Coping with Covid-19

I'm currently in self-isolation and I know that many of us are feeling anxious/isolated, so I thought I'd share a really useful video by Purple Ella on coping with the Covid-19 pandemic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpvdMVnfGs&t=12s

Here are some tips for activities that have been keeping me busy while I self-isolate:

  • Housework (especially the jobs that I've been putting off for a while)
  • Creative writing
  • Reading
  • Watching TV shows and films
  • Playing video games
  • Playing piano
  • Adult colouring books
  • Puzzle books/activity books
  • Keeping in touch with people via social media, or over the phone
  • I'm intending to use a fitness app I have to help me with some exercise, but I haven't got around to that yet Slight smile

Also, some advice on how I'm helping myself stay healthy:

  • Drinking plenty of water
  • Continuing to wear my Fitbit so that I notice when I'm not moving around often enough
  • Eating three good meals a day
  • Treating myself (e.g. to a piece of cake) when I feel like it, without going overboard on the snacks
  • Limiting the amount of time I spend on social media and news channels - whilst the Covid-19 updates are helpful, a constant stream of information (some accurate, some not) isn't always helpful for my anxiety levels.

I hope some of these tips are helpful - stay safe and take care of yourselves.

Parents
  • Any of you still needs to go to work? My workplace is not “essential “ but as businesses are told to keep going we keep going as if nothing happened, even 2 meter rule can’t be implemented because there’s not enough space. 

    And I’m freaking out, I cannot focus at all, I’m constantly worried/angry/crying and everything is too stressful. I can’t adjust to the new situation at all and I want it to be over but I don’t believe carrying on as normal is the right way to do that. 

    At the moment all I want is to go home, curl up in bed and stay there. I can’t carry on as normal and I don’t want to. I just want to go home and wait for this to be over, even though it might be months until situation gets better.

    At the moment I’m seriously considering stop going to work. If they fire me so be it. I don’t know what to do.

  • I feel your anguish right now. I have tears as I read this. I want it to end. I took myself off of social media that's helped. This forum is my only connection with the world outside

  • Its definitely worth avoiding the news at the minute.  The constant barrage does nothing good for anxiety and ocd.  FB and twitter arent much better.

    Go to work, cough a lot, eat a ton of chilli so the sweat is pouring off you, look like absolute crap, complain about feeling hot while coughing a lot.  They will *** bricks and send you home.  Thats at least 3 weeks of self isolation and you can probably get a week or two beyond that without raising any flags.  By that point the country will be up *** creek anyway and I doubt anyone will be working unless its absolutely essential.

    Or you could tell them you cant work there anymore due to the breach of current H&S guidelines.  Add that you are going to report them to Public Health England for breach of said guidelines, if you want to add flames to the situation.  That will likely get you some time off.  They also cant fire you for it without leaving you in a situation for a tribunal for unfair dismissal.  But they also might change the workplace to enforce the rules.  Its a 50/50 type of play.  Could go either way.

    Or you could quit and sign on, but be aware lots of people are doing that at present. If you go down that route id apply for ESA instead of UC/JSA based on your ASD.  You will need your doctor to write you a sick note for severe anxiety/ocd due to ASD or similar.

Reply
  • Its definitely worth avoiding the news at the minute.  The constant barrage does nothing good for anxiety and ocd.  FB and twitter arent much better.

    Go to work, cough a lot, eat a ton of chilli so the sweat is pouring off you, look like absolute crap, complain about feeling hot while coughing a lot.  They will *** bricks and send you home.  Thats at least 3 weeks of self isolation and you can probably get a week or two beyond that without raising any flags.  By that point the country will be up *** creek anyway and I doubt anyone will be working unless its absolutely essential.

    Or you could tell them you cant work there anymore due to the breach of current H&S guidelines.  Add that you are going to report them to Public Health England for breach of said guidelines, if you want to add flames to the situation.  That will likely get you some time off.  They also cant fire you for it without leaving you in a situation for a tribunal for unfair dismissal.  But they also might change the workplace to enforce the rules.  Its a 50/50 type of play.  Could go either way.

    Or you could quit and sign on, but be aware lots of people are doing that at present. If you go down that route id apply for ESA instead of UC/JSA based on your ASD.  You will need your doctor to write you a sick note for severe anxiety/ocd due to ASD or similar.

Children
  • Didnt say its the same, similar, but not the same.

    It seems to hit some people harder than others.  From the stats, people of asian descent are getting hit the hardest because it attacks a protein found in their lungs that caucasians dont have.  The L strain seems to be more aggressive than the new S strain that seems to have mutated from the original.  Some people get very mild symptoms, no cough, bit of fever, headache.  Others get the whole lot.

    It is that serious to me that any food deliveries that come in, I spend the next 30 mins wiping them down with a bleach solution.  So please dont think im not taking it seriously. I wont be leaving my house until its confirmed over, which I dont expect to happen until September at the earliest.  They can bandy around numbers like 3 weeks or 12 weeks, but we will probably be like Wuhan in 12 weeks.  You know its bad when they are preparing an aircraft hangar at Birmingham airport to use as a morgue.

    Also I wouldnt worry about scaring people.  Its a bit too late for that.  We have a virus that is rampaging across the world killing people all over the place.  We have people locked in their houses, which hasnt happened since WW2?  If you arent scared of that, then you probably arent scared of much in life.

  • Pathfinder i deleted my previous message as I dont want to scare people but if you think the flu is the same you have your head in the sand

  • Hope you feel better soon - take care of yourself.

  • My parents and i think we've had it, but I havent had a complete inability to breath.  I had something like my asthma was really bad for about two weeks, plus a feever for a couple of days, diarheaa and headache.  i put up with it for maybe 3 weeks, then on Saturday I took a course of steroids and a course of antibiotics and whatever ive had seems to have gone.  FTR, my asthma is probably a bit worse than yours and im listed as extermely vulnerable I think because I tried immunosuppression last year.

    I normally hit the gym daily and can do 30 mins on a cross trainer with really bad asthma so its anyone guess if what ive had is it.

    If you can get it, some home made chicken soup and lots of green veg will do wonders for most flus.  Just keep your strength up.

  • I've been told I have the virus so I wont be going to work. Breathing is taking up most of my day. I've been told my lungs are strong so I just need to fight it. I've been off social media alot as it's annoying me people socialising yet I caught it from hardly going out.