The plus and minus of my extended 'self isolation' experience (includes a cat picture)

[Siwsan]

I'll start with the minus. Stress kills my appetite. Some days, like today, I'm forcing myself to eat one meal and on a 'good' day, I'll manage two. I'm keeping a big water bottle by my favorite chair so that I'll remember to keep hydrated and telling myself NO WINE if I don't eat. If the weather will start to cooperate, I can start working in the yards and gardens. That will help to mitigate the stress.

The plus side is, I can wear or, more importantly, NOT wear, whatever I want. Sophie Stinky Toes sometimes finds my choices to be objectionable so I reminded her who controls the food and the head scritches. She's begrudgingly accepting of this new and hopefully temporary norm.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Shoot, I've been wearing my nightshirt and a pair of jeans since Sunday.

[procon]

2. What is the source of your stress?

I ask as I'm probably living similarly to you, though I have two pusses and a lazy dog. I'm content for the present to be a certified couch potato, a non-activity my cats wholeheartedly approve of.

I'm making a list (chronic unfulfilled list maker; it's a weird affliction) of simple little projects I can manage when my boredom level starts setting off alarms. Started a book I bought months ago and rediscovered why I like the author. I'm cooking a lot and my freezer is getting stuffed with single servings.

I call my family every few days, a self limiting exercise as everyone is a rabid Trump cultist. I need to know that everyone is well because they believe Trump and don't take the corona virus seriously. They all have fairly significant preexisting health issues and I worry about them despite their chosen stupidity.

Take care of yourself.

[Siwsan]

3. What is necessitating the need for self isolation is what's causing me stress.

How long are we going to be in this situation, and will be ever get back to "normal". The whole stock market thing is causing me stress. Not so much for me - I have a separate financial source so I'm not touching my investments. I want to be able to leave something behind for my niece, nephews and brother. That's an abridged version of my list.

And, to be fair, I've had a lot to worry about, over the past few years. After going through a long series of family tragedies, I thought I was getting that under better control. Well, that's gone out the window!

[Faux pas]

4. Lol

one of my nicknames for my cat is Stinkle Toes.

Hang in and hang ten Siwsan

[smirkymonkey]

5. Now that you mention it, I have noticed a change in appetite as well.

I never really eat breakfast. Just a large iced tea, but at work by the time lunch rolls around I am starving and usually eat a pretty hearty lunch and then when I get home I eat a pretty normal dinner. I'm not much of a snacker or sweet eater.

However, since I have been wfh, I'm rarely hungry. I have to make myself eat because my stomach will be growling by early afternoon and once I have just enough food to feel like I have given the stomach acid something to work on, I stop. I still haven't had dinner yet, but it will probably be the other half of what I had last night.

I don't feel overly stressed, but I am a little worried, mostly due to the uncertainty of the situation. I kind of wish I had a dog to walk or something.

A friend is picking me up to go grocery shopping tomorrow (usually I get delivery, but that has been a problem lately) so depending upon what is available, I may start panicking then. I am more worried about being stranded without food or supplies than I am about the virus at this point.

I totally agree with you on the plus side! I love wearing a big (long) men's button down Oxford or Poplin shirt, so it comes down to just above the knee - and no pants! No bra either! It's so comfortable. Also, I am saving on the dry-cleaning bills.

[Siwsan]

6. I'm very well stocked with necessities.

Fortunately, I've always kept a good stock of non-perishables and dry goods, and my freezer still has a good amount of last year's garden produce waiting to be utilized. Given my current appetite, I have no fear of running out of food, that's for sure.

I'm not even particularly worried about catching this. The few times I have had to go out for something, I've taken every precaution. We still have no reported cases in my county, and there is plenty of space between homes, where I live. No doubt population congestion is a major factor in where and how far and fast this spreads. In Michigan, the overwhelming number of positive cases are in the Detroit metro area and surrounding counties.

If there's something critical that I find I need, I can call my niece so, for now, there's really no reason for me to go out any further than my own property lines.

It's the worry of wondering how long this will be our situation that's stressing me. Even my nightly dose of Indica THC isn't really helping me sleep.