“I believe in New Yorkers. Whether they’ve ever questioned the dream in which they live, I wouldn’t know, because I won’t ever dare ask that question.” – Dylan Thomas If you haven’t already read Jerry Seinfeld’s article, which fights back against the notion that New York City is dead, it is definitely worth a read. It is an ode to […]
Author: Ben Michaelis, PhD
Coping with COVID-19: Weekly(ish) Mental Health Tip: Beauty is where you find it.
“Thomas Edison’s last words were ‘It’s very beautiful over there’. I don’t know where there is, but I believe it’s somewhere, and I hope it’s beautiful.” – John Green If you are feeling dark or down today or tomorrow or the next day, look around. In the darkness there is beauty. To appreciate it you […]
Coping with COVID-19: Daily Mental Health Tip: Ending Groundhog Day
“In God we trust; all others must bring data.” – W. Edwards Deming Unfortunately, at this moment, the data about COVID-19 is not great. In short, we are going to be in this for a while. In order for us to keep moving forward, we all need to continue to be proactive by establishing new routines, developing flexible […]
Coping with COVID-19: Daily Mental Health Tip: Your August Challenge
…And we’re back! You may have noticed that I haven’t written one of these in a while (or perhaps you hadn’t, in which case, please don’t spoil my illusion). During first few months of this pandemic, I felt that one thing I could contribute is a sense of togetherness and positivity by writing daily emails […]
Coping with COVID-19: Daily Mental Health Tip: Movement, Turning Points and Resources
Things are happening. There is motion, process and (hopefully) progress… As a friend of mine in Brooklyn described…..”you know it’s different when, whether you are intending to go to a protest that day or not and you are walking the streets, you are very likely to be swept up in a swell of people heading […]
Coping with COVID-19: Daily Mental Health Tip: Challenge Results
Look what we did together! Thanks to you, a total of at least $2000.00 will be going to Catholic Charities of Brooklyn & Queens, which is doing the hard, frontline work of making thousands of meals every day for people who are in need of help during this epidemic. Thank you to Diego, Alyssa, Fariba, Allyson, Patty, Greg, Todd, Cindy, […]
Coping with COVID-19: Daily Mental Health Tip: There is only Process
“The heartbeat of anti-racism is confession, is admission, is acknowledgement, is the willingness to be vulnerable, is the willingness to identify the times in which we are being racist.” – Ibram X. Kendi Learning through engagement. My goal in writing the last email was to increase our collective empathy. I received several responses pointing out factual errors […]
Coping with COVID-19: Daily Mental Health Tip: $20 and Housekeeping
Twenty dollars. It all started over twenty dollars. George Floyd wanted to buy something at a local deli and didn’t have the money for it. So he used a counterfeit $20 bill. George Floyd was ultimately killed because of this. He was a man who had travelled from Houston to Minneapolis to find work and […]
Coping with COVID-19: Daily Mental Health Tip: There’s No Place Like Home
There’s no place like home. But where exactly is home? Very early this morning, while taking my daily walk, a car slowed down, then pulled up along side of me. The window rolled down and the man inside asked me for directions. What surprised me more than anything was that I was actually able to help him. […]
Coping with COVID-19: Daily Mental Health Tip: Social Distancing Etiquette
We’re all just figuring it out. As the guidance has gone from simple (i.e., stay home) to complex (i.e., proceed with caution), there is more confusion and division about social distancing and how to do it. While many people are being responsible citizens, and others are being brazenly foolish (this clip is worth watching. Listen to the audio), most of […]