Dear Diary, a day to day look at self isolation

[quirkywords]

Hi

I have gone into self isolation . I will be alone and not seeing any friends or family.

I know we have other threads, but I would really like people to share their day to day thoughts and activities:

the highlights

the fun things

the frustrations

he things you can change

I think each day it would be good to share On thing that surprised me to day.

I would like you to share your ideas because it will help us all work out how.

So here is my first entry bit will be back later.

Dear Diary,

Day 1

I am not sure whether I am excited or a bit unsure.

I know I will need to distract myself and hide the chocolate biscuits.!!

I have a list of what I want to do but I think it is too ambitious.

One thing that surprised me was how much noise I like to have when alone. This may change.

Quirky

[blondguy]

Hi Quirky and all 🙂

Thanks again for your warm Dear Diary topic and the question you asked above 'I wonder what people do when you feel yourself getting angry or overreacting?'...I dont really get angry or overreact yet like many other people I feel frustration when someone is patronising towards me...Good question Quirky!

Thankyou Mary for your help with my sibling that refuses any counselling and our fear of seeing a counsellor when we are diagnosed. I hear you loud and clear there Mary...My sister has joined the local Anglican church (St Lukes) and they dont think the way you and I do at all....There is only so much I can do at this time

Paul

[Elizabeth CP]

Quirky Your comments sound like me except I saw my grandchildren for the first time since February so 9 weeks yesterday.

Frustration & what surprised me

Like you I also felt low afterwards. For me it was a combination of not knowing when I could next see them combined with sadness seeing the way they are forced to live because of the restrictions. In Victoria there is no plans to get students back to school this term. My Dtr & SIL are running their own business and struggling financially so my dtr has to work but is still forced to homeschool the kids. The 4 yr old is now missing kinder and the toddler is unable to get the attention he needs because my dtr is spending so much time working & home schooling. The toddler has become very clingy & disruptive. The 6 year old needs a lot of help with his school work. The lessons are on line but he doesn't have skills to follow the instructions on the i pad.

Highlight We went for a walk after lunch when the rain stopped. In that setting I could be the normal grandma they are used to (rather than grumpy grandma trying to get them to do school work). We had a geology lesson as they kept bringing me rocks and wanted to know what they were. Some how the discussion turned to how diamonds were made. They wanted to try making one but I had trouble explaining the amount of pressure and time required to do this!!!!

One thing I can change My psych is encouraging me to be more accepting when my motivation is low. I tend to feel bad thinking I'm just letting myself get worse. Last night I arrived home exhausted after babysitting. Rather than pushing myself I reheated some food in the fridge for tea and sat and watched TV for a while before attempting anything else. When I thought of things I needed to do I reminded myself that I was doing what my psych told me i listening to my body & mind & resting was more important than anything else. Small steps but important.

Lesson Doing what my body needs ie resting is better than pushing through & snapping & losing my temper.

[eight]

when i was in year 5 i had this three day trip to bathurst as like a gold rush thing and took the max amount of 20 bucks to buy souvenirs. on the first day we visited a fossil and mineral museum and blew the entire 20 on gift shop stones and gems. it was uhh a block of rose quartz, peacock ore, an obsidian arrow, and garnet bc thats my birthstone. one of the teachers apparently did some work as a jeweller before teaching and was explaining the meaning of them to any inquiring students and i said i felt bad about wasting all my souvenir money on the first day and she said so firmly "don't say that. gems are one of the most valuable and precious gifts money can buy." and it made me feel very proud of myself for that. all the other souvenirs were pretty shit tbh so i actually dont regret. she left the school that year but i still think of that teacher who knew her stuff about jewellery

in nsw gladys was declaring week 3 students are going to return to school but... one day a week. and then they're going to build it up to two days or three days but if that causes cases to go up it could all go undone. i was nervous about man i can finally get taught physically because online has me like learning disability noises and ive been missing just. the physicality of it. they had a whole zoom conference on wednesday night about it except mama was yelling at me the whole time about how she couldn't get in and you're not helping but from the snippets of what we heard its... doing the same goddamn remote learning except you're at the school. thats what they did in term 1 with "don't come to school unless you have to" and i remember week 10 and 11 the only kid attending was a little year 7 with medical workers for parents and he was just herded up into the library and given a laptop. the school wants all of us to be on zoom like every minute webcams mics on so they can see what we're doing except i dont think most teachers know it and the one who brought it up to us saw say in chat "that's such bullshit" and he immediately agreed with me. i dont even have a webcam or a mic. they never asked us that in the remote learning survey. suddenly they want everyone to get a school laptop too and like... im fine with my desktop man. im fine with my desktop. we'd talk a lot about covid and the media in science class when closures loomed over us and he told us even as public schools they're given little direction by the govt. don't ask any of them whats happening we dont know

[quirkywords]

Hello everyone,

Mary and Gambit thanks for your input .

Highlights I saw my granddaughter yesterday for first time

Frustration I just lost my post because I left it to long and changed pages!!!

[quirkywords]

Hello everyone

Always pleased to read your dear diary posts or and write an answer to the questions if you want to?

I am wondering what is one thing you wanted to do while at home that you have no done ye?

Do you think you will get around it and if not why not?

Highlights I have found the program Lego Master lots of fun watching skilled people design and make amazing objects.

[PhoebeWings]

Thank you for this thread, I’ve read through and it’s lovely to hear everyone’s voices through their writing.

May I join in?

My first entry isn’t very cheerful, I’m sorry. But it does reflect how strange things are and how I feel this week. The good and not so good.

Highlight: My daughter-in-law FaceTimed from UK

Frustrations: A struggle with the aftermath of the online vid chat. If you can call it frustration. I feel very, very down. We are so far away - I really do live to see them, to visit the UK - I set a date and I can see a goal. Having missed my son throughout his childhood to young adulthood... every year counts to me.

I hate not having a time frame set to visit. I hate it.

Fun: Not sure if it was actually fun, but me and the husband had a drive around our regions nurseries today, within a 30 minute drive radius. Bought and planted herbs. Realised I’ll need a small fortune to ‘hedge’ our property. Yikes.

Things I can change:
I’m clearly depressed right now, but I’m not broken. Kind of floating. I actually can’t change anything right now, as in today - just get through these days and hours with moments of focus on beauty.

I need to up my walking routine.

Things that surprised me:

The patience and sweet cheering up type things my husband is finding for us to do. I don’t walk around being glum and moody - but he knows something is amiss. I had a big bolt of love stuff well up today for him.

[quirkywords]

Phoebe everyone is welcome here

Thanks for joining in. I suppose like many here there are ups and downs. I like they way you have insights into your emotions.

plants are expensive I want to plane lavender as I had lot of them in my old place.

Observations I think many are getting restless wanting things to go back to what they were.

just seem so tired and feel I can't cope with changes but somehow I do.

f you are reading for first time just write any things about your day , you don't have to use headings or you can make up your own.

[Peppermintbach]

Hi Quirky & all,

I just wanted to lay down some thoughts bothering me. I hope that’s okay...

Thoughts/reflections/concerns: I know restrictions are starting to lift around the country, which is both good and bad.

I think there are both benefits and concerns...

The irony is at my work, we have had some new cases & some of my colleagues are in isolation due to direct exposure...we knew it was almost inevitable but it’s still confronting when it happens...

Meanwhile, we see restrictions lifting around the country...it’s all very confusing to me. The more somber mood at work versus the celebratory mood of restrictions being lifted.

I don’t know how I feel about it all yet...

I have concerns about a possible serious 2nd wave, and I also have concerns about what that will mean within the context of my job...

Time will tell...

Kindness and care to all,

Pepper

[PhoebeWings]

Today marks eight long weeks since I had to turn tail on a visit to my son and friends in the UK and return back to isolation.

Pepper, I’m not ‘at risk’ but like you, I feel a sense of unease re the lifting of restrictions and the likelihood of a second wave.

On the one hand it makes sense to start lifting the lockdown, on the other hand I believe it is a strategic move that accepts we are bound for unknown territory, so we may as well just get on with it and deal with it.

Anyway, that’s how it feels to me.

I live on an acreage and am not in danger of spreading the virus if I stay put ( and that’s no real hardship 🙂) but am deeply aware of the accountability of wider movement.

And I am struggling with my need to ‘get out’ and interact..along with the sense of nothing being truly normal once I am out...and how movement raises the stakes of viral spread.

Thoughts and reflections today:

This period has been such a mix.

My head and heart seems to turn over from inner serenity to inner despair in far too many rapid cycles.

Too many hours to think and ponder.

Oh boy.

I need to make a real effort to get walking - which is great for my mental health.

Highlights:

My relationship with my husband has found a new level of tenderness and acceptance during lockdown.

We still fire off, but very, very quickly forgive and forget. He has been incredibly kind and gentle with me.

Its not always been that way 😉

[Peppermintbach]

Hi Quirky & all,

Phoebe: yes, I agree that there’s a lot to weigh up. I feel there are no easy solutions, but I think it’s good that you’re thinking about it carefully.

I think there are pros & cons as restrictions start to lift. I think maybe geography plays a role too. I think it’s also very different for rural v coastal v regional v city dwellers. Staying home on a large property is different to staying home in a city apartment, for example.

I don’t think there are easy answers or solutions...

Also, I think profession plays a role too. My doctor friend won’t be running amok when restrictions lift. He is in contact with positive cases as he treats some of them, so he has temporarily moved out of his home to avoid potentially infecting his partner.

I know a number of doctors who have done the same...it’s hard. A double whammy of not just significantly elevated stress & fatigue but not being able to turn to their usual supports after work makes it even harder. Plus medicine has a work culture of soldiering on & not asking for help. It’s hard.

But it is what it is...sighs...

You take care of yourself, Phoebe 🙂

Highlights: Art and creativity is my saving grace at the moment.

Frustrations: I’m annoying with almost everything & everyone. The smallest things are sending me into an emotional rage.

I am both officially and unofficially Over It.

kindness and care,

Pepper