Self-Care Strategies During the Pandemic

Drawing on more than 30 years of executive leadership experience, Mark Hirschhorn serves as the president, COO, and CFO of Talkspace. In this capacity, Mark Hirschhorn directs a behavioral health company that seamlessly brings clients and therapists together for text and video chat sessions.

With education and mental wellness at the forefront of Talkspace’s mission, the organization emphasizes the importance of self-care as a central facet of everyday life within an extended pandemic scenario. When restrictions on daily activities set in for the long haul, one of the most important antidotes is getting outdoors in a safe, socially distanced manner whenever possible. This may involve a 15-minute walk when the sun is out, or longer cycling or jogging sessions that boost endorphins and burn calories through a healthy workout.

Many people who saw Zoom as an integral part of their social life at the start of lockdown and travel restrictions started to feel a sense of “Zoom fatigue” set in over the months. In many cases, the fault was not with the platform itself, but a “quantity over quality” situation. One strategy to counteract this entails carefully monitoring time spent connecting with others and making sure that it has a positive and psychologically boosting effect, rather than draining reserves.

Other self-care strategies include mindfulness, meditation, and activities in the residential environment such as yoga. Keeping a positive mindset and looking forward to positive milestones, such as a successful vaccine rollout, is a proven strategy. In cases where a sense of anxiety and depression persists, professional help can be a good option. The therapists at Talkspace have the knowledge to help people work through the sense of dispiritedness that comes naturally during a time of extended pandemic.

 

The Children’s Village - Keeping Youth and Families Safe and Strong

Mark Hirschhorn’s decades of experience leading companies in the digital media and healthcare sectors culminated in early 2020 with his acceptance of the position of president and COO of Talkspace. An emerging player in the online behavioral health services industry, Talkspace serves more than 1 million clients, offering easy and affordable access to licensed and highly qualified mental health professionals. Apart from his responsibilities at Talkspace, Mark Hirschhorn is a dedicated philanthropist, supporting nonprofits such as The Children’s Village.

Reaching out to families in all five New York City boroughs and the lower part of the Hudson Valley, The Children’s Village works with the overarching goal of helping youth become self-sufficient, productive, and successful adults. The organization offers access to a variety of job skills training, mentoring opportunities, foster care programs, and other services that address the crucial needs of young people in under-resourced communities.

In one recent year alone, The Children’s Village provided residential treatment, foster home care, runaway shelters, and other types of sheltering care to some 2,000 children and teens, including undocumented youth.

Over the course of its life of service to the community, The Children’s Village has worked with more than 10,000 young people to help strengthen their families, and more than 90 percent of those in runaway or homeless shelters have been able to find secure long-term housing.

Meanwhile, more than 93 percent of at-risk youth helped by The Children’s Village avoided re-arrest after participating in mentoring and other programs designed to end cycles of incarceration.