Coping with Coronavirus

My girlfriend just opted to be laid off after essentially managing her retail store after her manager went AWOL (a text saying “I’m taking the next couple weeks off” is not sufficient power transfer...). I haven’t seen her this happy and relaxed in a long time. I’m thrilled for her, and I think she’s now planning to go back to school for a new career. It’s been a remarkably useful period of disruption so far. Of course, it helps that we’re in a gently affected province in Canada (Nova Scotia) and we still have a lot of relative normalcy around.

Stay safe and stay sane, y’all. This is a super weird time, but you got this.

Chumpy_McChump wrote:

Of course, it helps that we’re in a gently affected province in Canada (Nova Scotia) and we still have a lot of relative normalcy around.

Stay safe and stay sane, y’all. This is a super weird time, but you got this.

Chumpy, where in NS are you? I'm from Antigonish, but I live in Boston now. We have a house (and most of my family now lives) in White's Lake (down near Peggy's Cove).

Just did first therapy session by telephone!

Deleted

Sorry. Meant this post to be about going back to work today, and then just stopped with why I’m nervous.

Even though I’m largely insulated from customers now, with no real stay at hone order, I can’t assume anyone I work with isn’t infected. So, while today went well, I’m thinking about leaving again.

I have the next two days off to decide.

My wife, however my is doing well. Working from home has had issues with tech, but we worked through them. I did make one mistake, though.

I seem to have gotten her addicted to Forza Horizon 4. Mainly, she’s a Lego video game fanatic, so the Lego World expansion has been a big hit. But it also got her checking out the rest of the game.

Mainly, the dogs are getting the best of it. Lots of walks, and as opposed to some pets, they could not be happier having us around all day.

If I do take off from work, we are a planning on doing some big yard work and landscaping.

MathGoddess wrote:

Just did first therapy session by telephone! :)

Cool, how was it? I can't imagine it would be very different from a regular visit. The way my doctor handles it is basically just having a conversation, and you don't have to be in the same room to do that.


Jayhawker wrote:

~mod~ Medical Statistics - Title removed. ~Amoebic

My wife is a nurse at Mercy hospital in Creve Couer and is still working regular shifts. She works in maternity with mother/baby care, but I'm still somewhat resigned to the likelihood that we will both get it eventually. I'm just hoping we're in the "healthy 40-somethings who have mild symptoms" crowd instead of the "healthy 40-somethings who die" crowd.

I had to go to the pharmacy today and I was astonished at how many people were out in public. I saw exactly 1 person wearing a mask. MO is not taking this seriously at all yet.

Think y'all Missourians want the other thread

Stele wrote:

Think y'all Missourians want the other thread

Thanks

I haven't been able to visit my little nieces and nephews, who live a couple hours away. So I decided to make them a dumb little Facerig video to let them know I'm thinking of them. According to my sister, they've been watching it on repeat. (-:

I might start sending them a new video every couple days. Facerig's 50% off through April 3rd if anyone has little ones who would get a kick out of it.

That’s freaking adorable, hbi2k!

BadKen wrote:
MathGoddess wrote:

Just did first therapy session by telephone! :)

Cool, how was it? I can't imagine it would be very different from a regular visit. The way my doctor handles it is basically just having a conversation, and you don't have to be in the same room to do that.

I prefer in person. Sometimes it’s hard to catch a word or sentence and seeing lips helps me with comprehension. I also missed body language.

But it was still very very helpful.
And there may be video sessions next time, depending on whether we can get software to,work.
It is a bit weird having husband and son around, but they played loudish music in the other room, so I did have privacy.

I’m ever so grateful to still be able to get those ever so necessary reminders and reframing. SO glad I have a therapist who is working well with me!

———-
I have also instituted family movie nights on Saturday (we just finished Fight Club...lots has changed since 1999). And tomorrow we will play a game. (That’s my concession. Board games tend to make my skin crawl.)
We did Ticket to Ride last week and may do it again tomorrow...I’ve also said I’m willing to play Just Dance with them instead.)

I reckon if I cave and buy a Switch (for the family of course!), Just Dance will be one of the first titles I get. My daughter likes watching the Ghostbusters Just Dance video on YT.

By the way, YouTube Kids app has come along quite well over the last year. There are still features I wish it had but much better than it was.

hbi2k wrote:

I haven't been able to visit my little nieces and nephews, who live a couple hours away. So I decided to make them a dumb little Facerig video to let them know I'm thinking of them. According to my sister, they've been watching it on repeat. (-:

I might start sending them a new video every couple days. Facerig's 50% off through April 3rd if anyone has little ones who would get a kick out of it.

My daughter said “huh?” But she seemed to think it was cute :).

Mr GT Chris wrote:

I reckon if I cave and buy a Switch (for the family of course!), Just Dance will be one of the first titles I get. My daughter likes watching the Ghostbusters Just Dance video on YT.

By the way, YouTube Kids app has come along quite well over the last year. There are still features I wish it had but much better than it was.

Fair warning, basic Just Dance is super limited. You do get month of the subscription, but it adds up after. Also getting the fn sub setup is a pain. One part Nintendo sucks at online and one part Ubisoft sucks at online.
Otherwise, it is fun for the kids.

If Just Dance is like DDR there is a free game called Stepmania for the PC, linux, and mac. Haven't played in years but there were thousands of free songs to download for it. Also it is very customizable. My old dance mat had problems with diagonals so I changed it so diagonals wouldn't show up.

My impression is that Just Dance uses motion tracking with the gyro sensors and you need to match your movements to those on the screen. Interesting suggestion!

Why You Should Ignore All That Coronavirus-Inspired Productivity Pressure
- from an academic's perspective

Next, ignore everyone who is posting productivity porn on social media right now. It is OK that you keep waking up at 3 a.m. It is OK that you forgot to eat lunch and cannot do a Zoom yoga class. It is OK that you have not touched that revise-and-resubmit in three weeks.
Mr GT Chris wrote:

Why You Should Ignore All That Coronavirus-Inspired Productivity Pressure
- from an academic's perspective

Next, ignore everyone who is posting productivity porn on social media right now. It is OK that you keep waking up at 3 a.m. It is OK that you forgot to eat lunch and cannot do a Zoom yoga class. It is OK that you have not touched that revise-and-resubmit in three weeks.

In the vein, I saw this advice about weight gain from Jennifer Wright:

“If you’re worried about putting on a few pounds during this time I have a GREAT tip for you. Ready? Okay:

“Stop worrying about that, you’re living through a pandemic. You can have a cookie.“

It's a sad state of affairs when I look to Twitter just now and people find The Walking Dead a comfort in times like this.

Rat Boy wrote:

It's a sad state of affairs when I look to Twitter just now and people find The Walking Dead a comfort in times like this.

Let me tell you, The Man in the High Castle is not comforting, at all.

Jayhawker wrote:
Rat Boy wrote:

It's a sad state of affairs when I look to Twitter just now and people find The Walking Dead a comfort in times like this.

Let me tell you, The Man in the High Castle is not comforting, at all.

Try Mrs. Maisel instead!

hbi2k wrote:

I haven't been able to visit my little nieces and nephews, who live a couple hours away. So I decided to make them a dumb little Facerig video to let them know I'm thinking of them. According to my sister, they've been watching it on repeat. (-:

I might start sending them a new video every couple days. Facerig's 50% off through April 3rd if anyone has little ones who would get a kick out of it.

Not gonna lie, I've watched it probably five times, at least.

Amoebic wrote:
hbi2k wrote:

According to my sister, they've been watching it on repeat. (-:

Not gonna lie, I've watched it probably five times, at least.

I... I'm not the only one?

I think we have 4 different Stardew Valley Coop farms going. Various combinations of me, my wife, and our two oldest kids. Very zen, very good feeling of little accomplishments. Easy to stop at the end of a farm day if someone needs one of us.

Although we cook a lot normally, I think we are cooking together as a family much more, eating around a table much more. Saturday 10am to 2pm has become a house cleaning party, where everyone has jobs, in a way that each of us needs the next person (So in one room, one of us dusts, then one of us vacuums, then one of us mops). This is the best we've all been about chores and family time chores, ever.

So...I think the best coping we're doing is turning everything into co-op mode.

Still. I feel like each member of the family wants specific time, attention, and energy just from me, by themselves. And then I need serious alone time at some point. And my best coping with that have been one of you all gifting me Pathfinder Kingmaker, and then reading GWJ much more than I've had time for the past few years.

So...you all are good coping. Maybe could use a few more finger--->butt jokes...ymmv.

Mr GT Chris wrote:

Why You Should Ignore All That Coronavirus-Inspired Productivity Pressure
- from an academic's perspective

Next, ignore everyone who is posting productivity porn on social media right now. It is OK that you keep waking up at 3 a.m. It is OK that you forgot to eat lunch and cannot do a Zoom yoga class. It is OK that you have not touched that revise-and-resubmit in three weeks.

I think for some folks it is more panic about "the man" figuring out they had an unimportant job anyway. I am sure that is what is motivating a lot of my co-workers.

farley3k wrote:

I think for some folks it is more panic about "the man" figuring out they had an unimportant job anyway. I am sure that is what is motivating a lot of my co-workers.

Hah, this is a good point. I wonder after this is over how many positions will simply be eliminated because it turned out they weren't much needed after all.

Honestly, I expect the opposite. I found that often, when people leave, they were needed more than folks realized. People are always replaceable, but jobs mostly aren’t.

I do suspect there will be many news ways to do things discovered, but that will just improve productivity going forward.

The "office" is a dated concept for a lot of jobs for which many industries clung like a barnacle. Now that it isn't an option I hope there will be a grand redefinition of what's actually necessary to do the work.

I was explicitly told a number of times over the years that my job didn't have a work from home option and never would. Now I'm discovering that, hey, a huge chunk of my job could have been done remotely all along. Surprise!

But what's really causing me a lot of stress right now are all the parts that I simply can't do remotely. Now that all the pressure and expectation is that I should do everything remotely, I'm running aground on all the things I can't do from home.

My hope is that after this is over that I'll have more flexibility to work from home but also recognition that my job can't be completely remote.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

I was explicitly told a number of times over the years that my job didn't have a work from home option and never would. Now I'm discovering that, hey, a huge chunk of my job could have been done remotely all along. Surprise!

But what's really causing me a lot of stress right now are all the parts that I simply can't do remotely. Now that all the pressure and expectation is that I should do everything remotely, I'm running aground on all the things I can't do from home.

My hope is that after this is over that I'll have more flexibility to work from home but also recognition that my job can't be completely remote.

I think that's what's going to wind up being pretty common. There's value in sharing a physical space with your coworkers even if a lot of the actual tasks you're working on could be done from anywhere. There's also value in not feeling chained to a particular desk 8 hours a day 5 days a week.

Some kind of hybrid solution is probably optimal for a lot of positions.