JERUSALEM (JTA) — Jewish astronaut Jessica Meir has advice about how to stay mentally healthy while living in isolation, as the people on Earth she left behind last fall now are because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Meir spoke on Friday from the International Space Station, where she has lived since late September with a handful of other astronauts, in a clip posted on the Twitter feed of the United States Embassy in Jerusalem.
“It is very strange and a bit surreal for us to see it all unfold when we’ve been up here for the entire duration of what’s going on down on the ground and it seems that we will be completely going back to a different planet,” Meir said.
Meir recommended that people in isolation in their homes stay mentally and physically healthy by sticking to their regular routines, exercising and staying in regular contact with friends and family.
In March, Meir posted on Twitter a photo of Tel Aviv that she took from space, in which the usually bustling Israeli city is seen looking desolate amid the spread of the coronavirus.
“Gazing down at the city in which my father was raised, I take to heart one of his most uttered expressions, ‘This too shall pass’. Wise words to remember, in both good times and bad. Goodnight #TelAviv #Israel! #GoodnightFromSpace #TheJourney #EarthStrong,” she tweeted at the time.
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