The Virus Diaries: Things That Suck
Sometimes it can help to be specific when figuring out what problems to accept and what problems to solve. Since I have an anxiety disorder, I’m an expert at dealing with stress, so let’s dive in. I’ve bolded the ones that apply to me and then given myself advice in italics.
Things That Suck About The Rona
1. People dying.
2. People sick/hospitalised.
3. People afraid of getting sick/dying or sickness/death of their loved ones.
Choose not to prioritise this anxiety unless someone important to me actually gets sick. Remind myself that nothing bad has actually happened to me or anyone I love and end the thought process there.
4. Politicians on the news more.
5. Lots of cool stuff cancelled.
6. Lots of jobs lost, many permanently.
7. Some businesses will collapse, or have already collapsed (sucky for them and for their customers).
8. Some jobs, especially casual jobs, suddenly offering way less hours.
9. Financial stress, both short and long term.
Pfft. That’s normality for us. We’re saving money on car fuel and social obligations at the moment, so that’s kinda cool.
10. Jobs being altered eg working from home, dealing with unfamiliar technology, and often also having kids at home. So even if your job and pay are fundamentally unchanged, they suck at the moment.
We’re settling into a routine now, and I’m coping remarkably well.
11. Kids. At. Home. All the time. Parents don’t get time to themselves at all any more.
Going semi-nocturnal and having Chris and I sleeping in separate rooms has basically solved this. Also Chris can be called on if I’m losing it, which is extremely good to know.
12. Attempting to educate kids.
I’m doing great with that, and the kids are used to it too.
13. Not allowed to do basic stuff such as go to restaurants, bars, haircuts, picnics.
Oh well. We bought a month’s worth of Amazon Prime which is an equally good treat in my book.
14. Stir crazy from being at home for so long.
The yard and (mostly) good weather still has great novelty for me (as you can tell by all the pics of/from the hammock).
15. Worrying about all the people not obeying quarantine rules or guidelines.
It turns out around 75% compliance does the job of flattening the curve very well. But don’t tell them that.
16. Not able to get various things sorted due to isolation rules eg new car, house extension.
17. Dating is extremely difficult.
18. Tension and crankiness due to household being stuck together all the time.
19. Shopping is difficult, and about to get worse.
20. Lack of certain supplies eg toilet paper.
We haven’t run out of either toilet paper or milk yet, so no one’s suffering here. And there’s still plenty of chocolate and lollies.
21. Weddings and funerals have strict laws about how many people can be present.
22. People can’t (for the most part) visit relatives in nursing homes. Or even healthy grandparents in their own homes. Or have grandparents babysit so parents get a break. And the grandparents miss their kids and grandkids.
Yeah, that sucks. But we have FaceTime at least. My parents and in-laws can survive without the kids’ hugs for a bit.
23. Special events such as Passover, Easter, Anzac Day, and Mothers’ Day cannot be communally celebrated.
Ditto. And on the up side, I don’t have to bother going to other people’s houses (which tend to make me sick for one reason or another).
24. Lots of movies delayed.
25. Stressed people treating others badly (especially those in food retail). Including some people choosing to go in full denial who are eating at crowded restaurants, or even coughing or spitting on people.
26. An increase in racist actions against Asians.
My Asian friends are tough. And they know they’re loved and valuable members of the community.
27. Awful conditions for health workers, as well as the risk of death due to being at work.
28. Incompetent governments making things worse.
Always. *shrug*
29. The heartbreaking maths of who gets a respirator when there aren’t enough for everyone.
30. Worried for strangers, and the world. Knowing there are people worse off than us.
There is exactly one thing I can do to help the world right now, and that is to STAY HOME. I have to tell myself that I AM helping, and I’m helping enough, and that the world is not my personal responsibility anyway.
This is… not Zipper. This is our previous cat, Ana, who didn’t mind photography as much.
Resource of the day: A reminder from writer (and extremely crude swearmaster) Chuck Wendig that this is a big deal and you’re not meant to be as productive (or whatever) as usual.
Recommended donation of the day: A medical helicopter service that usually gets a bunch of donations through events… which are cancelled.
Personal action of the day: Face your anxiety, whatever it may be, and try to either accept it or deal with it. Perhaps write it down and then burn it? Accept that you can’t save the whole world, but you can make a difference by staying home (or not, if you’re an essential worker). Remember that staying home is hard.
Hoarding item of the day: If you’re lactose free and having trouble finding milk, it’s time to get into the chemist for some lactease or lactace tablets/drops.
Felicity Banks 
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