Monday Mixtape (5/11/20)
Love and Dating in a Pandemic, Mental Distancing, How to Activate Lifelong Neuroplasticity, and Children's Books for the Quarantine Era
Hey Everybody,
Welcome to Vitamin Z: A unique blend of health & wellness tips, personal development stories and comedy.
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And now, on with our show…
Love and Dating in a Pandemic
How should single people think about connecting during a pandemic?
To find out, I moderated a panel discussion on May 7 with three nationally recognized experts on dating and relationships:
Andrea Syrtash, Founder of Pregnantish, on-air personality and author of 5 books including “He’s Just Not Your Type (And That’s a Good Thing)”
Evan Marc Katz, dating coach for smart women, founder of Love U, author of 4 books, 30 million+ blog readers
Geoff Cook, founder and CEO of The Meet Group, which operates a portfolio of mobile dating apps with over 4 million users
Some highlights from our discussion:
“This is a great time for dating. The guys who are swiping right and sending dick pics are kind of out of business right now. This is forcing them into what are actually better dating habits that allow them to get to know each other without the instant gratification that normally comes with swiping right and texting and hopping into bed.”
“When the world starts to open up and you need to do real-life dating well, you’ll need to have this filter of video prior to the date. We think people will not want to risk exposure to the virus for potentially shallow, swiping sorts of dates.”
Click here for the full transcript of our discussion.
Laugh, Love, Connect
The dating and relationships panel was part of an event I organized called “Laugh, Love, Connect.” We gathered over 80 people from around the world and raised $4,000 to support Frontline Foods, a non-profit that’s teamed up with Chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen to help restaurant workers and support healthcare professionals at the same time. So far, they've raised $4 million and delivered more than 70,000 meals to frontline workers in over 150 hospitals nationwide.
You can learn more about Frontline Foods and how to contribute here. Special thanks to the Schusterman Family Foundation for providing a generous micro-grant for this event supporting Covid relief.
What is Mental Distancing?
“Mental Distancing” means staying away from people infected with anger, rudeness, poor thinking, superiority, etc.
[Source: Shane Parrish, Farnam Street - one of my favorite resources for improving your mental operating system]
The Neuroscience of Isolation
We’re all in a heightened state of neuroplasticity right now, according to the research of neuroscience professor Andrew Huberman. Our brains don’t stop changing after childhood. While it’s true that neural plasticity is more robust in our younger years, it can be activated again as adults. The key conditions for learning and new memory formation are stress, urgency, and sleep.
You can read my complete essay here on neuroplasticity and why it’s a great time to be learning something new.
Comedy
Trump News Conference Outtakes
At a recent White House press conference, Dr. Anthony Fauci was asked his thoughts on the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine in treating coronavirus patients, and President Donald Trump interrupted before the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases could answer.
That’s right - Trump wouldn’t let the most trusted medical expert in America answer the question.
That’s like after a beautiful Olympic figure skating routine, a reporter asked Kristi Yamaguchi about triple axels, and Trump was like “I’ll take this one.”
It’s like if a reporter said: Hi, I’ve got a question for Andy Dufresne about what it’s like to escape from Shawshank prison, and Trump’s like - “Hold on, I’d like to address that.”
It’s like if a reporter said: Hi, I have a question for Elie Wiesel about what it’s like to remain hopeful in the face of untold human tragedy, and Trump’s like - “Excuse me, Elie, I got this one.”
[Borrowed from “Lovett or Leave It” - my favorite new podcast of the quarantine era, combines comedy with political and lifestyle commentary. A fantastic new variety show from the geniuses at Crooked Media. It combines comedy with political and lifestyle commentary. Reminds me of vintage Jon Stewart / Daily Show. ]
Children’s Books for the Quarantine Era
I’ve wondered: What would beloved children’s book authors Roald Dahl and Dr. Seuss have to say about the pandemic? Is it time for a new generation of quarantine-inspired children’s books? For example:
The Cat in the Hat who forgot to wash his hands
Green Eggs and Ham are the only things left in my fridge
Jack and the Magic Beanstalk he used to climb the fuck out of New York City
James and the Giant Peach he threw at anyone who came up within 6 feet
The Berenstain bears take a shit in the woods and forget to bring toilet paper
Goodnight Moon, Goodnight Zoom
The Lorax and other Covid symptoms your doctors aren’t telling you
A Light in the Attic where Mommy goes to cry every night
Where the Quarantine Ends
As a children’s book author, your job has never been more important – teaching our nation’s kids about social distancing, how to wash their hands and prevent infection, and how to conserve toilet paper.
A good quarantine children’s book should scare kids just enough so they take precautions like washing their hands, but so much to cause nightmares – mommy and daddy need their alone time late at night.
Song Recommendation: The Magic Toilet Paper Song
I heard this song performed on my friend Ross Everett’s Facebook Live show. I headed over to YouTube and gave it a listen.
Wow. "The Magic Toilet Paper Song" is the best original song I've heard in the quarantine era.
Warm and uplifting, it feels like a comfy cushion for our quarantine fatigue. Kudos to Elizabeth Woolf for this gem.
And while you’re on YouTube, check out Love in the Time of Quarantine - Ross’s new web series. One of the sweetest, most charming things I’ve seen these past few weeks.
Photo of the Week
From a recent social-distanced walk with neighbors in Santa Monica. I’ve always been a big fan of street art. And I really love this piece. A colorful reminder that even when we’re physically apart, we can still find ways to connect.
Until next week,
Daniel Zahler