How are you dealing with the changes brought about by this pandemic?

[Tinbai]

Been out of work for 3 months now, and so I have been battling with mixed feelings. Anxiety, uncertainty...but also hope and faith. I wonder how you are feeling at this point? What do you consider the most challenging phase when it comes to huge changes like this?

 

Thanks.

[smackie9]

Sorry you are going through tough times. I am fortunate to be working (essential service) and living in a part of the world where there are few cases because things were implemented by the government almost immediately. The Challenging part at the beginning was people not the pandemic. The hording was very upsetting, the discrimination of our Chinese citizens and harassment against people wearing masks was ridiculous. And those who are defiant not to follow the rules, spitting on police, EMTs etc. I have come hate people more than ever lol.

[greendots]

Sorry to hear that it's been tough on your end!

 

It hasn't been easy. Whirlwinds and vortexes of different scales. Granted, my perspective is skewed as I've got a computer with a functioning internet connection and a warm bed to sleep in. What has been helping me through this is my faith (it's my north), having a gratefulness mindset and knowing that in the long-term I'll be okay.

[Cherylyn]

My husband and I are tele working. While we feel awful about this COVID-19 pandemic, we're actually giddy because tele working is a heck of a lot easier than awaking at 4AM, enduring long commutes, exhaustion by Friday, short weekends and spending a ton of money on gas for our cars not to mention getting caught in daily traffic. I'm loving every minute of this pandemic because suddenly I have time to cook which I enjoy immensely, working on hobbies, have time to read my books (not e-books), corresponding with friends, taking leisurely walks with my husband and a wonderful break from local relatives and in-laws. We're well rested and industrious at the home front. I've decluttered, my house is spotless and organized. We're well stocked between my garage and house pantries. I have a house fridge and garage fridge and freezer. I don't need to shop a lot. While everyone else is grumbling, we're kicking our heels!

 

I would say the most challenging phase is missing my local best friend. During pre-COVID-19, we would get together at least several times a month for meals, all day shopping outings, walks and catch up on whatever is going on in each others lives. I really miss her a lot. We text a lot but it's not the same.

[melancholy123]

I seem to be one of few who are fine and life is not much different. I work at home with an online business. I don't need to go out very often, and I hate shopping anyway. No desire to go to the mall, ever. I live in a rural area in Ontario, Canada, nobody is sick anywhere near me. My adult kids come over fairly often, we do social distancing. My husband works on our business with me and he's a car guy so he's got his cars to keep himself amused. We walk around the block several times a week and generally don't see anyone.

[Capricorn3]

I seem to be one of few who are fine and life is not much different. I work at home with an online business. I don't need to go out very often, and I hate shopping anyway. No desire to go to the mall, ever. I live in a rural area in Ontario, Canada, nobody is sick anywhere near me. My adult kids come over fairly often, we do social distancing. My husband works on our business with me and he's a car guy so he's got his cars to keep himself amused. We walk around the block several times a week and generally don't see anyone.

 

Same here. Not much has changed for us. Pretty happy actually. Go for daily walks on the beach (which is usually empty and not a soul in sight) and only go grocery shopping when necessary. Hate the malls anyway and rarely go there.

[boltnrun]

I think I would be mostly OK except for work (have to be in a building with 180 other people, at a location where six employees have contracted Covid) and how people seem to want to clamp onto me while I'm trying to grocery shop. I try to practice appropriate social distancing but people come on up, right where I am standing, and crowd me. Why do they need to do that??? Get away from me!

 

Going for walks is OK, I have an escape route from other people. And I live 7 short blocks from the beach. Weather is lovely (except, overcast in the morning). Once my online training is complete and when I'm not working I will be going on more walks.

[Rose Mosse]

Bolt, can you go grocery shopping or do your shopping early hours? I try to go in the first hour it opens or in the last hour before closing. I walked into a grocery store by mistake around 1 pm ish on Monday (yesterday) and did a U turn out of there.

 

Not much has changed for me except that I moved recently. Everything else is the same but I feel fortunate to say that. I'm looking at joining a tennis club but first I want to practice my swing a bit more!

[boltnrun]

Bolt, can you go grocery shopping or do your shopping early hours? I try to go in the first hour it opens or in the last hour before closing. I walked into a grocery store by mistake around 1 pm ish on Monday and did a U turn out of there.

 

Not much has changed for me except that I moved recently. Everything else is the same but I feel fortunate to say that. I'm looking at joining a tennis club but first I want to practice my swing a bit more!

 

I can't currently go early because they reserve the first hour for seniors and high risk individuals, plus I am attending training that starts at 7:30 AM. Previously I was going super early and always ended up waiting in line to get in. Now if I go in the late morning or afternoon there are no lines. And I can't go in the evening because I'd lose my street parking spot and parking spots are like gold around here. Whenever I leave there is someone waiting to take my parking spot. No assigned parking.

 

I just go, get my things as quickly as possible and high tail it outta there. I follow the 6/15 rule...Dr. Gupta says exposure equates to being less than 6 feet from an infectious person for 15 minutes or more. So I don't stay close to anyone for more than 2-3 minutes. If there are a lot of people in one aisle I go to another one and come back in a few minutes. If someone clamps onto me I walk away. But it's still aggravating!

[Capricorn3]

Bolt, can you order your groceries online and have them deliver for you?

[Rose Mosse]

I can't currently go early because they reserve the first hour for seniors and high risk individuals, plus I am attending training that starts at 7:30 AM. Previously I was going super early and always ended up waiting in line to get in. Now if I go in the late morning or afternoon there are no lines. And I can't go in the evening because I'd lose my street parking spot and parking spots are like gold around here. Whenever I leave there is someone waiting to take my parking spot. No assigned parking.

 

I just go, get my things as quickly as possible and high tail it outta there. I follow the 6/15 rule...Dr. Gupta says exposure equates to being less than 6 feet from an infectious person for 15 minutes or more. So I don't stay close to anyone for more than 2-3 minutes. If there are a lot of people in one aisle I go to another one and come back in a few minutes. If someone clamps onto me I walk away. But it's still aggravating!

 

Ok I see what you mean. That's a good idea about the 2-3 min rule. I try to do the same. Costco is pretty strict about that kind of thing also. The employees are always hollering and reminding people to keep moving, to grab what you need and keep going. I'm in Canada though. I don't know if they do that also in the US.

 

I haven't tried the ordering groceries online yet but my friend who just flew in from ON is doing it (in quarantine) and he says it's fantastic.

[Spawn]

Sorry to hear tinbai. Are you living alone or you are supporting a family? I have been alone all this while, Mom is at our ancestral place, Sister is with her family in CA, SF. we do video calls but do reach out to friends, extended family be in touch.

 

I work with an ISP so work for home is an option they have provided, they haven't laid off people yet but our project is the only project with work these days and some colleagues are on bench and might be asked to leave with a severance package.

Hiring is froze completely as customers have stopped payment or deferred it for few months.

 

I have few blocks nearby that's completely quarantined by authorities so for groceries and all i do Amazon few other online stores. They deliver late but its ok. People don't wear masks, i sometimes go out just to catch a glimpse of the world around me.

 

Things will stay tough for a while am trying to build up on my skills by taking up courses so whenever markets open and things start working again i don't have to be stuck with few options. Salary is my only income for now have home loan interest and other stuff to pay every month, a job loss will surely add to the pressure.

 

Hang in there am sure things will change don't lose hope.

[boltnrun]

I've tried doing grocery pickup. Problem I've been having is, I'll place and order and every time I get a message that some items (usually the things I need the most) are "unavailable". And it's always when it's too late to cancel the order. So I end up going to the store in person and wow! Those items are in stock! So I'm not going to bother anymore since I end up having to go in person anyway!

 

As for delivery, most places don't have any delivery times sooner than a week away. And I'd really rather pick out my own stuff anyway. I've just made peace that I have to go, just like I have to go to the laundromat because I have no laundry facility at my new apartment.

 

However, my pharmacy called me today and told me I can have my prescriptions mailed to me. And it only takes 2-3 days! That is amazing, one less place I have to go. Although my new therapist does want me to try to go out more (safely, of course).

 

My state is one that has extreme spikes in cases. They are growing exponentially. However, that isn't really new here, this state has been a hot spot all along. Masks are required in all retail establishments and in all restaurants while getting takeout. I have not been getting takeout and probably won't. But it's good to know my state is still requiring masks. Many states are not.

 

Also very fortunate that my job is not at risk, although I am not looking forward to when I will be told to report to work at one of the locations. Almost all locations have had Covid cases. Too many people crammed into too small a space and no way to avoid it.

[ChellyV]

I have been working from home for a public agency, extremely thankful to still be employed. My 2nd job paused, which causes mild hardship. Only problem is weight gain, things are ok on my end. Consciously enforcing positivity everyday. I live alone and initially it was hard. Slowly I developed a routine, have a number of close friends and my kids to talk to everyday. I dread returning onsite, which was announced to happen mid July.

 

Neighbors across the street caught COVID, so I am very cautious of my outdoor activities. I can’t give up 3 mile walks everyday and 30 minute Beach Body workout, I feel its better than vitamins for me right now. These neighbors are high risk and appear to be getting better now, just not yet allowed to be out of their home till the 27th.

 

Please hang in there. Look for gigs, if that appeals to you i.e. Instacart delivery agent (high demand these days). FEMA is hiring, though slow.

[Spawn]

oh i forgot to add stopped watching CNN, BBC, Fox daily it just adds to the anxiety and fear.

Self care , self motivation, yoga meditation exercises to keep yourself wee bit fit is also a key to get through this.

have you thought of doing some online jobs, may be work up on the linkedin profile a bit and start applying, quite a lot of free courses on udemy and linkedin am not sure what is your area of interests here, work up on it slowly.

[Wiseman2]

Agree. I cut way down on news media. Only read or watch to stay informed but cut back on all the noise.

[Batya33]

Been out of work for 3 months now, and so I have been battling with mixed feelings. Anxiety, uncertainty...but also hope and faith. I wonder how you are feeling at this point? What do you consider the most challenging phase when it comes to huge changes like this?

 

Thanks.

 

I see so many variations on how this is affecting people so I'm not sure my personal experience is relevant. We're both teleworking and have a school age child. All his school activities and trips and camps are cancelled. We have no backyard so outdoor time is limited. We had to cancel our summer plane trips and trips. We're all healthy. I feel more anxious at times- for example I had to go to the dentist yesterday which recently reopened, I am working much harder around the house/childcare and am desperate for more me time, I am not sleeping as well either. Shopping is very stressful at times and much more time consuming. My workload is much lighter by choice and I wish it didn't have to be that way -meaning my paid work. Not knowing how school will operate in August/september is stressful too.

 

I don't think there's a "challenging phase"- one day blends into the next. I've never been through a pandemic or riots/protests at the same time but I lived through 9-11 as a working adult. This has some similarities. No "phase" there either. But life changing.

[Wiseman2]

🙁😷 Getting discouraged.

 

"More than 35,000 new coronavirus cases were identified across the United States on Tuesday, according to a New York Times database, the highest single-day total since late April and the third-highest total of any day of the pandemic.

 

As the United States continues to reopen its economy, case numbers are rising in more than 20 states, mostly in the South and West. Florida on Wednesday reported a new daily high of 5,508 cases. Texas reported more than 5,000 cases on Tuesday, its largest single-day total yet. Arizona added more than 3,600 cases, also a record. And in Washington State, where case numbers are again trending upward, the governor said residents would have to start wearing masks in public."

 

United States

On June 23

14-day change

Trend

New cases

35,023

+40%

▶

New deaths

833

–30%

▶

[boltnrun]

That's because people didn't want to stay home anymore. They want to go bowling and to Cracker Barrel and to get their nails done. And no one is brave enough to enforce regulations because the politicians just want to be reelected.

[Cherylyn]

That's because people didn't want to stay home anymore. They want to go bowling and to Cracker Barrel and to get their nails done. And no one is brave enough to enforce regulations because the politicians just want to be reelected.

 

Also, the problem is not everyone is compliant with wearing a mask, social distancing 6ft apart (or 2 meters apart), people want to party, go to clubs, host gatherings in their home or in public, protest in crowds with spitting while bunched together and have the "me-ism" attitude. Or, "No, you're not going to tell me what to do! I want my freedom! I refuse to wear a mask! If I want to socialize in large groups, no one will stop me!" I see people who don't wear masks in public. There's a lot of defiance out there and we wonder why our numbers haven't decreased as they have in Germany and South Korea. It's not rocket science.

 

Oh well, even though I feel bad about this COVID-19 pandemic, the longer this pandemic drags out, the more my husband and I get to wear shorts and t-shirts at home while tele working, the happier I am. I'm off the hook from social obligations with local relatives and in-laws and I'll remain giddy as I continue to march to the beat of my own drum. My husband buys groceries, we cook together, finish our household chores together and it's all good.

[Seraphim]

Currently, not well.

[LaHermes]

Just a snippet from "here" (we are not all in the U.S.A.)

 

"As of midnight on 21 June, 92% of all confirmed cases to date are estimated to have recovered from the disease."

 

Today:

 

"six more Covid-19 related deaths confirmed by the Department of Health, bringing the total death toll here to 1,726."

 

I don't want to be under house arrest either but that's how it has been. I find it irksome and it doesn't suit me. Restrictions are being eased slowly.

 

I don't feel either scared or anxious, it isn't in my nature. Soon I'll be back in the air again.

 

I dislike shopping at the best of times but the trip to the supermarket was almost like a delightful outing (not) over the past weeks.

 

And like Wiseman I don't watch the news and all the corona panic being peddled on so many channels. As I said, I check out the WHO website now and then.

 

Just to remark that there is a sharp rise in mental health issues due to the lockdown.

[Fudgie]

Stuff sucks. I work in healthcare so my job is more stressful now (not working with COVID pts but I am in long term care so...) and I can't see my friends. I am limited when I can see my family. I live alone so I am alone pretty much all the time outside of working. I work and I go to school, but school is online, can't go to a library at all either.

 

Life sucks.

[Fudgie]

 

Just to remark that there is a sharp rise in mental health issues due to the lockdown.

 

 

Tell me about it. Domestic abuse too is on the rise in the US, but especially in my area. Lots of reports of domestic fights, some with knives/guns. People trying to kill themselves. People fighting in large groups, lots of bad things.

 

I myself have had to go up on my medications since this whole thing started.

[boltnrun]

I can't enjoy relaxing at home when I know so many people are dying. And yes, most recover but lots have permanent damage.