How is everyone holding up?

[JamesG_UK]

deleted

[Merritt]

What I'm finding a bit difficult is that I've tried to get into the habit of leaving the house most days, if only to pop to the shops, and now that good habit is suddenly bad, but my emotions haven't really caught up yet so I feel like a useless piece of plop staying in day after day. In a weird state where I feel guilty for doing the right thing

[Dougella]

^ I feel the same, I've kind of had to give myself a task to do each day like hoovering or some housework thing so I feel like I've done something. Luckily I don't think my mental health is suffering too much so far, maybe because the weather's been sunny too, but I do worry that it might.

[Veni Vidi Vado]

I thought Itd be a breeze since I've pretty much been training for an event like this my whole life ,but I'm climbing up the walls already and I've already used up my state mandated daily exercise session today ,í*½í¸“.

[Indigo_]

I'm looking forward to cleaning the bathrooms tomorrow Isolating as much as I can. I've been getting more exercise in, a 30 minute walk each day. I've just been working from home all week so trying to keep that structured work routine going, getting up early, etc. My partner works in a supermarket, so I do worry about him.

[T]

Kinda abit stressy to be honest i'm still in work as the construction industry hasn't shutdown yet but i can see it shutting down very soon as the stores where we get our materials from are closing one by one so we won't be able to our job... also just trying to becareful regarding this virus... MH has gone abit south as i'm not climbing at the mo which does wonders for my MH so its affecting my mood alot...also i've booked one or two trips that i've had to cancel and going to a festival in june which i cannot see it going ahead so just waiting on them to cancel... I'm trying to keep busy and focused as i've got one or two projects for the garden over the coming weeks... painting fences and creating a border also need to improve the grass as its got load of moss in it so need to get rid of that...



Also i'm kinda worried for my parents esp my mum as she has COPD and this virus can effect it so she's self isolating with my dad at present and i can't pop round to see them which i often do... we do video calling a few times a week which is nice but its not the same as seeing them in the flesh


So in all i'm hanging on my the skin of my teeth but how long i'm not so sure!

[Jen.]

Feeling increasingly worse each day in terms of loneliness and isolation. I do mostly enjoy my own company and have happily lived by myself for years, but I need to spend time with other people too. Whenever there's an imbalance one way or the other it really gets to me. I usually never go more than three or four days without speaking to anyone and apart from one quick conversation from a distance it's been nearly three weeks since I've seen anyone now. I hate not knowing how long there is left of this. I think it would only be half as bad if there was a specific date to look forward to, however far away that would be.

Apart from loneliness, the restrictions don't bother me too much. I used to go for two long walks every day and then also go to a cafe or wherever to work sometimes, which has now changed to one even longer walk per day and only working from home. I don't really mind this change since the weather has been good this week so I've been doing a lot of exercise in the garden. I could probably just go for two walks per day anyway, nobody is checking and it seems quiet enough out there.

[Moksha]

I’m not that bothered about the virus itself (I don’t think). Maybe because it doesn’t seem quite real. That’s partly down to the fact that no one near me has caught it, let alone died from it. But it’s also because I am so isolated, so cut off from society, that I watch it from a distance, like a spectator. Nothing that happens in the real world seems to have anything to do with me.

Of course, the thought of anything happening to my mother or sister upsets me. And I have been almost in tears listening to some of the phone ins (a lot of good people really are suffering). As for myself, though I am scared of death, and terrified of gasping my life away on a ventilator, the idea of not existing anymore is very appealing. I am a 40-something man with no talent, no career, no partner or kids; I still have mental health problems, and my memories are mostly bad, so it’s not like I have anything to lose. The best years are over, and they were ****ing horrible! My own future isn’t worth staying alive for. (If it was an asteroid instead of a virus about to take out everyone instantly and painlessly, including my mother and sister, it would be a welcome relief).

[edbander]

just seen this from twitter..

[Percy]

Originally Posted by T

Kinda abit stressy to be honest i'm still in work as the construction industry hasn't shutdown yet but i can see it shutting down very soon as the stores where we get our materials from are closing one by one so we won't be able to our job... also just trying to becareful regarding this virus... MH has gone abit south as i'm not climbing at the mo which does wonders for my MH so its affecting my mood alot...also i've booked one or two trips that i've had to cancel and going to a festival in june which i cannot see it going ahead so just waiting on them to cancel... I'm trying to keep busy and focused as i've got one or two projects for the garden over the coming weeks... painting fences and creating a border also need to improve the grass as its got load of moss in it so need to get rid of that...



Also i'm kinda worried for my parents esp my mum as she has COPD and this virus can effect it so she's self isolating with my dad at present and i can't pop round to see them which i often do... we do video calling a few times a week which is nice but its not the same as seeing them in the flesh


So in all i'm hanging on my the skin of my teeth but how long i'm not so sure!

You work in the construction industry Trevor? Interesting.

[Jam]

Originally Posted by biscuits

@jam awww that picture of your family made my heart smile a warm one. they have grown so much!

Thank you kindly. She's now 6, and he'll be 2 in July.

[BFG_]

Wondering how the government is going to get the nation back outside again after this is all over. How many new agoraphobics will exist. Am I the only one enjoying not having to go outside.

A few weeks ago I got banned from driving for six weeks for speeding....couldn't really have timed a driving ban much better if I'd tried(entire country on lockdown and unable to drive at the same time). I've had two years of hell in my job hated every moment dealing with the complete morons I'm forced to have as managers. This lockdown is like a holiday compared to my previous daily routine.

Just prior to lockdown I built myself an ebike out of a mountain bike I bought back in 1993 so I've been enjoying riding that around. It's got a range of 75 miles been trying to find out if there's a distance limit to our daily exercise allowance but nothing online tells cyclists how far they can ride.

Guess I'm lucky due to my job I have enough ppe safety stuff to have full hazmat suit including full hooded powered respirator paper suits gloves etc probably get some funny looks in a couple of months time if I have to go food shopping but not as much as that woman who tried shopping in her zorb ball.

[T]

Originally Posted by Percy

You work in the construction industry Trevor? Interesting.

Well street light business but were still going in for now!

[anxiouslondoner]

^^ I must confess I've been eyeing up diving helmets on Ebay with quite some interest lately...
Might be a bit heavy to cycle in though.

[gregarious_introvert]

It's pretty much business as usual for me - except I'm not travelling.

Today, two toilet rolls appeared at my back door (hardly needed as I have a dozen in the house, although the thought is appreciated) and a box of vegetables has been placed on one of the benches of the communal lawn with a note saying "Help yourself". There aren't actually any shortages in the shops locally, although only Aldi (five miles away, the nearest supermarket) has any toilet roll; maybe the mysterious benefactor is thinking that these bungalows are occupied mostly by those over retirement age who may not be able to travel to the shops right now?

[Azalea]

I'm definitely finding it hard, my kids are 90 miles away and I won't see them till the end of June at the earliest as I have to stay in for 12 weeks
I have plenty to do, just finding it hard to get motivated.

[Jen.]

Been feeling quite panicky this weekend, finding myself walking around the house trying to think of something to do. I keep starting things and then quickly losing interest. I made a couple of video calls this morning but I think doing that is actually increasing the feeling of loneliness now.

[ynwa247]

terrible lol

[Appear]

Actually not too bad considering I'm currently confined to a single room because I woke up with a slight cough yesterday (that I'm pretty sure doesn't come close to the NHS's definition of persistent) and my parents are super worried about catching it. I've coughed like twice today and don't feel ill, but they're still keen I stay in another 5 days (which I kind of agree with). Joy. Thankfully I have a sea view and a bit of balcony to go out on, so it really could be worse.

Not sure how I'm going to feel a few days from now though... I'm rather wishing I didn't come back here and moved in with the Welsh one.

Think I'll be struggling more months down the line with the fallout of this...

[Blackflies]

Natural hermit so as others have said, my life is as it was. However seeing all these memes and funny videos on how extroverts are coping with this, does really bring it forward just how different my life is. Hearing people on the news discuss the negative effects on mental health of being stuck inside and the importance of outside exercise, really brings it to the surface of just how my lifestyle has probably slowly chipped the life out of me over time.

@ Appear- one room sounded a nightmare, until you added a balcony and a sea view. Perfect thinking spot that.

[Counterpoint]

Feeling rather sad. I escaped reality into ‘Crocodile Dundee’ this evening only to read that the actor Mark Blum (who played Linda Kozlowski’s fiancé) has just died at 69 from COVID-19 related complications. Also one of my favourite singer songwriters, John Prine, is critically ill with the virus.

It brings home the enormity of the situation and how far reaching it is.

[newbs16]

When I need to visit the local shop I feel quite vulnerable when walking around when nobody is about, I feel that people who are up to no good are still about waiting to pounce, maybe I'm just paranoid.

There are nice people, someone held back so we're two metres apart and someone else asked if I wanted to be served first and held the open open for me, even touching door handles is quite weird I'll be happy when this is over and we can all get back to normal.

[Toxic]

Literally indifferent. Biggest issue is trying to get food delivery shops.

The hermits have had years of practice for this moment.

I did walk the dog yesterday though and found myself looking at this woman walking down the street who must have been in her 80s, normally I wouldn't even think twice now its like..are you sure you should be out!

I've got plenty of games to keep me going and I've got some lego sets to break into when needed

[gregarious_introvert]

I'm in a quandary right now, as I have to go shopping but I have developed a cough (as a result of catching my partner's cold) and I just now that I am going to have a coughing fit in Aldi and everyone will think that I have Covid-19; on the other hand, none of the supermarkets have delivery slots available for the foreseeable future, so the alternative would be starvation.

Ah well, if I don't post for a few days, you'll know I've been arrested for breaking self-quarantine (I will be taking a face mask, which I hope will reassure others a little).

[newbs16]

As a family we are coping better than I thought we would but we don't have any choice at the minute but I am worried about how my mental health is going to be when this is all over, before this happened I was already receiving some support from a mental health practitioner.

I'm awake at three o'clock in the morning as I wasn't before. I worry about how I will cope if any of my family, or a couple of close friends I have become unwell, or possibly die. I am also worrying about having to go back to work and worry that my hermit like ways will get worse, I wasn't overly sociable before.

On a positive note it has made me realise that I'm lucky to have people in my life who care about me, I will be much happier when this is over and we can carry on as best we can.

Waffling much.

[Appear]

^ Big hugs, lady. Hope you're okay.

[newbs16]

I think I must be worrying more than usual because this is the second night that I've been awake at stupid o'clock for hours.

[Messer]

Originally Posted by Azalea

I'm definitely finding it hard, my kids are 90 miles away and I won't see them till the end of June at the earliest as I have to stay in for 12 weeks
I have plenty to do, just finding it hard to get motivated.

Are you doing ok? Have you been able to get some food and anything else you need? Take care, Azelea.

I'm just about OK. I can't imagine feeling safe again.

[newbs16]

Originally Posted by Azalea

I'm definitely finding it hard, my kids are 90 miles away and I won't see them till the end of June at the earliest as I have to stay in for 12 weeks
I have plenty to do, just finding it hard to get motivated.

It's difficult because they aren't meant to travel long distance unless is essential. I hope you're keeping well and have some support available closer to home.

[newbs16]

Originally Posted by JamesG_UK

I'm sorry to hear that newbs, me too...I woke up at around 2 am and couldn't sleep...mind racing, heart pounding. So tired today. My mental health has taken a real hit in the last couple of weeks

I hope you're feeling better now.