I was browsing a site just recently where I think I saw someone say that living through quarantine is a traumatic experience (I think they were quoting something?), and I find the idea quite curious, so of course, I'm researching it right now, but I'm also interested on what people here think of it.
I know the whole purpose of quarantine and lockdown is to keep us physically safe and to flatten the curve, but to ponder the emotional effects it has, too...
How have you coped while having to stay at home constantly? Are you living alone or stuck with relatives? Is your mood being negatively impacted by all this time?
I know I thought I'd be fine staying at home since I'm an introvert and don't like leaving the house much, but I guess my assessment wasn't quite correct in the beginning.
On one hand, I know I'd rather not be at my parents right now staying with them and my sister, but on the other, I know if I was alone right now, I'd end up slipping into slump and not really being able to get out of it until I can see my friend again.
There's a lot of time to do things that need doing, or that you want to do, if your work has closed completely for the time being. Are you managing to pass the hours by without trouble, or do you find your mind floating back to the issue at hand, unable to focus or enjoy the activity you decided to engage in?
Is too much free time a little troublesome, giving you too much time to think things over, or are you enjoying all the new time to do things you planned to do in the relative comfort of home? Are you growing closer to the people you live with, or are they grating on your nerves?
How are you coping, emotionally?
I know I'm physically fine at the moment, but my emotions kind of...decided to half-way shutdown, almost?
Like, I can still tell when I'm happy and enjoying myself, or angry at something, but the more positive emotions are extremely damp at the moment.
I keep losing focus when trying to work on things or watch something on Netflix, like it's not interesting at all, even when normally I'd be super interested in watching.
I just thought I'd ask how everyone is faring and what they think of this global experience that'll affect the future not only physically but also emotionally, most probably.
It'll leave a lasting effect for sure.
Forums Serious Talk Effects of quarantine on mental and emotional health?
Well....I already stayed home constantly due to chronic illness, but for me it's the absolute inability to see my friends every week or two, which I relied on for mental health. I've spent even more time online on discord, etc, to try to make up for it, and some of my hobby groups have been doing online meets, which is nice
I'm fairly extroverted to start with, and have had a lot of frustration with staying home due to my body's inability to be as active and social as I would like, but it wasn't any kind of sudden change to have to stay home for social distancing in the same way it is for a lot of people.
I did have to stop reading even the foreign news I normally pay attention to, because I was picking up second hand anxiety from people, and that was not helping me out at all. I prefer to focus on what I *can* do during these times, and feel sad or frustrated or whatever when those feelings come up, but not to constantly be confronted with scary things outside of my control, because our brains aren't designed to deal with constant fear. And worry doesn't fix problems or make them smaller, so it's kind of pointless to chase after things that worry me all the time. I still know enough of the news, because you can't really escape it if you're online, but I rarely go seek it out right now, because I'm tired of how extreme and biases articles are, and I can get the facts from websites dedicated to numbers and decrees instead.
I did get tired of watching shows and stuff, so I read some books I'd been meaning to read through my library's ebooks, and that was nice. I think I'll try to read some more novels, because being immersed in another world really does help give my brain a break.
I'm fairly extroverted to start with, and have had a lot of frustration with staying home due to my body's inability to be as active and social as I would like, but it wasn't any kind of sudden change to have to stay home for social distancing in the same way it is for a lot of people.
I did have to stop reading even the foreign news I normally pay attention to, because I was picking up second hand anxiety from people, and that was not helping me out at all. I prefer to focus on what I *can* do during these times, and feel sad or frustrated or whatever when those feelings come up, but not to constantly be confronted with scary things outside of my control, because our brains aren't designed to deal with constant fear. And worry doesn't fix problems or make them smaller, so it's kind of pointless to chase after things that worry me all the time. I still know enough of the news, because you can't really escape it if you're online, but I rarely go seek it out right now, because I'm tired of how extreme and biases articles are, and I can get the facts from websites dedicated to numbers and decrees instead.
I did get tired of watching shows and stuff, so I read some books I'd been meaning to read through my library's ebooks, and that was nice. I think I'll try to read some more novels, because being immersed in another world really does help give my brain a break.
i have not been coping very well. i desperately want to leave the house again and go back to normal. i am very extroverted and this has been very hard on me. i'm still working from home. i invited my nieces over to stay for a couple of days to break the monotony but they're going back home on tuesday. i am mostly just stressed from having to stay inside for the most part - walks and sitting outside or on the porch every so often break it up a little, but i can't be out there all day you know?
i cannot control my spending. i've always loved shopping in general and it's not like, a financial problem but now i am spending more money than ever online because i am looking for something, anything, that can spice up my life and change my day a little. i bought some random girl on the internet a switch since she said she couldn't afford one and is in hell alone right now as well. do you know how many bath bombs i have right now??? i also bought a vive for myself and have been getting into vr chat and did a big cringy drinking night thing last saturday with a bunch of friends. i bought a buttload of tea from david's tea and have been experimenting with all sorts of beverages. i miss sex.
i'm also using this time to try to finish off products i haven't been using much since they're not my favorites. candles, soaps of any kind, lip scrubs, balms, lotions, you name it. i think this is more of an effort to clear out some crap i have sitting around so i can throw it out than "wooo let's make use of products because it's good to do that!"
i'm absolutely getting some fantastic use out of my subscription services at this time. while i may be working, most of my job while at home is dealing with my clients but my clients are also sitting at home unable to do anything so business is slow. so thank you amazon prime, spotify, netflix, and hulu for keeping me entertained while i am chained to my pc and/or phone.
my friends are already all-in for a huge night out once this is over.
i cannot control my spending. i've always loved shopping in general and it's not like, a financial problem but now i am spending more money than ever online because i am looking for something, anything, that can spice up my life and change my day a little. i bought some random girl on the internet a switch since she said she couldn't afford one and is in hell alone right now as well. do you know how many bath bombs i have right now??? i also bought a vive for myself and have been getting into vr chat and did a big cringy drinking night thing last saturday with a bunch of friends. i bought a buttload of tea from david's tea and have been experimenting with all sorts of beverages. i miss sex.
i'm also using this time to try to finish off products i haven't been using much since they're not my favorites. candles, soaps of any kind, lip scrubs, balms, lotions, you name it. i think this is more of an effort to clear out some crap i have sitting around so i can throw it out than "wooo let's make use of products because it's good to do that!"
i'm absolutely getting some fantastic use out of my subscription services at this time. while i may be working, most of my job while at home is dealing with my clients but my clients are also sitting at home unable to do anything so business is slow. so thank you amazon prime, spotify, netflix, and hulu for keeping me entertained while i am chained to my pc and/or phone.
my friends are already all-in for a huge night out once this is over.
hello again
I also have to stay home most of the time due to chronic illness. However, I still went for drives or visits to friends and family, and now we can't even safely do that. If we visit each other, it's rare and we have to be careful in case any of us are actually asymptomatic. We still keep our distance physically, use hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes, and wear gloves if we have to leave the house for necessary reasons.I'm lucky enough to live with my fiance and our cat. (A registered ESA, who provides active comfort when I'm upset or recovering from a seizure.) My only sister lives 30 minutes away, with her boyfriend, and we don't have parents or other relatives. We do have close friends however, and not even really having the option of seeing them has been difficult.
Honestly, as someone who was basically a hermit/shut-in to begin with, I feel I'm more equipped to adjust to the situation at hand. Even so, I'm still feeling pressure of being isolated from some loved ones. I do have some advice that some people might find helpful.
In my experience, maintaining a strict schedule in your daily activities actually helps a lot. Rotate the activities if you're the type who hates monotony. Set alarms on your phone, and stick to the schedule as much as possible. A little bit of dependable regularity can help with the subconscious pressure of being 'forced' to stay inside and isolated.
Opening windows/curtains when possible helps a lot. Fresh air can do wonders for your mentality. It might sound silly, but I promise the feel of warm sunshine and the sound of birds can really help with stress!
Make sure you assign several times every day to do some light exercise, followed by something you really enjoy doing. The exercise doesn't have to be a huge workout, even 5-10 minutes of stretches (within your physical capabilities of course). And then afterwards is a reward, so it doesn't feel as much like a chore. Maybe a treat from the fridge, or an episode of your favorite show.
Keeping contact with friends/family outside the house is very important. Voice and video calls work best when possible! It helps alleviate the feeling of being alone. Music also helps, as it effects the psyche in positive ways.
Try not to give in to too many naps. Naps are good and powerful things in moderation, but sleeping too much tends to actually exacerbate depression and stress rather than alleviate it. It also breaks schedules and ruins one's sense of time passing, which can both contribute to stress when quarantined.
And most importantly, monitor how much you check the news! As someone with severe anxiety and paranoia, I only check the news once a day when my fiance is with me to tell me it's time to stop. If you live alone, try to avoid the news except maybe once every few days. Otherwise, check the news together with the people you live with, and only once a day at most. It's good to stay on top of things, but too much bad news is detrimental to your mindset.
It's easy to see the negative in the world, it's much harder to seek out the positive in times like this, but it's worth it when you find it. Follow the twitters of positive people and role models, watch uplifting TV shows or your favorite Twitch streamers running charities. Hold on to the kindness around you, and you'll make it through.
That's how I've been managing, anyway.
My life hasn't changed much except I don't get my daily walks which is turning my body into goo. At least at home, I get a window so I can tell if the sun is up. But I really miss the lovely people I share an office with every day and I don't dig the weird hours that people suddenly think it's okay to hold meetings at. Productivity has been down too because of the constant pressure I feel from not being able to get away from work physically. And I've been in the dumps about that too... So not helpful. :c
I'm lucky though cuz I got people to stay with and there's no beef. At least I can still hang out with people I live with, eat with them, watch TV together etc. If I were living alone, it'd be pretty much like quarantine which I can imagine is really traumatic. Also quarantining within a household is super intensive with cleaning and not sharing bathrooms & towels and avoiding breathing the same air. That sounds really stressful too so I'm thankful I don't have to do any of that. My friends and I mostly are in touch online too so it's like nothing changed. I'd also decided to start trying to go on dates with people since the weather's getting better but now I can't now so that kinda went down the drain. Meeting people all the time was stressing me out anyway, and I save money by not eating out. Overall, I'm actually a little bit relieved.
TBH this reminds me of how I spent many of my summers as a child so it's kind of nostalgic, lol, but i have less free time. It is really feeding into my aversion for the world outside my front doors since going out is so much more of a hassle than before. Surprisingly, I'm keeping to most of my routines otherwise. Guess I'm more of a creature of habit than I thought. Sadly, my craft projects are on hold because I need to gather materials in person and I don't really want to go places if I don't absolutely have to. I wish I'd ordered that tarot deck when I first decided I'll get it 2 months ago. That way I can do my morning thing all cute and stuff RIGHT NOW. Now who knows when it's gonna arrive when I do order it. Pretty sure artisan card printing is essential work tho right? Art is essential right???
In a nutshell, I'm having a good time and spending my spare time making trending foods like dalgona coffee. It makes me feel like I'm still capable of *autonomy*.
I'm lucky though cuz I got people to stay with and there's no beef. At least I can still hang out with people I live with, eat with them, watch TV together etc. If I were living alone, it'd be pretty much like quarantine which I can imagine is really traumatic. Also quarantining within a household is super intensive with cleaning and not sharing bathrooms & towels and avoiding breathing the same air. That sounds really stressful too so I'm thankful I don't have to do any of that. My friends and I mostly are in touch online too so it's like nothing changed. I'd also decided to start trying to go on dates with people since the weather's getting better but now I can't now so that kinda went down the drain. Meeting people all the time was stressing me out anyway, and I save money by not eating out. Overall, I'm actually a little bit relieved.
TBH this reminds me of how I spent many of my summers as a child so it's kind of nostalgic, lol, but i have less free time. It is really feeding into my aversion for the world outside my front doors since going out is so much more of a hassle than before. Surprisingly, I'm keeping to most of my routines otherwise. Guess I'm more of a creature of habit than I thought. Sadly, my craft projects are on hold because I need to gather materials in person and I don't really want to go places if I don't absolutely have to. I wish I'd ordered that tarot deck when I first decided I'll get it 2 months ago. That way I can do my morning thing all cute and stuff RIGHT NOW. Now who knows when it's gonna arrive when I do order it. Pretty sure artisan card printing is essential work tho right? Art is essential right???
In a nutshell, I'm having a good time and spending my spare time making trending foods like dalgona coffee. It makes me feel like I'm still capable of *autonomy*.
Ping me
My mental health has gotten way better since the quarantine. I love being home with family.
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I have been always extremely introverted from the start and don't have much friends in real life nowadays and just have a bunch of online friends. So the qurantine life is just a normal day to me but that doesn't mean that everything is peachy. I have my worries of course just like everyone else and worried of my family's safety and to myself. But I'm mostly worried of what happens after the pandemic and how I'm going to adjust to it again. I know after all of this is over life would be difficult for awhile and me and my family is not that financially well off.
But I spent most of my days just cleaning around my home and focusing more on my hobbies such as painting but I've been getting a little bit more unproductive nowadays. Even though I love staying at home a lot but I got to admit I miss just even taking a walk outside and have that fresh air. Right now Wattpad and Webtoons is mah lifeeee
There's something foul about the air here...
This would be my normal day to day life if it weren't for the fact I have to be around my whole family all day long.
My mental health has definitely taken a steep dip since the beginning, mostly because of my brother and how my mom is handling his "situation".
I can't quite tell what the all effects are, but I'm definitely more prone to emotional breakdowns and my temper is much shorter and more aggressive. I've distanced myself further from my the rest of the house by locking myself in my room constantly but it barely helps.
Thankfully I have friends that let me vent out my frustrations when I'm having issues, which definitely helps a good bit, but it doesn't fully change my mental downward spiral
My mental health has definitely taken a steep dip since the beginning, mostly because of my brother and how my mom is handling his "situation".
I can't quite tell what the all effects are, but I'm definitely more prone to emotional breakdowns and my temper is much shorter and more aggressive. I've distanced myself further from my the rest of the house by locking myself in my room constantly but it barely helps.
Thankfully I have friends that let me vent out my frustrations when I'm having issues, which definitely helps a good bit, but it doesn't fully change my mental downward spiral
...αβΜ€αα·
I am looking for some items in my quest thread!
I can offer a trade or art for them!
I gotta' admit, I'm really struggling with this. I have a history of poor mental health and I was going through a bad patch just as this lockdown began. I'm a little better now, but I'm worried for the health of others.Y'know, like people that are stuck at home alone. I hope they have someone to chat to!
Yeah... Some days I am perfectly fine. Mostly I have just withdrawn a bit more into myself, especially today. Like, I just want to be alone. I've gone past missing having my friends over. I'm just extremely exhausted, even though I have done NOTHING for over two months now. I barely leave the house. I can't even get the emotional energy to go out to the grocery store (rare when I do, I just order groceries through Instacart, even though it costs more). I can't even get myself to be productive in most any way. I have nightmares some nights of struggling to reintegrate into society.
However I have made more money through unemployment than I would have made working - so technically I am blessed in that sense, while essential workers are making much less, while putting themselves and their families on the line. I am very grateful for my position in all this.
Yet I am just tired.
Tbh my depression got worse. I'm an introvert so I don't go out anyways at the normal days... but I do needed to go out for a change of environment. Everyone seems so happy online... I wish I was like that too.
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Having you as a Voltie would be awesome.