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 don't know. I am sleeping well some nights, not well others. I will be financially leveled by this. Other aspects of my personal life are not stellar.
We are retired. We have had “paper losses” but we are going to be able to ride this out, financially. We began gradually cutting back contact last week. I can say now that the only contact I have had outside my house during this last week, was when I sent a package via UPS on Sunday. I have begun walking in the afternoons, keeping distance between other walkers and bike riders.
We ordered supplemental groceries yesterday, so I did not make it 10 days on the food I bought the previous Friday. I could have done, but we wanted to try ordering. My advice—order as early in the day as possible!
My biggest concern has been DH’s very bad cold. He feels bad when he gets a cold, and never seems to understand how to make himself more comfortable. I quizzed him repeatedly about how he was feeling, and had him take his temp several times. Yesterday he felt much better. Today, he is again better. So I am less worried about him. But when he began with the coughing out of his chest, it was scary. I am so thankful he is better.
I need to work in my yard, and I need to order some plants. For some reason, I have been reluctant to proceed. I don’t know why. I have been doing much more thinking about food. Doing more cooking, because I know we can’t impulsively go out for food.
Facetime with the grands has been a treat every time.
If only more people would try enjoying life with far less people surrounding them, the stress levels might just go way down and the energy/focus levels way up. Once upon a time, we called this style of living "natural high."
Ooooo- don't say that. You aren't taking it seriously enough
I don't see why that poster's concern is any less than my concern about losing my job. I don't think anyone would say that poster isn't serious. Like I said, we all have different things about this situation that worry us (except those carefree lucky few).
Today I had to process $60k in refunds for cancelled training seminars. That might not be a lot to a big company, but I work for a small place and that is a lot of money to us. And that's just refunding people, that's not paying possible cancellation fees we may have to pay. If this keeps up and these meetings keep getting cancelled, they are going to need to lay off staff.
Maybe that poster's concern is less selfish than mine (I am kind of hyper focused on the job things right now).
At least my mom has finally decided to stop gallivanting around and I don't have to worry about her as much. But I think it's because her state closed down everything.
I'm more concerned about the threat to our civil liberties than deaths from the virus. More people die from car accidents every day than do from this virus. Yet do they close down the roads because of it?
With all due respect, I think you are missing the point. The major problem, as I see it, is the possible loss of 1% of our population, and secondarily the real possibility of overwhelming our hospitals with very sick patients.
People have given up some personal freedoms during wartime. In 1918 people temporarily gave up freedoms when they were placed under strict quarantine. These were not permanent changes, and I see no reason why what is happening now is any different.
And, the changes in our freedom to move about are done state by state, as needed. It is not as if the feds have issued top down, all encompassing restrictions. No one is coming for your guns, no one is restricting your speech, and no one is expecting any of this to be permanent.
And, you still can “assemble” or worship electronically.
I really think the worse threat now is a health threat.
With all due respect, I think you are missing the point. The major problem, as I see it, is the possible loss of 1% of our population, and secondarily the real possibility of overwhelming our hospitals with very sick patients.
People have given up some personal freedoms during wartime. In 1918 people temporarily gave up freedoms when they were placed under strict quarantine. These were not permanent changes, and I see no reason why what is happening now is any different.
And, the changes in our freedom to move about are done state by state, as needed. It is not as if the feds have issued top down, all encompassing restrictions. No one is coming for your guns, no one is restricting your speech, and no one is expecting any of this to be permanent.
And, you still can “assemble” or worship electronically.
I really think the worse threat now is a health threat.
The worst threat is the economic threat. In fact the worst threat is the textbook adage of the medicine being worse than the disease.
In 1918 and 1939 there was substantial and credible threat of entire nations getting wiped out. This actually happened in Europe and Asia. But if 1% of the population succumbs - or even 10% - the aggregate loss is arguably much worse.
Look for example at the devastation wreaked upon the USSR in WW2. It lost around 27 million people, or maybe 12% of its population. But the loss in industry, economy and basic fabric of life, was far worse. If 12% of its people summarily disappeared, losing their lives in as it were peaceful conditions, the harm woudl have been far less.
A death is a death, to be sure. But the dead disappear; they're no longer affected. The ones who are affected are the one remaining alive.
Am I full of it? Well, I would gladly volunteer to be executed, not in heroic sacrifice to forestall mass suffering, as is the propaganda in wartime; but simply to be rid of the travails of what happens post-apocalypse. Could I dial a special number, summon armed police officers, and have them discharge their side-arms into my chest? If so, I'd dial that number before even finishing this sentence...
But there is no such number. Instead I'll be joining the rest of us, who will somehow have to spend the remainder of our lives - maybe several decades - muddling through the wreckage.
I am afraid to feel my fear so I stuff it in a box and stuff it in the bottom drawer. Some day I will let it all out, but now is not the time. Believe it or not, I sleep fine and don't obsess. Of course, subject to change at the drop of a dime.
We saw this coming back in late January. The good side of that was we were able to stock up food well before all the panic buying started. I put aside our tax refund into our savings so we'd have it just in case things got bad. So because of those early things I am much less anxious than I would be.
However I am very afraid for my high risk mother, my father-in-law who has kidney cancer, my sister-in-law who is a nurse, and my grandma who is 92. So many of my family members are high risk that it just keeps me up at night tossing and turning. Not to mention my husband is still not allowed to work from home even though he's a network Specialist and everything he needs to do, he can do from home easily, but his boss is a jerk. I am terrified he's going to get sick.
In answer to your question though, I try to limit my exposure to the news to only checking a limited amount of times each day. Music soothes me so I put on some music and work outside in the yard. Just hearing the birds chirping helps and the fresh cool air. I decorated my house for spring, and out out all my fun bunny knick knacks. I enjoy baking so listening to music and baking up some yummy treats helps. We live in a rural area so going for a quiet walk feels good too.
Lastly I pour myself a small alcoholic drink if I really want to relax and just chill my mind a bit. I was so wound up earlier and I had a small glass of a margarita and then I was less tense. Not something anyone should do super often, but sometimes a glass of wine, or something can help take the edge off.
Oh and I read books. Funny, light hearted ones. Or I watch funny comedians on YouTube or Netflix. Laughing helps a lot.
All of the above sounds great!
Also, Google music for nervous dogs. I just say "Hey, Google! Play dog music!" I get continuous relaxing music which seems to calm both me and my pets!
Try watching things like The History Channel, and Turner Classic Movies. Old movies help take your mind off the current issues. Just don't watch The Stand, or Casandra Crossing
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.
