Mental health and COVID-19.

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Networkn
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#2493700 28-May-2020 14:43

@handsomedan I totally relate, I am pretty much in exactly the same boat. I shut myself inside and was pretty singularly focused but I am struggling a lot.

We won't get away this weekend because I can only imagine the hell the roads will be, but am planning to get away the following one. I just have to get a couple of full days no work whatsoever and a change of scenery and I think that will help a LOT.

For now it's focusing on little things I an do to to get through for the next 8 or so days!

Dingbatt

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#2493712 28-May-2020 15:07

Handsomedan:

Don't know about anyone else, but I'm really struggling at the moment.

If it’s any consolation, I don’t think you are alone. ‘Normal’ has been disrupted and a ‘New Normal’ (a phrase I have come to detest, along with ‘unprecedented‘ in front of everything) is yet to become established. I have found that routines, however trivial, seem to help normalcy return. Most people are still emerging from their cocoons at the moment. Four months ago I would have thought “maybe I’ll wander down to the shops for a look around” now I just don’t bother unless there is something particular I want. I do hope that level 1 brings an easing people’s perception that they need to isolate themselves, even in public, because it is not natural.

The flip side is, although official retirement age is still a number years off, I’ve got a bit of a taste for what increased leisure time looks like from Levels 4 and 3 and quite liked it. The potential loss of a job has also meant we have looked at how much we really need to a. survive, and b. be comfortable, and it is less than I would have thought.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

jonathan18

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#2493730 28-May-2020 15:29

Rikkitic:

Geekzone is good for venting, but it might not be a bad idea to also get some perspectives from the various professional services that are available. It can't hurt, it might help, and you don't have to be desperate to get value from them. If you feel like you are struggling, that is reason enough to talk to someone. You may be okay right now, but things can change. I wouldn't put it off.

I'd back Rikkitic's suggestion above; there's nothing to lose talking it over with someone, and it could well help.

I think I recall you mentioning you work for a non-NZ company, so I'm not sure how they work in this regard, but NZ Govt departments and many NZ businesses provide a certain number of free counselling sessions via EAP or other such programmes. I've found this really helpful at particular times in my life (work problems, deaths of close family members).

GV27

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#2493745 28-May-2020 15:45

I've had to give up coffee, wasn't helping with feelings of anxiousness and getting too wrapped up at work. Gone from about six a day to nil, so keen to see if this helps resting heart rate and mental state.

networkn

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#2493749 28-May-2020 15:48

Funny, I've gone from 6 to 10 cups of tea a day, I am sure that isn't doing wonders for me either.

I'd like to find a drink with lower sugar (I have milk and a heaped teaspoon of sugar in tea) but I find I need warm/hot drinks, and some sweetness...

Handle9

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#2493754 28-May-2020 15:57

networkn:
Funny, I've gone from 6 to 10 cups of tea a day, I am sure that isn't doing wonders for me either.

I'd like to find a drink with lower sugar (I have milk and a heaped teaspoon of sugar in tea) but I find I need warm/hot drinks, and some sweetness...

I used to have sugar in everything. I moved to sweetener then decided to go cold turkey and ditch it. T
It took about a week to get used to but now I don't have sugar in anything. I don't miss it at all.

YMMV but in my experience it is one of those things that if you tell yourself to do it you can change.

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Handle9

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#2493757 28-May-2020 15:58

GV27:
I've had to give up coffee, wasn't helping with feelings of anxiousness and getting too wrapped up at work. Gone from about six a day to nil, so keen to see if this helps resting heart rate and mental state.

Good on you.

The thought of giving up coffee gives me anxiety! I've gone through phases of having a beer or two at night or not having a drink but coffee is a bridge too far for me.

networkn

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#2493779 28-May-2020 16:22

Handle9:

YMMV but in my experience it is one of those things that if you tell yourself to do it you can change.

I would need to be left alone a long way from anyone else if I wanted to quit sugar. I struggle with low blood sugar and I don't cope with other people well in that state. Not something I would put my family though right now.

I used to (a long time ago) have 3 sugars in my tea, and I have weaned myself down, but I don't seem to be able to get under a heaped teaspoon without suffering.

I have on multiple occasions stopped drinking tea cold turkey when on holiday, esp in places like the US, where Tea isn't that readily available or is a hassle to get. Inevitably, I end up drinking soft drinks instead (esp in hot climates) as water doesn't satisfy my thirst, and on holiday, eating is something I like to do, so more sugar there.... Obviously, it's choices, but being miserable on holiday sucks too :)

Rikkitic

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#2493788 28-May-2020 16:36

One of my quirks (of many) is that I don't have a sweet tooth at all. I don't like sugar and I don't like sweet tasting things. There are a handful of exceptions to that. I used to enjoy fruit pies and a few other pastry things, but even that has now ceased. I remember as a small child putting milk and sugar on my cereal. I did this because everyone else did. One day I realised I didn't really like the sweetness, which I found overpowering. I started by avoiding the sweet cereals, like sugar pops and that kind of thing. I discovered I liked things like ordinary wheat flakes much better. Then I decided to try those without sugar. They were even better without the cloying sweetness. That was the last time I ever put sugar on or in anything. Of course I am well-aware that wheat flakes already have plenty of sugar in them from the manufacturing process. These days I like rolled oats. Some added fruit gives more than enough sweetness.

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alasta

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#2493808 28-May-2020 17:05

As someone who has lived alone for many years I never really understood the concept of feeling isolated until I came home to my empty place after spending the level 4 lockdown period at my friend's place. The loneliness abated after a couple of days, but it was something that I hadn't really experienced before.

I think one of the positive spin-offs from this whole thing is that many of us will be more empathetic as a result of having to tackle personal challenges that we haven't previously encountered.

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#2493813 28-May-2020 17:26

Now that we have two of our children (both in their twenties) back living with us, we play the family game of watching the TV news and calling out “fact” or “opinion” in each news item. Extra points awarded for “news” vs “fluff” vs “propaganda”.

Since two of us have connections to occupations that are often in the news, “opinion” and “fluff” come out more often than they should. Still it’s a bit of fun and lightens a medium that revels in doom and gloom, hence good for mental wellbeing.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

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gzt

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#2493903 28-May-2020 20:34

After an initial period of intense WFH, I'm starting to take more exercise breaks. I feel fresher. Change, exercise, shower, much quicker at home and no drama. One weird thing - I mentally associate my work area with zoom meetings and so on. Sometimes I sleep in the same room and once or twice it feels just a little like I'm sleeping in an office. It's not extreme but I think I'll have to fix this somehow.

Handsomedan

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#2494102 29-May-2020 09:13

gzt: After an initial period of intense WFH, I'm starting to take more exercise breaks. I feel fresher. Change, exercise, shower, much quicker at home and no drama. One weird thing - I mentally associate my work area with zoom meetings and so on. Sometimes I sleep in the same room and once or twice it feels just a little like I'm sleeping in an office. It's not extreme but I think I'll have to fix this somehow.

Whilst I don't sleep in the room where my office is set up, I definitely get the association of sleeping in the office.

I used to use this front room as a second living room and my wife's part-time office to do her dad's accounts etc. Now it's my full time office and I loathe being in here outside of work hours, whereas it used to be my little retreat to watch online TV (i.e. football or other things that the rest of the family didn't want to watch)...has very much changed the way that I view this space.

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networkn

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#2496458 2-Jun-2020 09:28

Handsomedan:

gzt: After an initial period of intense WFH, I'm starting to take more exercise breaks. I feel fresher. Change, exercise, shower, much quicker at home and no drama. One weird thing - I mentally associate my work area with zoom meetings and so on. Sometimes I sleep in the same room and once or twice it feels just a little like I'm sleeping in an office. It's not extreme but I think I'll have to fix this somehow.

Whilst I don't sleep in the room where my office is set up, I definitely get the association of sleeping in the office.

I used to use this front room as a second living room and my wife's part-time office to do her dad's accounts etc. Now it's my full time office and I loathe being in here outside of work hours, whereas it used to be my little retreat to watch online TV (i.e. football or other things that the rest of the family didn't want to watch)...has very much changed the way that I view this space.

Yup, I completely get that. Not being able to switch off has been a difficult thing for me, but I am surprised, it kinda snuck up on me. Whilst I do have reasonable recreation time and have tendencies toward being a bit of a workaholic, it's always been extremely important I have a different workplace I leave home to go to, so that even though I have a home office I work from too, that I do have separation. We are back to the office now, but it feels like my home office, is now pretty much just a 24/7 portal to work.

On top of that, today I found out my lovely German Shepherd has liver cancer.

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#2496477 2-Jun-2020 09:55

networkn:

...On top of that, today I found out my lovely German Shepherd has liver cancer.

Oh no.... @networkn that's horrendous and I (no doubt we all) are really sorry to hear this. He is no doubt a major part of your family.

“Don't believe anything you read on the net. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose.” Douglas Adams

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