Coping during the Coronavirus outbreak

[Sophie_M]

We recognise that many of us here in the community are feeling scared, worried and overwhelmed about Coronavirus (COVID19). 

As a result, we created this thread to allow people to come together here during those difficult times and encouraged those wanting to share or seek support to do so here in this space. 
 
It was important with this thread that we maintained perspective and supported each other as best as we could, medical, scientific and public health experts around the world have and still are working hard to contain the virus and treat those affected. 
 
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There are some other helpful discussions taking place here within our forum community that you may find helpful to read or participate in: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/staying-well/hi-there-i-only-just-joined-and... 

This thread is now closed for further posting. Users are still able to read through and find support through already existing posts.  

[CMF]

I agree Moon.

I cannot do what I enjoy ie walking around a shopping centre,going to the office but my partner who cycles can still do that, he still goes to his mum's once a week for dinner cos she lives 2 doors away. He can attend his workplace. I'm isolated. Can't do what I enjoy on weekends. Alot has changed for me. We're even told not to enter supermarkets now, which was an excuse for me to go out. Not much has changed for him. In fact, he can cycle almost every day, dream come true. I'm tied to my desk. Working in my home and doing remote learning.

Very different boats for us.

Cmf x

[CMF]

Hi Added .

I understand what you mean re many of us in the same boat re feelings toward vaccine, as we've seen here.

As far as Covid goes I'm afraid we're in different boats.

Cmf x

[Added]

Yes, I understand what you mean... I was thinking more about the feelings and indecision we have towards vaccination which is what I have discussed with my GP - if we are for or against it, it is still a big decision that possibly takes many hours of thinking for most of us. I agree that we are all facing different challenges due to varying degrees of isolation, loneliness, work, financial stability. Jx

[Added]

Hi CMF, Thanks for pointing this out, I was really talking about the vaccine, but I know that we all have very different experiences during this time. I do still go to the supermarket but try to go very early. Also, I tend to go for a lot of drives and just sit in my car this helps to relieve my feelings of isolation.. My family lives far away, my sister in Queensland, one son in regional victoria, and my other son in Canada. They are facing very different versions with a lot more freedom. I am in inner city Melbourne and feel very isolated from my family.

Jx

[Guest_1584]

Hi added

l was just reading about Canada's situation now the other day. Sounds like they're pretty well open internationally if your vaxed . Although they're coming into a nasty 4th wave atm but didn't see any mention of new lock downs.

rx

[ecomama]

I agree Moon, we may be all 'dealing with a pandemic' but clearly we're all in VERY different boats. Even ppl in similar "boats" can be dealing with it in very different ways.

I couldn't believe I was hearing some people were BORED, omg I would give my eye teeth to experience boredom during this pandemic. Made me so angry to hear that some of my work colleagues had all this extra time while I was working triple time doing THEIR WORK, grrr.

But perhaps we're suffering GIGS a tad here and there when we compare our situations with others (which is a useless pursuit from my POV).
Grass Is Greener Syndrome.

I just got on to my bosses and pointed out some of these imbalances and almost have it rectified now lol.

Just to spice things up in our household again, early yesterday morning, another son alerted us all to a notification of him being a close contact of a close contact, so off we all went to do our dutiful testing. So we all had to be tested. That's twice in less than 7 days now. Wouldn't matter if we were vaxed or not, testing is mandatory for us in these instances.
All because we're lucky enough to be out there in the field working. Hmm.

By last night that contact had returned negative.
The other one was positive but he's very well and so is his family. All quarantined at home.
No others seem to have contracted it working 8h next to him all day.

If we had some BALANCE in the news, then it could allay anxiety.
Another reason why I don't watch it.

Love this light relief rx "l have about as much faith in Mr Google as l would a house brick. Matter of fact the house brick is probably more reliable"... agree. Needed a laugh today rx thanks lol.

EMxxxx

[Added]

Thanks for that info Rx... my son lives on Vancouver Island so luckily not too much in the thick of it... his whole family is vaccinated and they seem to be living a near normal life... (whatever means, or is going to mean?)

Jx

[Fred_Flinstone]

I am in Melbourne. Coped ok with last year. Threw myself into work to keep it going (working from home).
But this year is so much harder.

Seems the governments at all levels learnt nothing from last time and there is no plan to get out of it other than endless lockdowns and ongoing vaccinations.

I am a person who works to live, not lives to work. I go away most weekends as a break from work. Always do long weekend trips and always have holidays planned which gives you something to look forward to.
I go fishing and boating to really relax and de-stress.

Also travelled a lot for work.

For nearly 18 months now all of those breaks and ways to de-stress outside of work have been taken away by lockdowns and 5 km travel limits. Have hardly been into the office in 18 months so stared at the same 4 walls of the house the whole time.

It has basically been impossible to plan to do anything outside of work so there has been nothing to look forward to.

Have had both jabs now….but still locked up and can’t travel 5km.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to focus on work and maintaining social Interactions.

However I do understand that I am in nowhere near as bad a situation as many people out there in Melbourne.

This is more of a vent than anything, but I guess any suggestions on how others in similar situations are coping would be useful.

And maybe hoping that some of the heartless leaders in other states may somehow grasp what those in Melbourne and Sydney have actually been through and are continuing to go through…. If you haven’t lived through it I don’t think you will ever truly understand.

[Guest_1584]

Yeah ,

l was not bad last yr more so just totally flabbergasted at what was actually happening all over the world and right here. And l have it pretty easy up where l am thank the Gods l don't live in Melb anymore. So l thought well , once it actually all sinks in , ok , l'll do the time we'll just have to. But this yr and 19mths later hell yeah , it's becoming a whole new all game now.

This last few mths it's becoming serious for me too and my daughter as this lock down is the first one we've had like this up here. Ironically even that seems ridiculous bc it's 19mths on yet now , we have the severest up here we've ever had.

Many many angles too and it's all just become far bigger than it was last yr. Finally l see dozens of shops cleaned out that just couldn't hold on and many businesses too. My daughter thought last yr ok cool , she was gonna have a gap yr anyway. But this yr she was ready and jumping out of her skin to get started after yr 12, she's decided what she wants to do and chomping at the bit. She's also gotten 4 jobs in the last 6mths, didn't starat any of them , more lock downs. Her new course , after having 2 cancelled last yr, won't start until Feb , and you have to go in and be there it's hands on , can;t be on line, but she doesn't even know if it will even begin. Fell so bad for her. That;ll be 2 yrs of total blank and nothing for her by then , at 19 , may as well lock her up in chains it's just as bad. So sad for so many younger ones .

It's also effecting me far far more this yr , and my customers ,l have a home business, and everything else l do , even my gf being here whom can;t even get here now. And very big plans we had especially for the second half of this yr , right now , they just aren't gonna happen.

There's so may angles to it all now , after all this time. Not to mention even Sydney , all this time yet locked down now more than ever before, 19mths later.\

Damned if l know. They gotta look at other countries and the best of what they're doing that's working to whatever degree , pick one and just do it.

rx

[Guest_1584]

Here's an example , the US open tennis , looks like it's a capacity crowd , and yet they had , self inflicted l know but none the less , the worst Covid in the world.

Yet here they are now with a full crowd, looks like it anyway. Many other countries are life as usual now or pretty close , or so it seems on clips and from a few friends os. Maybe it's just vaxing l don't know but we've gotta do whatever it is and get th on with things.

rx