similarly, her clarification of the misinformation that gets spread and how to deal was common-sense, but so few people seem to have common sense these days that it gave me hope that people might read this and get clarity. She gave a great explanation of why experts initially did not favor masks for the public (the lack of availability for even medical practitioners -- due to the Australian and US wildfires, though she didn't detail the why of it) and the medical background of both the decision and the based-on-new-information turnaround, and how people failed to pay attention to the explanation, merely complaining about it.

I liked that she made each section relevant by using herself and her family as an example, but I would have liked it better if there had been more stories about other people. There was a reference to one active senior citizen, but overall, more narrative examples would likely have made the advice more vivid.

Long story short, this was good advice for everyone to strengthen their immune systems and their psychological resiliency, even if some of the COVID-specific information feels like old news right now.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

You’d be lying if you said COVID-19 and the pandemic didn’t take over your life for the last year. It’s been a life-altering year whether it may be for the good or the bad.

I’m definitely on the “2020 sucked” train, but as Dr. Ashton mentioned in her book, she finds silver linings to the pandemic. Now, that’s not the premise of the story, but it was talked about one chapter.

One thing I really liked about this book was how to tackle not only COVID-19, but your health in general. If we read this book at the beginning of the pandemic, it would have been too overwhelming. I think now was the perfect time for me to read it because while I have been physically fit and aware of how to take care of my body, I haven’t been the best towards my mental health.

My anxiety has shot up since the pandemic, mostly afraid of what the world around me is doing. Sure, I know I’m being safe, but what about my close pod of friends or random folks at the grocery store? Dr. Ashton walks us through ways of how to shift your mindset that while yes, COVID-19 is absolutely scary, but risk factors of everyday things you do in life can be more dangerous than the disease itself.

Dr. Ashton also acknowledges the changes throughout the last year when it comes to medical protocol. She admits the back and forth Dr. Fauci and other professionals recommended to the public and how mistrust occurred. She admits that no doctor has all the answers because everyday there is a new piece of information.

Because of that, the. book already has outdated information, but I won’t hold that against her because like Dr. Ashton said, things change daily.

Thank you William Morrow for this book!

[Kristin (Always With a Book) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you William Morrow Books for the gifted copy.

As soon as I saw this book I knew I wanted to read it. I don’t often gravitate towards nonfiction, and I certainly do not read a ton of medical/self-help/psychology books, but after all that we have gone through since the beginning of this pandemic, I knew this was a book I wanted/needed to read. And I respect Dr. Jennifer Ashton. I may not always catch her when she is on television, but I know she is a trusted source.

I loved how accessible and practical this book is. It is not filled with medical jargon, but rather broken down into easy to digest parts that make you want to read the book. Whether you decide to read it cover-to-cover, or read parts here and there, it is definitely one that I am glad I now have in my collection. She presents information and allows you to then decide how you should proceed in your life. She doesn’t make the decisions for you. She isn’t telling you what you should or should not be doing.

I think the number one take-away from this book is self-care. You cannot get through anything is you don’t take care of yourself and what I love is that she uses her own life to show the importance of this. She shares anecdotal stories of how she coped during the height of the pandemic, which just makes the book all the more relatable.

I know this book is one that I will reference again and again. As it was written prior to vaccines coming out, there is no talk about that, but it is chock full of other very practical, helpful guidance.


You can see all my reviews at: https://www.alwayswithabook.com

[Kelley Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the title indicates this book is definitely a roadmap to resilience. The New Normal helps put in perspective what the entire country is going through currently. I found it very soothing as it walks you through how to better manage Covid fatigue. While some of her suggestions are not new they are tried and true in my opinion. Navigating through this pandemic has left many people hopeless for a variety of reasons. Jennifer’s compassion shines through in her new book. One of the elements I found helpful is her writing style. It is easy to read and understand without getting to technical. She has written other books and those are equally fascinating as well. We are all Covid weary and don’t want to read or be reminded of this insidious disease however she navigates the situation in a calm manner which was soothing.

[Roger Smitter]

Author Ashton is a an MD who also has a an MS. She uses the skills of both of her MD and MS degrees to give us what is/was happening in our country and the whole world. They use information that most of us need to understand COVID-19.

Readers get advice and explanation for what is/was happening. As we might expect, the information comes in the simple words of the language of TV news. The first six chapters have just one word label: Body, Mind, Healthcare, Food, Sleep. The longest label at the start of a chapter is only three ("Family and Friends."

Almost every chapter has gives the reader about what we know (at the time the book was read) OF what we should do.

[Linda Hartlaub · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Ashton (you've probably seen her on Good Morning, America or This Week with George Stephanopoulos) has co-authored a book that delves deep into the aftermath of the coronavirus. Reviewing how we have coped with the virus, the changes in our lives and medical care and how we go forward to care for ourselves, stay as healthy as we can, she puts forth valid and medically sound ideas on how to handle our anxiety and fear about returning to "normal" life. Well documented. Well written. And remember, as she says, things could always be worse. We can get through this.

[Dustan Woodhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some useful perspective on a variety of pandemic challenges.

The book feels like the long form newscast Jennifer would have liked to deliver and many of us would have benefitted from.

The political twist on so many things covid, coupled with low comprehension levels and high stress born out of uncertainty and a 24/7 obsession with ‘news’ served in 40 second sound bites was always a recipe for disaster.

As such disaster ensued.

Solid read though.
I feel better about flying among other things.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been watching Dr. Jen on ABC since well before the pandemic. I find her to be a good source of facts and easy to understand. Her book is the same. It's a bit repititous and already a little out of date, since it doesn't take into account the speed of the vaccine and how that may have changed things. But practical advice, told in a clear manner that calms. Made me think of some aspects of the pandemic I had not considered...

[Gay Loesch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The New Normal has taken us all down a different road and Dr. Ashton has summarized how to make the changes helpful, healthier and happier for everyone. Here are some of the topics that she covers with pros and cons and some suggestions: body, mind, food, exercise, healthcare, health fears, medical news. family and friends, and dealing with public places. My favorite section was "Silver Linings" leaving us with a positive attitude for a changing future.

[Rachelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars.

Insightful and informative. Dr. Ashton is great.

Well written, and written with the reader in mind. I appreciate the fact that there's no medical jargon, and if there is, it's explained in layman's terms.

I found much of of the book to include common sense points, however that doesn't take away from the many good points and references.

Worth a read, but not a book I'd keep on my bookshelf.

[Meg]

This book was released in February 2021. I understand that health information dates itself practically as it is printed, but this was so overdue that it was all really information/advice that would have been comforting and useful in March 2020. I wouldn't even recommend this book, as we've all learned first-hand about "the new normal" by now.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted more out of this book than it offered. The author had good commentary on how to build resiliency and acceptance within where we are now in the pandemic. The problem with a printed book offering advice on decision making within a pandemic is that the landscape is constantly changing. This came out on Feb 2021. I felt the advice would be slightly different now.

[Betsy Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Ashton is direct and clear: take care of you, now. The pandemic has brought about even greater health risks for those ALREADY at risk pre-COVID. If there is one thing we can ALL do now is get it together and take charge of our own health.

[Avi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in about 15 minutes. It's basically a brief overview of everything you hear and read in terms of what you could and should be doing to stay safe during this time. Worth the read if only for the reminder to live in the/cherish each moment

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the mix of credible, science based factual accounts of the pandemic combined with the conversational and personal feelings and stories that make this book a great reference for how to manage change in general and specifically how to handle dealing with medical pandemics.

[MaryLibrarianOH · Rating 3 out of 5]

Practical advice.