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