Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
When I read my post back to myself, I'm shocked at how much I've changed. Now the only places I visit are : the doctor, dentist, hairstylist, optician, and the pharmacy to pickup my meds.
Because of your fear of Covid? That is SO sad... I'm sure you're not the only one who was terrified into dysfunction by the constant, well, "news," though. I'll bet it sparked quite a few hand-washing obsessions, too. Some people are so afraid of dying (unreasonably so, in this case) that they don't live.
It warms my heart to hear so many retirees getting out and about on a daily basis. You are all such an inspiration to me. I absolutely need to leave my safe haven, comfort zone and at least take a walk.
The pandemic changed me. In 2020 we were advised to self-isolate plus it was the year I retired.
I struggle with COVID re-entry anxiety - yes, it's an actual disorder. Some days I feel ready to emerge and face the world but mostly I stay home with my pet birds for company.
I shop online for virtually everything.
Please stay active and healthy everyone.
I thought I was the last person in the world to give up the extreme Covid precautions :-)... but this really amazes even me! I assume you are vaccinated, and not immunosuppressed or have a severe underlying chronic lung disease, right? If so, the likelihood that you'd get a serious form of Covid is not high. It doesn't make sense to lock yourself at home for fear of getting sniffles.
Unless of course you simply enjoy staying in your comfy sheltering home. and you enjoy it more than anything else in the world, Covid or no Covid. In that case, I don't see why you should force yourself to go out. I think if you are happy staying at home, and you have no real reason to go out, then there is no problem at all.
I am on a loner side myself, not because of introversion or any social fear, but I guess I'm just snotty and people bore me :-) - I overwhelmingly prefer to read than to socialize. A few people that I was very close with have somehow all died, and I don't see replacing those relationships with meaningless ones. I'd rather that they didn't die, of course, but since they did, I am cool just being by myself. Anyone who finds that either abnormal or pitiful can go fly a kite; what do I care? :-)
She says she "struggles with Covid re-entry anxiety" (guess that's a bona fide "disorder" now; there's a new one every day), so her isolation doesn't seem desirable to her. Sounds more like selective agoraphobia.
I went back to work part-time after 2.5 years out of the workforce. I do general office admin (tons of past experience) and 2 of the 3 people I work with are also in their 60s. It's worked out great.
Besides that I get out quite often, especially now since the women's college basketball season just started. There are two main colleges (both Division 1) I go to attend games, one cost $7.00 and the other $11.00. I get a great seat every time as there are only a couple of hundred in attendance. The games are very competitive and they play hard. Tons of fun including dancing and the cheerleading. All appreciate you coming to the games.
If anyone reading decides to check it out make sure you ask for your senior discount! All the games that I have attended which includes other schools offer that.
I also attend on average of 8 live music events during the year. That has been my average for quite some time. I prefer the small music venues.
She says she "struggles with Covid re-entry anxiety" (guess that's a bona fide "disorder" now; there's a new one every day), so her isolation doesn't seem desirable to her. Sounds more like selective agoraphobia.
But should she feel that way, or just enjoy it?
In April 2013, I had just finished a work contract, was going to fly for a vacation in the South Pacific, and realized I needed a mosquito repellent because there was some dengue fever where I was going. So I wanted to go to the camping store (I think it was called Eastern Mountain; it has closed since then) in Boston, a few blocks from my home, but when I got outside, I realized it was the day of Boston Marathon, and was annoyed that I had to walk an extra mile to get around all of Back Bay being barricaded for the event. So I was walking towards the store, and from the distance of several blocks saw the bombs go off. I thought it was some stupid form of celebration, but the National Guard and the police immediately appeared and started routing us all (ie, the mass of people on Boylston Av where the runners finish the race) into the side streets, because those two bangs were actually bombs, there were people dead and mangled, and there could have been more bombs in the trashcans all over Back Bay. So... they kept herding us from one street to another, and it took 4 hours of bleakly shuffling around with thousands of other stunned, scared folks, avoiding in panic every trashcan, until I finally returned back home (which would normally take me 10 minutes since I live in Back Bay). I can't describe the feeling when I finally closed, locked and chained the door of my tiny home sweet home condo. If that is the feeling which people with agoraphobia have every day, than maybe we should actually envy them, considering how profoundly good the feeling is? Plus, think how much money can agoraphobia save you in retirement. I'm really not so sure that agoraphobia should mean an abnormality or suffering in retirement .
She should just enjoy it if she enjoys it, but the use of the words "struggling" and "anxiety" suggest to me, at least, that she's not enjoying it.
Well maybe she doesn't know that she could just enjoy it, since the "popular opinion" keeps telling her that she should be miserable about it? If she listens to her own real feelings rather than to popular opinion, maybe she'd be much happier?
My dog gets me out of the house daily, otherwise I'd never emerge (except for grocery shopping). I live alone, quite content with my own company. I have acquaintances, but no BFF's as the two I was closest to died and at my age it's too much of a chore to develop new ones.
I'm not entirely solitary though, as my b/f comes to stay every weekend, but he's a recluse so even then we don't go anywhere. Fine with me.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I absolutely need to leave my safe haven, comfort zone and at least take a walk. 
.
