Covid Positive
In addition to waking up to cards, flowers, and loving messages from my kids on Mother’s Day, I also woke up with COVID. As one of the thousands of New Yorkers to test positive in this recent wave of the pandemic, I had time to do some daydreaming and reflecting
Mental Health in an Unequal World
Last week, my friend and colleague, Harold Pincus, sent me a stunning photo of the vast field of white flags that carpet the Washington Mall in commemoration of the 700,000+ lives lost to COVID in the United States. It is heart-wrenching. The world is so unfair, and the pandemic has
Collective Safety
An afternoon with my honeybees got me thinking about what these buzzing yellow and black beauties can teach us about our health, and particularly our mental health, at this moment in our journey with COVID-19. The apis mellifera, or western honeybee, can only survive as part of a high functioning
It’s Scary Out There
I was talking with a friend the other day about meeting for coffee. We are both vaccinated. It didn’t seem reckless, but as we anxiously confirmed the details, it sounded like we were complete newbies to the coffee meet-up. A friend’s kid who is in high school told me he
A Year of COVID by Broadway
Exactly one year ago, I picked up my daughter from her university apartment in Baltimore to drive to NYC, pick up her twin brother, and depart the city to wait out the passing of the novel coronavirus. Exactly one year ago, Broadway went dark for what was to be a
Another Side of Technology
Your mic is muted. You catch a glimpse of your hair and wish you washed it last night. Your connection is unstable. You are feeling fatigued and have a slight headache. You send a message about your doctor’s appointment to “Everyone” that you meant to send only to your friend
Stress and Coping
It is cold and windy in New York. We even saw a few snow flurries today. COVID-19 cases are surging in the world. Right now, a new case is being reported every second. In the past twenty-four hours, I have received 56 emails and 31 texts about the election. We
Everyday Heroes
During this pandemic, frontline health care providers have put their lives at risk to save others. We have also come to recognize the essential roles of so many other individuals, including bus drivers, grocery store clerks, electric company line workers, building security and maintenance workers, and more. Around the world,
Celebrating Light at Times of Darkness
We are living during a period of history that is testing people’s coping skills, resilience, and spirit. I have heard many people say that we have yet to see the “light at the end of the tunnel” when it comes to this global pandemic. That may be true, which is
Is A Shadow Pandemic Brewing?
The COVID-19 pandemic has abruptly caused the largest and most rapid disruption to how and where we work since anyone can remember. From Wuhan to Wichita, from mom and pop shops to multi-national corporations, the working world has been rocked. Whether working remotely or carrying on in the workplace, the
It’s Enough Already
Disruptive. Topsy Turvey. Unprecedented. These have been the go-to adjectives in this era of COVID-19. Nary a Zoom meeting, conversation, or webinar this week escaped reference to challenges of our time. Amidst it all, mental health concerns have been front and center. Here are my go-to qualifiers about mental health
Thank You to the Artists
Upon receiving the Nobel Prize for Literature, William Faulkner said that it was the work of the artist to lift up people’s lives and help them endure. I am sure that he would have said the same today. As we enter double digits in the number of weeks sheltering in
