Quarantine Hacks

ShetlandPony

Here is a place to share how you are coping with the isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic.

My oncologist has told me I should stay home because I am immunocompromised, so I have hunkered down in my little house. But today I got myself outside and took a walk in the neighborhood. It was glorious! I saw so many amazing views and exquisite flowers. And it felt so good to get my heart beating just a little faster. Gyms are closed, dance classes are cancelled, and some of us are not supposed to even leave home. But the outdoors is not closed! And it is easy to keep a distance from others on a walk if it is not in a downtown area. Nature is healing, and exercise helps our mood and our health. So that is my quarantine hack for today.

What are your quarantine hacks? How are you looking after your mental health? Please share your creative ideas for coping, making the best of things, and finding ways to still feel productive, happy, and connected.

edj3

I'm still running. My marathon isn't until June 20 so who know if it will happen. But I'm training as though it well. (I only have ever run outside)

Spookiesmom

Dog park for me!! The fur kids need to run around too!

hapa

Outside is one of the safest places to be IMO. A lot of viruses can't hack it in sunlight. If you can get some solitude out there, even better!

My hack is to spend as much time as possible in the cleanroom, since I still have to come into work. Everybody in there is in head to toe PPE with facemasks, safety glasses and gloves, no face touching (or anywhere on your body, for that matter) allowed! Corporate sent out guidance that anyone who can work from home should and only essential manufacturing employees should come in. Yet, there are a bunch of self-important douches sitting on conference calls in their offices (no face-to-face meetings allowed unless they are inside the cleanroom). The cleanroom thing is my hack anytime any kind of cold or flu is making its way around the office.

MinusTwo

Excited to have the time to dive into all the books that I always have waiting. I agree with Shetland Pony about getting outside. Kind of fun discoverng what's in the very back of the freezer and what kind of creative invention I can concoct.

BellasMomToo

I'm in the SF bay area so I am under the 'shelter-in-place' restriction. I normally take my dogs to the dog park every day, but the dog park is closed during this restrictive time. DH has been working from home. When he has an hour to spare, we're going to walk our dogs along the bay trail (10 minutes from our house via car). Our older dog is almost 15 and has trouble walking, so we'll bring the wagon for her. (At the dog park she just stands around and sniffs things -- doesn't walk much. My younger dog and I walk laps around the park.)

My pilates instructor is trying to set up online classes. That would be helpful.

Cowgirl13

I live in San Francisco and decided to just drive around today and see how empty the city and the streets are right now. Was I ever surprised to be able to drive 2 or 3 miles along the water (Embarcadero). It was sobering to see hardly any cars and it all kind of hit me as I was driving along. I'm buying food primarily from my neighborhood market. Its a wonderful market with things as good as Whole Foods. Was in WF the other day and was just grossed out by all the hoarding. So while I can, I am going to be doing my buying in our neighborhood. So my hack today was driving around and seeing what the city looked like 30 years ago--as far as traffic goes. Tomorrow I"m going to take a walk. Take care.

bcincolorado

I have other issues as well and DH is a transplant patient so we are basically "on lockdown". We have been told we are safe to walk though since we do not encounter anyone. So if weather is nice (days here are few at a time right now) we take advantage and try to walk a mile or more each day outside. Gets us out of our house at least. Walking on a machine is just not the same as sunshine.

MinusTwo

Cowgirl - thanks for sharing. I was raised in the SF Bay area 60 years ago.

exbrnxgrl

San Jose resident here. I live in the downtown area near a main street. It was clear, sunny and cool this morning so I took a 2 mile walk down that street and it was virtually deserted. I’m a teacher so not at work due to school closures. Tomorrow we are having a staff meeting via videoconference to discuss the district’s plans for distance learning. Our governor is telling us to prepare for the possibility of no school for the rest of the year

Jelson

Will be kayaking with my husband on days the wind dies down and the temperature is above 50 (we had a 70 degree day last week!). The water is low 40's but I wear a dry suit. We go out on the Hudson. Usually by our selves, it will be interesting to see if there are other paddlers and motorboats out due to school and business closures. One of my community center exercise class instructors set up a virtual class via ZOOM today which was great. She is planning another one next week. I found a facebook group - Choir!Choir!Choir! - Canadian I think, which had a virtual sing along tonight They provided words to 7 songs you could download. I don't know what I expected, but it was two guys in a living room, one with a guitar and great voices, kind of fun - they are going to do it again on Saturday afternoon (different time - for their fans in Europe!) Our municipal golf course is still open to walkers and dogs off leash, so we will walk there. Governor Cuomo has waived fees for local and state parks to encourage people to get outdoors. We have set up a neighborhood mutual support group - currently about 8 houses - could go to 18, I will run errands, put out/bring in garbage cans for others as long as stores are open and I am able.

farmerlucy

I can’t wait to get outside once it stops raining. It has been very dreary here in Central OK this week. I think we are due a little bit of sun tomorrow. Winter was too short and too wet to do much work on our property. Once the poison ivy, ticks, and snakes come out, I stay out of our woods. I guess a lot of it will just have to wait until next winter. My farm “to do” list is long and never done. Great for taking ones mind off current events!

bcincolorado

Snow coming my way but we've been walking in the neighborhood regularly. So I'll be stuck doing indoor exercise for a few days again.

keepthefaith

Spring is here and I am doing some gardening, transplanting, etc. When the weather isn't good, I am sorting and shredding several boxes of old receipts, files, that should have been done long ago! I have been working on stripping paint from an old iron rail that I am going to re-purpose. Just trying to stay busy:).

Trying to think of positives in the midst of it all! One is that we are giving Mother Nature (the ozone) a short break!

farmerlucy

A few years ago we built a guest house at our farm (where DD and fam live) (we live in town, 4 miles away) Anywho upon the advice of my brother, an onco in the NW, we've now turned it into a decontamination center for DD. DD is an ER nurse and on the front line. It will be her quarantine zone if it comes to that. Then we decided I would support her husband and baby in the main house. DSIL is working from home.For now brother the onco advises even I distance from DD and fam. He also said cancer patients in remission have a higherthan average mortality rate even if they are not in active treatment. Well that was sobering.

Never ever did I imagine our Stuga would be a decon/quarantine zone!

ctmbsikia

Hi everyone: Wow Lucy!

I live about 40 miles outside of Philadelphia. Penn Medicine has expanded out here in suburbia taken over our county hospital several years ago which is currently undergoing an expansive reno. There are local offices all around. There was a report this morning of health care workers being infected that work at the main hospital in the city. City cases are rising everyday, and I truly feel for those who live in urban areas and especially those of you sheltering in place.

Husband had a Dr. appointment this morning. There is a lab right next to the oncology office which they have closed to the public now being used for just the oncology patients. All their follow up/well appointments have been pushed a month out. We were fairly alone and I saw only 1 patient in the treatment room. Hubs is due chemo next week. We are delayed a day as his platelet count is currently at 86K. Dr. wants him at 100. Crossing our fingers----it was at 56 last week so it is recovering. Labs on Monday and we'll see. I expressed concern that if anything happens I am not going anywhere near a hospital. They assured me that the cancer patients are to call and they will walk us thru any issue and they do have capability of treating locally. That made me feel better.

I have been working from home since Monday. At the moment, I am alone, and I HATE it!!!! I made an end of the world playlist that I put on headphones after dinner while cleaning up and getting ready for the next day and it has helped me escape. Keeping the TV off as much as possible and I'm trying to stay off the internet! Ha

Stay well everyone.

bcincolorado

Good info Lucy and cool guest house!

If the snow ever lets up here we may be able to go outside and walk.

Heard all National Parks are waiving fees for everyone. No services are available but if anyone live by one and wants outside...….

Our Govenor said the "great outdoors" is open for now.

ShetlandPony

Thanks for all the contributions to this thread! My hope is that it will be a repository of creative ideas for coping, making the best of things, and finding ways to still feel productive, happy, and connected. (There are other Covid-19 threads for discussing complaints and worries, which of course are also valid.)

Here is a summary of our list so far: Getting outside — running, walking, dog park. Read those books that have been sitting there waiting. Get creative with cooking with what you have. Go for a drive without traffic. Virtual exercise class (using a program like ZOOM). Virtual sing-along. Farm chores. Gardening. Home improvement projects. Shredding old papers. Listen to music instead of watching TV and Internet about you-know-what. And the two most unusual ones — Spend time in the "clean room" at work and Go kayaking!

My hack for today comes from my young adult kid whois going to use this time when music classes are not happening and bands cannot meet to rehearse, to practice songs, improve skills, and maybe learn some basic theory, looking forward to being even better when things start up again. I will jump in on helping with the basic theory. And I'm talking really basic here!

exbrnxgrl

Due to the marvels of technology, I worked for about 3 hours today! School wide staff meeting, grade level team meeting and planning for the next two weeks all via videoconference. ThenI made sure that all of my students had home access to the apps we use. All students in my district are 1:1 for devices and are allowed to take them home if needed. Comcast is providing free internet service for those who need it. So starting Monday we go live! Not all day mind you but we’ll make assignments from various apps which I can monitor and give feedback on. I can do video mini-lessons too. Tomorrow night I’ve invited my class to join me on a videoconference. I am going to read them a bedtime story and then chat a bit. I’ll be so happy to “see” them!

Cowgirl13

Today I went to Whole Foods during the senior hour just to check it out and see what it was like. While I was there I bought some chicken and boxed soup. Then I went to safeway to check out their senior hour bought some spaghetti sauce and mayo. Then I went to Costco to check it out and buy some hearing aid batteries (they are so cheap!) but the line was way to long. I'll try again tomorrow and get there before starting time. I'm embarrassed to tell you that I went to check on my home market but did not go in. So I had a nice little tour of the city doing this and marvelled again at the lack of traffic. So little outing, big fun, so to speak!

Cowgirl13

Today I went to Whole Foods during the senior hour just to check it out and see what it was like. While I was there I bought some chicken and boxed soup. Then I went to safeway to check out their senior hour bought some spaghetti sauce and mayo. Then I went to Costco to check it out and buy some hearing aid batteries (they are so cheap!) but the line was way to long. I'll try again tomorrow and get there before starting time. I'm embarrassed to tell you that I went to check on my home market but did not go in. So I had a nice little tour of the city doing this and marvelled again at the lack of traffic. So little outing, big fun, so to speak!

AnnC2019

Pulled out the mini trampoline to use while working at home. I live in a small apartment so I am hoping this helps.

ErenTo

Great thread! I already worked from home, so nothing new there, but complete shutdown of life as we know it adds another dimension to it. I'm in Toronto and weather is getting better, so I make sure to go out for a daily walk and soon start my runs. I also do home exercises with weights. I live in the city but in a residential neighbourhood so not a lot of foot traffic. If we get cabin fever, we go out for a drive. I'm afraid to see my mom out of fear of putting her at risk, but at the same time I don't want her to be isolated, so I drop by at hers with extra caution.

It's tempting to constantly follow the news, but it gets overwhelming, so I'm trying to schedule that, maybe 3 times a day. Helps with sanity.

Podcast is another source of distraction. Connecting with friends and family that I haven't talked to in a while helps too.

I am in need of a haircut, but it has to wait I guess and my dentist appointment must be cancelled next time. We might have to go back to basics and do everything DIY!

Edited to add: if anyone is interested in good podcasts relating to scientific findings on Covid-19, Peter Attia and David Sinclair are the two I recommend. Their instagram pages are also great. Their regular podcasts are on healthy living and longevity, but in the last two weeks they have regular updates on Covid-19

Anonymous

Walking, practicing my yoga sequence (I will sub at my local studio in the summer), hope to go cross country skiing today and Sedona (which is basically closed, so all the trails will be quiet!) tomorrow. Trying to take breaks from my computer screen since my university just moved all courses online for the rest of the semester, and I teach full-time. Observing everything I see as though I'd observe a social science experiment: it really is. I wonder how long the world can remain closed. I see this as somewhat of an 9/11 experience--first we were in shock for a few weeks, then sadness and grief, then fear, then we got angry. I don't think that Americans will take being cooped up completely for long, actually, but it's early now, and we just have to cope, right?

I looked for, and found, signs of spring early this week (2 robins and lots of bulb shoots) but then we got 7 inches of snow and it covered everything up so I'll be looking for them when we drive south for sun and warmth tomorrow.

Everyone, this will pass...I keep telling myself I got through chemo and rads, and it seemed endless, but it passed...

ErenTo

Yes, as catastrophic as this could potentially turn out to be in every way, I am observing this with morbid fascination as it impacts every part of our lives. It's like living in a science fiction movie, a scientific experiment of sorts.

santabarbarian

My son and I have been cooking from scratch more - bread and pasta noodles. That's been fun. We are planting our garden as well. Glad to have him home for this!

beach2beach

Getting up and out at 6 am to walk here on Long Island. It puts a smile on my face to hear the birds chirping....sounds of normalcy. I work in the office of a school so we are out tentatively until the 2nd but I'm sure that will be extended. We have not hit peak here yet unfortunately. Hopefully gets a little warmer and I can walk the boardwalk at the beach.

Oh and I will add it is nice to see families out together, walking, riding bikes, playing on the lawn. Not seen that around much for years.

Moderators

Moving this topic to a new forum on Coronavirus

NancyD

I am semi-retired, and I have two part-time paying jobs. One is after school child minding for some neighbors. Lost that in the social distancing and school closings. The other is custom college textbook cover design which is seasonal and just gearing up. I hope I don't get sick and have to forego the rest of the season. It's my main income aside from social security.

My son has been working from home for the last two weeks. He came back from a business trip with a bad cold, and then just as he was recovering the company closed all offices and mandated work-from-home. He's been around 24hrs now for two weeks which is kind of getting on my nerves. He was also apartment hunting which has come to a halt, so he'll be here indefinitely now.

We've been coming up with innovative recipes using the ingredients I have in my pantry. We could do pasta and tomato sauce every day for a month, but that's boring. I will make a trip to one of my local markets next week to see what I can pick up. Also, my son-in-law works in Hunts Point in the Bronx at the wholesale produce market. I'll ask him to drop off some stuff if there's slim pickings at the store. It might not be the produce I want, but at least I'll know it's fresh.

I've been collecting online exercises for the kids I babysit for. Their mom is a teacher and even she has been challenged in this period. They are kindergarten, second grade, and seventh grade so each child has a different level of attention than she's used to (she teachers 4th grade). I've found several good suggestions for virtual field trips and how to keep them from devouring all the snacks in the house, lol.

I miss seeing my grandson. He's not that far away but we've all decided that it's probably best if we just Facetime for now. He should be getting up from his nap soon, so I'm going to give him a call now.

exbrnxgrl

I just had a bittersweet experience. I set up a videoconference and read my class a bedtime story tonight. It was wonderful to see their faces and touch base with them, but the thought that the school year, at least in the classroom, abruptly ended last Friday is devastating. We will start a home learning program on Monday, but of course it won’t be the same 😟. I love my students and I know that these circumstances are beyond our control, but I miss them

LiveLoveLaugh2020

I've been walking daily, watching Netflix, and drinking wine to celebrate my birthday weekend. Drinking way too much wine!

I'm hoping and praying you all stay safe and for everyone that has been affected by this.

Any good Netflix recommendations?