Mentally Fit
Therapists offer tips for surviving the (expanded)
stay-at-home order.
RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
N
ovel coronavirus. COVID-19. Self-
quarantine. Social distancing.
These previously unfamiliar
phrases have become part of our daily
vocabulary.
While people who are ill with the virus
are most profoundly affected, life has also
changed dramatically for those in healthy
households.
Children are schooling at home. Adults
are working from home. We are no longer
visiting elderly parents and grandparents,
fearful of spreading a disease we may
unknowingly carry. The meetings, group
events and happenings that normally fill
our business and personal lives are taking
place remotely or not at all.
The past few weeks, the primary focus
has been caring for the sick and slowing the
spread of the virus. However, many people
are realizing that COVID-19 is taking a toll
on their mental health.
Local psychotherapists are seeing a lot of
patients dealing with increased anxiety. The
pervasive uncertainty about when the virus
will go away has exacerbated these feelings for
individuals with pre-existing anxiety issues.
“Some fears are not based on reality,
but this is real,” says Judy Lipson, a West
Bloomfield-based psychotherapist who
believes in paying attention to
the body as well as the mind.
“Worry is in the mind, stress is
in the body and anxiety is when
they’
re both present.”
Movement can help dispel
anxiety, Lipson adds.
“Emotions get trapped in
your body as energy, and motions move
emotions, allowing energy to move through
your body,” she says.
THE APPLE TECHNIQUE
“The demon of anxiety is what makes people
imagine the absolute worst and believe it will
happen,
” says Dr. Toni Kaplan, a Farmington
Hills-based psychotherapist.
To help clients combat anxiety,
she uses the APPLE technique:
A: Acknowledge feelings of
fear and uncertainty without
judgment.
16 | APRIL 16 • 2020
Toni Kaplan
Coronavirus
Coping Tips
Suggestions for maintaining mental and
emotional well-being from therapists Judy
Lipson, Toni Kaplan and Janice Goldfein:
• Make a schedule for yourself and your
kids. A lack of structure can promote anxi-
ety; a daily agenda helps alleviate stress.
• Get outside. Walking or riding a bicycle
are excellent antidotes to cabin fever.
• Exercise indoors with free online yoga
and exercise classes.
• Limit your intake of television news.
Stay informed, but avoid overconsuming
the news.
• Get dressed every day, even if you’
re
not leaving the house.
• Eat well. Nosh on fruits, veggies and
nuts instead of junk food. Cook healthy
meals.
• Use an online app to practice daily
meditation. Even 5 minutes helps calm the
mind and reduce anxiety.
• Stay connected to friends and family
via phone, Skype or other video apps.
• Use unexpected free time for neglected
projects. Read one of the books on your
list, organize digital photos or declutter the
basement or garage.
• Try something new. Write a poem, draw
a picture, learn a new language or create
some dance steps for your favorite song.
• Practice gratitude. Notice and appreci-
ate the things that are right in your world.
RESOURCES FOR MENTAL HEALTH
A comprehensive list of community resourc-
es for mental health and other types of
assistance is available on the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit website,
jewishdetroit.org/covid19resources.
Most local synagogues are offering free
online worship services and other pro-
grams for members as well as the general
community. Visit their websites for details.
Friendship Circle of Michigan is pro-
viding virtual programs for children with
special needs and their families. Visit their
FC Goes Virtual Facebook page: tinyurl.
com/snhubc5.
Jewish recovery meetings normally held
at Friendship House are now taking place
via Zoom. Email bluma@friendshipcircle.
org to receive a link.
Margo Rosenthal of West Bloomfield keeps up
with her yoga practice with online classes.
CLAUDIA DRILICH
Jews in the D
Judy Lipson