How Long Before You Crack Up?

[The Larch]

For those working from home and not used to it, if possible try to separate each side of life, work and personal space. If possible, use a separate room that you can ignore when you're not working. I've always worked from my guest bedroom, for instance.

How do you ignore it when you have a hot young houseguest?

When I have guests I work from the kitchen. 

[Threviel]

By now I've worked in my garage for a week. My back is starting to hurt.

The Corona guy at the office is back at work and on Monday I'll go back to work also.

[KRonn]

I'm still doing ok. I used to occasionally go out to eat but not that often, so I'm fine there. For those infrequent trips to coffee shop or pharmacy I wear a face mask. I'm skipping a week or so for grocery shopping. I have enough, had enough prior to the apocalypse for a good while. I think growing up with parents and grandparents who went through the depression they kept a stock of food and I've done the same. Grocery store trips are for the less needed or more perishable items like milk, fruit, etc.

I keep in touch with family and friends more often, especially elder ones. I take walks often and there are always a lot of people and families out and about.

I work at home and like it and when we go back to the office I'm going to request to work at home  a day a week. Most people were already doing so one or two days a week. Me being part time and a short hop to the office building I never bothered before.

[merithyn]

So.... as an extroverty extrovert, this is really starting to get to me. I'm chatting with people all day, I'm on video chats regularly with friends and family, do a weekly "happy hour" with my brother, sister, and their families, etc.

I had plans to head out to see a friend that was stymied, and I'm not best pleased about that.

I miss going into a restaurant. I miss hugging my friends. I miss stitch and bitches. I miss SCA events. I miss hiking. I miss so damn much. I'm trying really hard not to focus on those things, though, and instead focus on worrying about my friends and kids who are still going to work every day (yes, PDH, this includes you). That's healthier, yes?

It's becoming very clear that many of the things that I enjoy won't be possible until into 2021. It sucks and I'm not happy about it, but it's not like I can control any of that. So I'm plodding along and dealing with it.

[mongers]

So.... as an extroverty extrovert, this is really starting to get to me. I'm chatting with people all day, I'm on video chats regularly with friends and family, do a weekly "happy hour" with my brother, sister, and their families, etc.

I had plans to head out to see a friend that was stymied, and I'm not best pleased about that.

I miss going into a restaurant. I miss hugging my friends. I miss stitch and bitches. I miss SCA events. I miss hiking. I miss so damn much. I'm trying really hard not to focus on those things, though, and instead focus on worrying about my friends and kids who are still going to work every day (yes, PDH, this includes you). That's healthier, yes?

It's becoming very clear that many of the things that I enjoy won't be possible until into 2021. It sucks and I'm not happy about it, but it's not like I can control any of that. So I'm plodding along and dealing with it.

I guess many of us have or need to come to this realisation.

Hang in there Meri.

Have you thought of taking up computer games? 

[mongers]

I don't get to crack up that way.  I get to come into work and deal with mail, packages, freight, etc all day.  Luckily these are coming from all over handled in warehouses where people are getting sick...oh wait, maybe that's why I'm cracking up.

That's one of the reasons I've stopped buying things online, both to 'protect' my family, but also not over tax warehouse delivery workers, their jobs will come back after the lockdowns end.

[Sheilbh]

So.... as an extroverty extrovert, this is really starting to get to me. I'm chatting with people all day, I'm on video chats regularly with friends and family, do a weekly "happy hour" with my brother, sister, and their families, etc.

I had plans to head out to see a friend that was stymied, and I'm not best pleased about that.

I miss going into a restaurant. I miss hugging my friends. I miss stitch and bitches. I miss SCA events. I miss hiking. I miss so damn much. I'm trying really hard not to focus on those things, though, and instead focus on worrying about my friends and kids who are still going to work every day (yes, PDH, this includes you). That's healthier, yes?

It's becoming very clear that many of the things that I enjoy won't be possible until into 2021. It sucks and I'm not happy about it, but it's not like I can control any of that. So I'm plodding along and dealing with it.

I am probably not as extroverted as you. But I definitely get what you're saying. And I am doing things and setting myself targets because it keeps me occupied and not freaking out about not leaving the house or seeing people which is driving me crazy (and Zoom etc only kind of help because I'll see people - as a group - but I won't get a chance to you know, have a chat with one person for a few minutes). It's difficult.

Also - to be honest I am weirdly kind of grateful when I get busy with work which I normally massively resent.

[The Brain]

Thankfully I'm introverted af, I can keep this up for a long time.

[Barrister]

I think this would be absolutely terrible to go through this living alone, but wife and kids fills the need for human contact.  I'm still grateful for when they go to bed and I can be alone.   

[Grey Fox]

I'm an introvert and I get what Meri is saying. I miss my coworkers, I really miss chitchat. I miss not having to constantly make sure my kids have something to do.

[KRonn]

I'm an introvert and I get what Meri is saying. I miss my coworkers, I really miss chitchat. I miss not having to constantly make sure my kids have something to do.

I'm kind of the same, an introvert and while I don't mind not being as active as usual, I think I'll be glad when I can see some people at work, or visit normally with elder relatives.

[The Larch]

I personally keep my sanity by thinking that, sooner or later, measures will be relaxed and I'll be able to go outside and enjoy some fresh air. What gives me a chill, after speaking today with my mother, is the realization that almost surely my parents will not be able to enjoy this future hypothetical relaxation and will have to stay confined for way longer than me.

[Zanza]

The lockdown here is not as strict as I can go out whenever and for whatever purpose I want. There is just nowhere to go other than having a walk through a closed-down town or the forest nearby, which gets a bit boring. I might drive a bit further to go hiking next weekend.

My "cracking up" comes from two reasons: the recent lifting of restrictions seems arbitrary so it's harder to accept them. And you see the people who are supposed to be protected from these rules flaunting them the most. Based on my anecdotal perception, younger people seem to be much better following these rules than older people here. These two aspects lessen my discipline in following the social distancing rules.

Of course that's far from actually cracking up, but I notice that I get more and more annoyed by the situation and less disciplined about the rules when out in public.

[KRonn]

I can go out, walk around, visit parks, drive to the coffee shop and hardware store. There isn't a lot of traffic and I don't go out often but there are no heavy restrictions on personal movement in most of Massachusetts. But same as in many areas of the country, most stores and restaurants (except for take-out or delivery) are closed. In Boston they have much stricter rules but I'm well into the suburbs away from the city.

[Maladict]

Based on my anecdotal perception, younger people seem to be much better following these rules than older people here.

Yeah, seriously. Just had a friend tell me my 70 year old parents have been visiting his 80 year old mother. It's strictly not against the rules, but wtf.
When I phoned them they told me that of course they would have preferred to visit me or my sister, but knowing we wouldn't let them in they figured they'd visit someone who would.