How to stay the fuck home and stay sane…indefinitely
October 8, 2021 12:40 PM Subscribe
I’m probably going to be working from home for another year or more. It’s getting really depressing after almost 2 years of the pandemic. How do I change it up?
I know remote work is a privilege in so many ways but the monotony of spending every day in my apartment is killing me. I miss getting out of the house. I feel lonely and isolated. The weekends almost feel more depressing because every day feels like the same.
My work is very Covid-cautious,which I respect, so they keep pushing the back-to-office day further. Now they are saying January but I doubt the numbers will be better at that point so I have to assume I am here indefinitely.
I’ve drifted apart from a lot of friends during the pandemic. I’m lucky to see people once or twice a week but that still means most days I just finish my job and am stuck alone in my living room. I have more creative things I could be doing at home but I’m struggling to get motivated to do more than watch TV and read because I’m just here all the time.
I spent a lot of time outdoors in the summer which was great, but with winter coming it’s not so great to be outside. It will be cold and rainy most of the time going forward.
A lot of things I used to do are just not coming back any time soon or just are unsafe or un-fun with Covid, like seeing live music or going out dancing. I wish I could take a university course for fun, join a book club, try a new exercise class or go to a cooking class but these things are either remote or feel unsafe. I work remotely all day, I don’t want to spend more time on my laptop doing a Zoom class.
I used to work from coffee shops or the library as a change of scene when I worked from home, but these are off-limits now too.
What can I do to change it up? How are my WFH peers coping with the pandemic that never ends?
I know remote work is a privilege in so many ways but the monotony of spending every day in my apartment is killing me. I miss getting out of the house. I feel lonely and isolated. The weekends almost feel more depressing because every day feels like the same.
My work is very Covid-cautious,which I respect, so they keep pushing the back-to-office day further. Now they are saying January but I doubt the numbers will be better at that point so I have to assume I am here indefinitely.
I’ve drifted apart from a lot of friends during the pandemic. I’m lucky to see people once or twice a week but that still means most days I just finish my job and am stuck alone in my living room. I have more creative things I could be doing at home but I’m struggling to get motivated to do more than watch TV and read because I’m just here all the time.
I spent a lot of time outdoors in the summer which was great, but with winter coming it’s not so great to be outside. It will be cold and rainy most of the time going forward.
A lot of things I used to do are just not coming back any time soon or just are unsafe or un-fun with Covid, like seeing live music or going out dancing. I wish I could take a university course for fun, join a book club, try a new exercise class or go to a cooking class but these things are either remote or feel unsafe. I work remotely all day, I don’t want to spend more time on my laptop doing a Zoom class.
I used to work from coffee shops or the library as a change of scene when I worked from home, but these are off-limits now too.
What can I do to change it up? How are my WFH peers coping with the pandemic that never ends?
Try working from different locations within your house throughout the day, ideally near a window with some kind of view, like from your desk to couch to dining table. Put on a podcast if you're able to listen while you work. Take frequent breaks to snack, walk around, or do a craft for a few minutes. Pamper yourself with high quality coffee, tea, juices, etc. Consider getting a pet if you're able to, or some houseplants. Find a friend who you're able to call for a few minutes during the work day to vent or just hear another human voice.
posted by mezzanayne at 1:13 PM on October 8, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by mezzanayne at 1:13 PM on October 8, 2021 [5 favorites]
Do you have/ can you get a pet? My cats gave me a buffer against the most intense loneliness. Dogs need walks and get you outside.
posted by emjaybee at 1:14 PM on October 8, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by emjaybee at 1:14 PM on October 8, 2021 [5 favorites]
I live alone and work from home. I have an office that's open that I can go to, and all of my in-office coworkers are vaccinated, but honestly who wants to spend their COVID risk budget going to the office? Not me!
I definitely feel the, "ugh, is this even WORTH it" part of getting out of the house/interacting with other humans during COVID. All else aside it ratchets my social anxiety up like crazy ("how can I ask someone to hang out with me? why would she think I'm worth it?").
But personally, I'm vaccinated and have no particular risk factors and I am easily able to self-isolate/quarantine if necessary, so I'm OK with taking on a certain amount of COVID risk for something I really want to do. I've started singing with my choir again (we are all vaccinated and masked and we sing in a venue with newly-installed modern air filtration/ventilation - it's not perfectly safe, but it's within my tolerances). I would be up for doing a book club or taking a fitness class in similar circumstances. Going out dancing during COVID doesn't sound like much fun to me, but going to a quieter live music show, the theater, the movies, or a comedy show is fun and is more in line with where I'm at.
I do other stuff that's more risky than staying home but still fairly low-risk. I went to an agricultural fair last weekend and I might go apple-picking this weekend and will probably watch runners on a marathon route on Monday. (I actually like getting outside all year round, and have even bought a ski pass for this winter.) I'll spend a fair amount of time with family members who I know are vaccinated and reasonably cautious this winter.
I'm not an advocate for the "just get back to normal!" kind of COVID argument - I'm happy to take precautions and I'm still not comfortable with many activities that I was comfortable with in the past. But I think if you're suffering from a lack of interpersonal interaction, it's worth taking on some risk to alleviate that suffering. Obviously the specifics of what's possible and what's wise depend on where you are and your personal risk factors, but staying maximally locked down until the pandemic is "over" is probably not what's holistically healthiest for most people.\
So maybe try to find one thing (ideally one recurring social thing!) that seems "worth it" that will get you out of the house?
posted by mskyle at 1:14 PM on October 8, 2021 [13 favorites]
I definitely feel the, "ugh, is this even WORTH it" part of getting out of the house/interacting with other humans during COVID. All else aside it ratchets my social anxiety up like crazy ("how can I ask someone to hang out with me? why would she think I'm worth it?").
But personally, I'm vaccinated and have no particular risk factors and I am easily able to self-isolate/quarantine if necessary, so I'm OK with taking on a certain amount of COVID risk for something I really want to do. I've started singing with my choir again (we are all vaccinated and masked and we sing in a venue with newly-installed modern air filtration/ventilation - it's not perfectly safe, but it's within my tolerances). I would be up for doing a book club or taking a fitness class in similar circumstances. Going out dancing during COVID doesn't sound like much fun to me, but going to a quieter live music show, the theater, the movies, or a comedy show is fun and is more in line with where I'm at.
I do other stuff that's more risky than staying home but still fairly low-risk. I went to an agricultural fair last weekend and I might go apple-picking this weekend and will probably watch runners on a marathon route on Monday. (I actually like getting outside all year round, and have even bought a ski pass for this winter.) I'll spend a fair amount of time with family members who I know are vaccinated and reasonably cautious this winter.
I'm not an advocate for the "just get back to normal!" kind of COVID argument - I'm happy to take precautions and I'm still not comfortable with many activities that I was comfortable with in the past. But I think if you're suffering from a lack of interpersonal interaction, it's worth taking on some risk to alleviate that suffering. Obviously the specifics of what's possible and what's wise depend on where you are and your personal risk factors, but staying maximally locked down until the pandemic is "over" is probably not what's holistically healthiest for most people.\
So maybe try to find one thing (ideally one recurring social thing!) that seems "worth it" that will get you out of the house?
posted by mskyle at 1:14 PM on October 8, 2021 [13 favorites]
I also live on my own and have been WFH since March 2020, in a place with cold, grey winters. Another vote for getting outdoors regardless of the weather if at all possible. Maybe sign up for a medium-term challenge like the Conqueror events where you log your mileage from your walks, progress towards a challenge and see progress on the way (I did the Inca Trail one and you can log on and see via streetview where you are on the trail every time you log a new distance). And there's a medal at the end.
I've done lots of outdoor socialising, all seasons - meeting a friend on a park bench with a flask of coffee wearing a big coat, hat, scarf, gloves. How about hitting up some of those friends you've drifted apart from? Tell them you'll bring snacks and bake something and you've got two activities for the price of one.
If things are still pretty closed down where you are, there may be more outdoor events on even through winter. Maybe go to some things you wouldn't normally go to, just for the sake of getting out and being around people - community walks, local markets, community gardens, outdoor exericse classes you wouldn't normally fancy, concerts with a type of music that's not top of your favourites list.
A daylight lamp can help take the edge off the winter indoor glums.
I work remotely all day, I don’t want to spend more time on my laptop doing a Zoom class.
Have you tried this and know for sure that you'll hate it? Because to me, doing something enjoyable online feels very different from working.
The best thing I've ever found for perking up a weekend from the point of view of being otherwise home alone, is to have some kind of appointment with social contact fairly early on a Saturday. In the before times I did a gym class at 9am on Saturday (I'm not a morning person, but that just made it feel all the more awesome that I managed it). In lockdown (with long covid, in my case) I switched to an online Tai Chi class at 10am on Saturdays. There's something about moving your body and chatting with other people at the start of the weekend that seems to make the whole thing feel better. I found the virtual version almost as good as the IRL version for that.
Is there something else you can sign up for to do virtually one or two evenings a week that'll engage your brain in something non-work, and make you feel like you're making structured progress? Language classes or learning an instrument? You only need one or two of those, plus your couple of social things, and suddenly nights home doing nothing are in the minority taken as a proportion of the week.
posted by penguin pie at 1:32 PM on October 8, 2021 [3 favorites]
I've done lots of outdoor socialising, all seasons - meeting a friend on a park bench with a flask of coffee wearing a big coat, hat, scarf, gloves. How about hitting up some of those friends you've drifted apart from? Tell them you'll bring snacks and bake something and you've got two activities for the price of one.
If things are still pretty closed down where you are, there may be more outdoor events on even through winter. Maybe go to some things you wouldn't normally go to, just for the sake of getting out and being around people - community walks, local markets, community gardens, outdoor exericse classes you wouldn't normally fancy, concerts with a type of music that's not top of your favourites list.
A daylight lamp can help take the edge off the winter indoor glums.
I work remotely all day, I don’t want to spend more time on my laptop doing a Zoom class.
Have you tried this and know for sure that you'll hate it? Because to me, doing something enjoyable online feels very different from working.
The best thing I've ever found for perking up a weekend from the point of view of being otherwise home alone, is to have some kind of appointment with social contact fairly early on a Saturday. In the before times I did a gym class at 9am on Saturday (I'm not a morning person, but that just made it feel all the more awesome that I managed it). In lockdown (with long covid, in my case) I switched to an online Tai Chi class at 10am on Saturdays. There's something about moving your body and chatting with other people at the start of the weekend that seems to make the whole thing feel better. I found the virtual version almost as good as the IRL version for that.
Is there something else you can sign up for to do virtually one or two evenings a week that'll engage your brain in something non-work, and make you feel like you're making structured progress? Language classes or learning an instrument? You only need one or two of those, plus your couple of social things, and suddenly nights home doing nothing are in the minority taken as a proportion of the week.
posted by penguin pie at 1:32 PM on October 8, 2021 [3 favorites]
Are you still in Vancouver BC? I just went to meetup.com and there seems like there's a bunch of active Vancouver meetups. Lots of opportunities to be outside with a bunch of people :)
Also, can you reach back out to the friends that you've drifted from?
posted by foxjacket at 1:47 PM on October 8, 2021 [1 favorite]
Also, can you reach back out to the friends that you've drifted from?
posted by foxjacket at 1:47 PM on October 8, 2021 [1 favorite]
I do lots of walk and chat phone calls with friends. It makes it easier to get out on a walk (especially the same 1.25 mile loops I’ve done a million times since March 2020). It scary he’s the trifecta of outdoors, exercise and socializing.
No clue how things are in your area but more venues in NC just started requiring everyone to wear masks and be vaccinated or show proof of a negative test which has really made me excited to get back to live theatre and shows which I wouldn’t have done previously.
posted by raccoon409 at 1:54 PM on October 8, 2021
No clue how things are in your area but more venues in NC just started requiring everyone to wear masks and be vaccinated or show proof of a negative test which has really made me excited to get back to live theatre and shows which I wouldn’t have done previously.
posted by raccoon409 at 1:54 PM on October 8, 2021
Outsider opinion but IF you're in one of the safer groups and you're vaxxed/boostered, go to a coffee shop or a cooking class or an in person book club. Maybe now is not the time to go to the 1992 Retro Mosh Pit show but some human interaction is necessary for sanity.
posted by kingdead at 1:57 PM on October 8, 2021 [7 favorites]
posted by kingdead at 1:57 PM on October 8, 2021 [7 favorites]
Can you explain why the library is off-limits? Coffee shops are crowded and have people who are unmasked (at worst) or masked and then unmask to eat/drink) at best, but libraries have a different vibe.
Our library system require masks (granted, yours may differ, though foxjacket thinks you're in Vancouver, and Vancouver library system is requiring masks), nobody is eating or drinking, and it's just plain less crowded. I hit my library once a week, and there's maybe 10% of the patronage that there was pre-COVID. You may find that it's a much safer than almost any other public indoor venue.
Could you take one hour a day to work (or just re-set) from a public park, maybe at a picnic table? If the weather is wet, that won't work, but fresh air and even just seeing other random people, babies, dogs, whatever, can refresh the spirit. You don't even need your computer; you could bring a pen and pad and make it an analog hour to outline concepts and draft emails or whatever your job requires. Or take it as your "lunch" break (having eaten lunch at home (ostensibly while working)) and just get a giant umbrella, wear snuggly clothes, and play in the out of doors. (We got wet and cold as children and had fun; if we don't have to worry about our hair or how we look, it can be as fun in adulthood.)
But the biggest thing here is that you've disconnected from your friends. Make a list of them; send out a mass email (BCCing them to protect addresses) and say you've missed all your peeps and you're opening up opportunities for your friends to hang with you. (Think it's weird? At least four of my friends did this in the past year, independently of one another.) Make at least two lunch dates (on zoom, or eat in someone's backyard, or across the garage from one another); for a couple of the other days, set up phone catch-ups. Better yet, see if your friends want to earn their 10,000 steps while you earn yours -- walk together in the bracing, wet weather, either via phone or in person. Invite people to play with you and chances are good they'll jump at the chance! (Mid-2020, between Zoom lunch dates, phone walks, and taking online classes offered by my professional association, my alma matter, and AARP, I felt like I was back in college, learning and socializing non-stop.)
Good luck!
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 2:07 PM on October 8, 2021 [4 favorites]
Our library system require masks (granted, yours may differ, though foxjacket thinks you're in Vancouver, and Vancouver library system is requiring masks), nobody is eating or drinking, and it's just plain less crowded. I hit my library once a week, and there's maybe 10% of the patronage that there was pre-COVID. You may find that it's a much safer than almost any other public indoor venue.
Could you take one hour a day to work (or just re-set) from a public park, maybe at a picnic table? If the weather is wet, that won't work, but fresh air and even just seeing other random people, babies, dogs, whatever, can refresh the spirit. You don't even need your computer; you could bring a pen and pad and make it an analog hour to outline concepts and draft emails or whatever your job requires. Or take it as your "lunch" break (having eaten lunch at home (ostensibly while working)) and just get a giant umbrella, wear snuggly clothes, and play in the out of doors. (We got wet and cold as children and had fun; if we don't have to worry about our hair or how we look, it can be as fun in adulthood.)
But the biggest thing here is that you've disconnected from your friends. Make a list of them; send out a mass email (BCCing them to protect addresses) and say you've missed all your peeps and you're opening up opportunities for your friends to hang with you. (Think it's weird? At least four of my friends did this in the past year, independently of one another.) Make at least two lunch dates (on zoom, or eat in someone's backyard, or across the garage from one another); for a couple of the other days, set up phone catch-ups. Better yet, see if your friends want to earn their 10,000 steps while you earn yours -- walk together in the bracing, wet weather, either via phone or in person. Invite people to play with you and chances are good they'll jump at the chance! (Mid-2020, between Zoom lunch dates, phone walks, and taking online classes offered by my professional association, my alma matter, and AARP, I felt like I was back in college, learning and socializing non-stop.)
Good luck!
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 2:07 PM on October 8, 2021 [4 favorites]
Pick a friend or two to set up weekly walking dates with. Maybe you walk past a take-out coffee place, maybe you don’t. The key here is that it’s weekly, so that you begin to form a structure to your weeks, something to look forward to.
posted by wyzewoman at 2:09 PM on October 8, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by wyzewoman at 2:09 PM on October 8, 2021 [1 favorite]
Small things that have helped me -
- I got a sit-stand desk. Sounds like bs self care but I need to move or my mental state goes sideways. It’s been the best thing I purchased in the pandemic.
- I made a little station immediately to my left, right out of camera view and too far to swivel directly to, but easily accessible, where I can play music on micro-breaks. Do you have a hobby that you could integrate in a structured way?
- I have trained my dogs to treat my office like a day crate. Sometimes they’re a great footrest, other times i just give up and lay on the floor with them during bad meetings.
posted by q*ben at 2:16 PM on October 8, 2021 [3 favorites]
- I got a sit-stand desk. Sounds like bs self care but I need to move or my mental state goes sideways. It’s been the best thing I purchased in the pandemic.
- I made a little station immediately to my left, right out of camera view and too far to swivel directly to, but easily accessible, where I can play music on micro-breaks. Do you have a hobby that you could integrate in a structured way?
- I have trained my dogs to treat my office like a day crate. Sometimes they’re a great footrest, other times i just give up and lay on the floor with them during bad meetings.
posted by q*ben at 2:16 PM on October 8, 2021 [3 favorites]
Social-distanced walking with friends was something I did even before I was vaccinated, but with the vaccine it feels 100% safe.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 2:52 PM on October 8, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 2:52 PM on October 8, 2021 [1 favorite]
Invest in GOOD winter clothes. Get the gear you need so that you won't be uncomfortable when you go outside in bad weather: Boots, umbrella, water proof jacket. Go out every day that you can. Try to establish social routines, such as saying hello to the dog three doors down, or checking if your neighbours have shoveled their front walk or not, and dropping another book off at the Little Free Library, and seeing if there are still crows flocking on Rockland Road. Try to recognize the people on your street, even if you don't interact with them. You'll feel a lot less shut in if you pay attention to the people and animals on your street and what they are doing, instead of putting in earbuds and trying to ignore the world while you walk.
When you get home stop and remember what you did and what you saw when you were outside and what you enjoyed about your expedition. If you take time to remember each day and compare it to other recent days they will have more detail and be more interesting and not just slip away into a blur of confinement.
Make a list of the things that are creative or self improvement that you want to do, and then look for support communities. For example maybe you want to be doing the October Draw a Picture Every Day challenge and posting your drawing every day in a community where you get to see the same people every week posting their pictures, and you get to comment and receive comments on the art. And then do derivative work and share it with the person whose drawing inspired it. It also works if you have a group that does drawing prompts and works best if you actually already know someone or several people in the group.
There are a lot of groups you could join for things you want to work on, like working on your microsoft certification, or learning to cook Korean food, or back pain support or doing needle felting. Clear a specific space for whatever project you want to work on - a shelf for the Korean cooking ingredients, a basket for your needle felting supplies, folders on your computer for your drawings- and set specific times to do these things, not just "in the evening after work." If you know that Friday night is the evening you are going to make the Korean dish of the week and that this week it will be Bukeoguk and next week it will be Pa Jun, you are far more likely to do it. Similarly if you know your show is on at eight, making sure to finish dinner by seven so you have an hour for the needle felting makes it much more likely you will actually work on the project. Don't just work on these things "if you feel up to it."
Get your heart rate up everyday. One way to do this is to increase the intensity of the stuff you already have to do, such as housework. Put on upbeat music and work fast and steadily, at a pace quicker than the usual one you use when you tidy up or vacuum. It's often easier to do that than take up something like yoga or fitness because you don't have to worry about your form. If the laundry is all in the basket and the carpet has been vacuumed properly you know you did it right.
Take some time to be perfectly still and appreciate things - stand at your window and watch how everything shines and how beautiful the colours are as they turn blue and grey when the light is fading, or stand in the middle of the living room and cast your eyes over your book case and appreciate the beloved books that you know you will some day reread and savour yet another time. Time is so slow... but if you slow it down even more, it will go faster when you have things to do.
Plan good things and go to a little extra effort to make them special. It's easier to just grab a danish in one hand from the grocery story package and eat it while staring at a screen, but take the time to put the danish on a plate, with a napkin and eat it while staying conscious that buying it was something special you did for yourself.
Put yourself on a schedule of reaching out to other people. Just sending them two or three or four line texts is good, with something cheery to say. If there is nothing new in life and you can't think of anything to say that is current, recall something from the past and remind them of it - "I am thinking of that gorgeous green top you were wearing in August when we met at the park. You really know how to pick your colours..." "Have I ever mentioned that I love your laugh? Thinking of you. - Vanitas" "I have just made my first needle felted figure, a dog, and frankly it looks like it could be a cow with short legs instead of a dog!" "What was the name of the bar on Muicher Street we used to go to when we were in college? Thanks for being my wingman, back in those days!" "I have learned to make Korean green onion pancakes. When the lock down is over I would love to make them for you."
posted by Jane the Brown at 3:50 PM on October 8, 2021 [8 favorites]
When you get home stop and remember what you did and what you saw when you were outside and what you enjoyed about your expedition. If you take time to remember each day and compare it to other recent days they will have more detail and be more interesting and not just slip away into a blur of confinement.
Make a list of the things that are creative or self improvement that you want to do, and then look for support communities. For example maybe you want to be doing the October Draw a Picture Every Day challenge and posting your drawing every day in a community where you get to see the same people every week posting their pictures, and you get to comment and receive comments on the art. And then do derivative work and share it with the person whose drawing inspired it. It also works if you have a group that does drawing prompts and works best if you actually already know someone or several people in the group.
There are a lot of groups you could join for things you want to work on, like working on your microsoft certification, or learning to cook Korean food, or back pain support or doing needle felting. Clear a specific space for whatever project you want to work on - a shelf for the Korean cooking ingredients, a basket for your needle felting supplies, folders on your computer for your drawings- and set specific times to do these things, not just "in the evening after work." If you know that Friday night is the evening you are going to make the Korean dish of the week and that this week it will be Bukeoguk and next week it will be Pa Jun, you are far more likely to do it. Similarly if you know your show is on at eight, making sure to finish dinner by seven so you have an hour for the needle felting makes it much more likely you will actually work on the project. Don't just work on these things "if you feel up to it."
Get your heart rate up everyday. One way to do this is to increase the intensity of the stuff you already have to do, such as housework. Put on upbeat music and work fast and steadily, at a pace quicker than the usual one you use when you tidy up or vacuum. It's often easier to do that than take up something like yoga or fitness because you don't have to worry about your form. If the laundry is all in the basket and the carpet has been vacuumed properly you know you did it right.
Take some time to be perfectly still and appreciate things - stand at your window and watch how everything shines and how beautiful the colours are as they turn blue and grey when the light is fading, or stand in the middle of the living room and cast your eyes over your book case and appreciate the beloved books that you know you will some day reread and savour yet another time. Time is so slow... but if you slow it down even more, it will go faster when you have things to do.
Plan good things and go to a little extra effort to make them special. It's easier to just grab a danish in one hand from the grocery story package and eat it while staring at a screen, but take the time to put the danish on a plate, with a napkin and eat it while staying conscious that buying it was something special you did for yourself.
Put yourself on a schedule of reaching out to other people. Just sending them two or three or four line texts is good, with something cheery to say. If there is nothing new in life and you can't think of anything to say that is current, recall something from the past and remind them of it - "I am thinking of that gorgeous green top you were wearing in August when we met at the park. You really know how to pick your colours..." "Have I ever mentioned that I love your laugh? Thinking of you. - Vanitas" "I have just made my first needle felted figure, a dog, and frankly it looks like it could be a cow with short legs instead of a dog!" "What was the name of the bar on Muicher Street we used to go to when we were in college? Thanks for being my wingman, back in those days!" "I have learned to make Korean green onion pancakes. When the lock down is over I would love to make them for you."
posted by Jane the Brown at 3:50 PM on October 8, 2021 [8 favorites]
Do you have friends who are also working from home, and have a little extra space? You could commute to their house and co-work.
It's going to require a shift from thinking "we're hanging out" to "we're just working in the same area", but just having someone else around for occasional social interactions makes a difference.
posted by meowzilla at 4:08 PM on October 8, 2021
It's going to require a shift from thinking "we're hanging out" to "we're just working in the same area", but just having someone else around for occasional social interactions makes a difference.
posted by meowzilla at 4:08 PM on October 8, 2021
I’ve picked up a few house/pet-sitting gigs to supplement my (now 100% WFH) 9-5. It offers a change of scene without having to spend any time in a crowd.
Exercise has also been pretty essential for me, especially as a ritual to demarcate “working from home” vs “just being at home.” (I’ve been known to watch those “treadmill footage” videos during an indoor run. I like to pick places I’ve never actually been.)
Bring in some sensory novelty for those times when escaping your four walls would be impossible. Stream new music, switch up your lighting, hang some new art, experiment with room scents or personal fragrance, get a throw blanket with inviting color and texture, try a new flavor of seltzer water.
posted by armeowda at 6:19 PM on October 8, 2021 [2 favorites]
Exercise has also been pretty essential for me, especially as a ritual to demarcate “working from home” vs “just being at home.” (I’ve been known to watch those “treadmill footage” videos during an indoor run. I like to pick places I’ve never actually been.)
Bring in some sensory novelty for those times when escaping your four walls would be impossible. Stream new music, switch up your lighting, hang some new art, experiment with room scents or personal fragrance, get a throw blanket with inviting color and texture, try a new flavor of seltzer water.
posted by armeowda at 6:19 PM on October 8, 2021 [2 favorites]
Desk treadmill, desk treadmill, desk treadmill. I had an IKEA standing desk that I was indifferent about, but adding a treadmill base has been a total game changer. I have walked 240 miles on my basic Amazon model since mid-August and am upgrading to a real office version because I would be so sad if my Amazon one broke and the supply chains failed this winter. My job turned officially remote this summer, so I’m never going back to the office. It’s a weird feeling. But it is nice to be able to exercise indoors when I am chained to my work computer and stuck on boring conference calls.
My other recommendation is a pair of insulated hiking boots. I am Minnesotan and own good snow boots, but last winter I sprung for a pair of Danner insulated hiking boots, and they were amazing for going on long walks through slushy sidewalks and keeping my toes warm (also great to wear while standing outside and socializing with friends). Ugly but amazing!
posted by Maarika at 6:48 PM on October 8, 2021 [2 favorites]
My other recommendation is a pair of insulated hiking boots. I am Minnesotan and own good snow boots, but last winter I sprung for a pair of Danner insulated hiking boots, and they were amazing for going on long walks through slushy sidewalks and keeping my toes warm (also great to wear while standing outside and socializing with friends). Ugly but amazing!
posted by Maarika at 6:48 PM on October 8, 2021 [2 favorites]
Maybe an unpopular opinion but covid is here to stay and it’s not sustainable to never go out and do stuff for the rest of our lives. Get vaccinated, follow local guidelines, but otherwise mask up and get out there.
posted by imalaowai at 6:55 PM on October 8, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by imalaowai at 6:55 PM on October 8, 2021 [5 favorites]
I have been petsitting nearly continuously for the last several months (through an online platform, taking care of local pets). The houses are great, and it's like a little vacation being able to stay somewhere different, even though I haven't been traveling out of the area. If you feel comfortable traveling and your work doesn't care where you are, you could also do the same thing and go farther (perhaps to somewhere likely to be sunny and nice outside, like L.A.). It's fairly easy to find long-term petsitting opportunities.
posted by pinochiette at 7:29 PM on October 8, 2021
posted by pinochiette at 7:29 PM on October 8, 2021
In the same boat.
The money I used to have to spend commuting and buying work clothes has gone toward good running shoes, good workout clothes for any weather (winter walks are so refreshing,) and a couple of loungey outfits I love wearing that can be dolled up for a call.
The money I used to splurge on a hot pair of boots, overpriced lipstick, or night of dinner and drinks is now put toward making my home a place I want to live and work: a piece of art, a soft wool blanket, a beautiful houseplant, good coffees and teas.
Also, I challenge you to pick one thing you are really missing, and do it. Obviously I don’t know your health situation or risk tolerance, but if you are vaccinated (including for flu) and masked, you can be out in the world a bit more. If you’re not okay with resuming anything close to “normal,” just pick one thing and find a way. If it doesn’t feel safe you don’t have to continue.
posted by kapers at 7:25 AM on October 9, 2021 [1 favorite]
The money I used to have to spend commuting and buying work clothes has gone toward good running shoes, good workout clothes for any weather (winter walks are so refreshing,) and a couple of loungey outfits I love wearing that can be dolled up for a call.
The money I used to splurge on a hot pair of boots, overpriced lipstick, or night of dinner and drinks is now put toward making my home a place I want to live and work: a piece of art, a soft wool blanket, a beautiful houseplant, good coffees and teas.
Also, I challenge you to pick one thing you are really missing, and do it. Obviously I don’t know your health situation or risk tolerance, but if you are vaccinated (including for flu) and masked, you can be out in the world a bit more. If you’re not okay with resuming anything close to “normal,” just pick one thing and find a way. If it doesn’t feel safe you don’t have to continue.
posted by kapers at 7:25 AM on October 9, 2021 [1 favorite]
How are my WFH peers coping with the pandemic that never ends?
Badly, to be honest.
If I could drive, I would be doing things to make my weekends feel properly different from the working week:
- visiting big museums, not for the exciting temporary exhibitions (unless I could go at unpopular times) but for the less crowded permanent collections;
- going to cities / towns /villages I hadn't been to before, just to walk around and see different streets and buildings and layouts;
- visiting outdoor attractions: ruined castles, parks, gardens, zoos, sculpture trails;
- browsing in big bookshops;
- walking in landscapes different from what's on my doorstep: I've got marshes, orchards and estuary mud, so I'd head for rocky cliffs, sandy or pebbled beaches, woods, lakes, hills. I'd look for fossils, mushrooms, shells, or just birds and flowers I don't see around here.
These are all things I did before and miss terribly. It sounds as if the things *you* did before are different from my list... but maybe you'd enjoy some of my things too?
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 10:17 AM on October 9, 2021 [2 favorites]
Badly, to be honest.
If I could drive, I would be doing things to make my weekends feel properly different from the working week:
- visiting big museums, not for the exciting temporary exhibitions (unless I could go at unpopular times) but for the less crowded permanent collections;
- going to cities / towns /villages I hadn't been to before, just to walk around and see different streets and buildings and layouts;
- visiting outdoor attractions: ruined castles, parks, gardens, zoos, sculpture trails;
- browsing in big bookshops;
- walking in landscapes different from what's on my doorstep: I've got marshes, orchards and estuary mud, so I'd head for rocky cliffs, sandy or pebbled beaches, woods, lakes, hills. I'd look for fossils, mushrooms, shells, or just birds and flowers I don't see around here.
These are all things I did before and miss terribly. It sounds as if the things *you* did before are different from my list... but maybe you'd enjoy some of my things too?
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 10:17 AM on October 9, 2021 [2 favorites]
One easy thing I do is “commute.” Before work time, I walk outside like I’m walking from the parking lot to my office, just a few minutes. And the same when it’s the end of work time. I think all the above ideas are great but that was a simple first step for me.
posted by kerf at 11:49 AM on October 9, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by kerf at 11:49 AM on October 9, 2021 [3 favorites]
Yes to the walk around the block as a morning commute. I try to go "plogging" in the evenings and that little spark of do-gooder energy is helpful.
Yes to daylight and light therapy lamps. It makes a huge difference in my energy.
Yes to sheepish texts or emails to friends you have fallen out of touch with "heya it's been eons, but am crawling out of my cave. would love to hang out with you soon, how about the farmers market next sunday?"
Yes to pets if possible.
Yes to a list of possible activities/takeout food options. Sometimes I am too brain dead to remember what I like to do, so I need to have a physical written list. Do you have to keep regular work hours, or do you have some flexibility, so you can duck out early to go to a museum on a weekday?
posted by spamandkimchi at 5:32 PM on October 9, 2021
Yes to daylight and light therapy lamps. It makes a huge difference in my energy.
Yes to sheepish texts or emails to friends you have fallen out of touch with "heya it's been eons, but am crawling out of my cave. would love to hang out with you soon, how about the farmers market next sunday?"
Yes to pets if possible.
Yes to a list of possible activities/takeout food options. Sometimes I am too brain dead to remember what I like to do, so I need to have a physical written list. Do you have to keep regular work hours, or do you have some flexibility, so you can duck out early to go to a museum on a weekday?
posted by spamandkimchi at 5:32 PM on October 9, 2021
You see people once or twice a week?! Damn son, I'm jealous.
Caveat: I live in an area that's incredibly walkable and neighborhood-ish. YMMV.
I play an online game called Ingress - it was the predecessor to PokeMon Go and is a great motivator to get out and walk. You get medals! Local players also do a weekly happy hour - it's been a great way to meet people who share a common interest.
I've lived in my neighborhood for five-ish years now and am a pretty lonely person in general, but I talk to *everyone* and ask them about themselves. Back when I used to leave my apartment I'd catch up with the cashiers, budtenders, baristas, and pharmacists every time I saw them.
I'd also say "hi" to everyone I passed on the sidewalk. The older folks were always surprised and happy and that's led to many friendly conversations.
posted by bendy at 11:41 PM on October 9, 2021 [1 favorite]
Caveat: I live in an area that's incredibly walkable and neighborhood-ish. YMMV.
I play an online game called Ingress - it was the predecessor to PokeMon Go and is a great motivator to get out and walk. You get medals! Local players also do a weekly happy hour - it's been a great way to meet people who share a common interest.
I've lived in my neighborhood for five-ish years now and am a pretty lonely person in general, but I talk to *everyone* and ask them about themselves. Back when I used to leave my apartment I'd catch up with the cashiers, budtenders, baristas, and pharmacists every time I saw them.
I'd also say "hi" to everyone I passed on the sidewalk. The older folks were always surprised and happy and that's led to many friendly conversations.
posted by bendy at 11:41 PM on October 9, 2021 [1 favorite]
Challenge the premise you can’t socialise outdoors in winter. There are photos of me and my cousin sitting outside her house last Xmas with drinks and the cheeseboard- bundled up very warm and with hot water bottles in our coats. Having a semi protected space by her front door, she used to spend quite a lot of time sitting there with friends all through various lockdowns.
posted by koahiatamadl at 2:17 AM on October 10, 2021
posted by koahiatamadl at 2:17 AM on October 10, 2021
There’s a logical argument for going outside in the morning or at noon in the long season of The Wet Dark, but I also like going out in the rain at dusk or nighttime and just moving through it. Makes indoors look brighter and warmer, too.
posted by clew at 10:47 AM on October 10, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by clew at 10:47 AM on October 10, 2021 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
The rest of my family does not WFH so this is not advice I can use, but if I was flying solo I would be doing a couple short 'working vacations' in spots near the city I lived, and staying in smaller hotels or rentals.
Getting out into nature, even if the weather is shitty can help loads. I enjoy and value both. Last year I started embracing the shittier winter weather around here last year and got out regardless of it; i find a hike in the rain (with a nice thermos of something warm at the end of it, or during) really satisfying and soothing at this point. Obtaining key pieces of gear to stay dry and comfortable can make a WORLD of difference (and again, hot drinks). Bonus is that no one else goes hiking on a 'shitty' day, so even popular spots are pretty sparsely traveled.
I'm not sure where you are located, but it's peak mushroom hunting season here in the PNW...and there are no seasons for rockhounding. Both can be a satisfying solitary hobbies, or ones that can easily be practiced at a distance with a friend. I personally find it easier to get out when I have a goal, other than "get outside" even though that is actually the goal. Last summer my son and I went panning for gold a bunch of places; found very little, but it was an excuse to get out to new places we haven't been before. Mushrooms have replaced gold this fall, and winter get's just busy and shitty enough that we do indeed cocoon a bit. But once spring rips back up, mushrooms again then more gold and rockhounding.
posted by furnace.heart at 12:57 PM on October 8, 2021 [8 favorites]