GOOD SKATE

Serenity now! How to stay sane

“It’s definitely not easy,” said Sadie Kurzban, founder of the Manhattanbased cardio dance chain 305 Fitness. “Reality is setting in for a lot of people, and it’s important for people to refocus.”

Kurzban recommended taking a look at the space you have to work with and start organizing it.

“Move that chair,” she said. “Declutter in any way. This is the time.”

Next, Kurzban suggested “playing the part” to help recreate your usual routine. This means taking off the pajamas.

“Lace up your sneakers,” she said. “Don’t work out in your pajamas.”

Kurzban’s studio in Manhattan typically receives 10,000 visits a month, she said. When the city restricted gyms and studios, clients flooded 305 Fitness’ social media pages with requests.

Kurzban moved the classes to YouTube and began streaming them live from her parents’ house in Miami. The instructor was surprised when analytics showed viewers tuning in from Japan, Italy, and Costa Rica.

“We’re all looking for a fun outlet,” Kurzban said. “We’re all looking to make each other laugh, to dance with your wife, or your kids— this can be a place to dance like no one’s watching.”

Even the nicest four walls can feel like a prison while self-quarantining during the coronavirus outbreak, mental health experts warn.

Social isolation, confusion and mounting concerns about financial and physical well-being can ake its toll on a person.

“People are really getting cabn fever, they’re scared,” said Harris Stratyner, an associate professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

“What happens is our imaginations run away with us, so we build on all of these psychosocial and environmental stresses. And we start to worry,” Stratyner explained.

But there are things you can do to keep yourself in check.

Stratyner says to keep busy and listen to experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “Realize that we are going to get through this,” he said.

Amanda Spray, a clinical psychologist and director at the Cohen Veterans Center in the NYU Langone health network, is counseling patients via video.

She acknowledges that isolation can be detrimental, especially for those who already struggle with mental health conditions. “Humans are social animals,” she said. “We are not meant to be in isolation.”

Even so, Spray hopes people can reframe the concept of “social isolation,” and realize that the separation from their friends and loved ones is only physical.

“I think this is a time of opportunity,” Spray said. “Given the current recommendations to decrease proximity to others, we need to be a little creative.”

Just because two or more people can’t be together in the same space “doesn’t mean social connections can’t happen,” she said.

Spray is encouraging people to cultivate the interactions they are used to and maintain the structure of their day-to-day lives to reduce anxiety.

“Let’s use technology to continue to engage things we know are good for us,” Spray said.