OC3D Isolation Thread - How are you coping?

[WYP]

With the whole COVID-19 situation, most of us are spending a lot more time at home these days. This thread is a place where we can talk about that.

What apps have you been using to keep in touch with people, what activities are you taking part in to stave off boredom, etc etc. Perhaps you will get some good ideas for in-home activities from this thread.

Example - What I've been doing

As for myself, I've been making an effort to call/video call people, especially those who don't use the internet (my Grandmother specifically). I have also been playing regular online games with friends and D&D over apps like Google Hangouts at the weekend.

I had to celebrate my 1-year anniversary with my Girlfriend over Skype. We took the virtual tour of Buckingham Palace in the afternoon and then cooked together in the evening. It ended up being good fun, but it was a shame that I couldn't see her in person. Last weekend we also ended up watching The Lion King while we talked over Skype.

Anyway, I hope this thread will prove to be useful to some of you.

 

[Dark NighT]

Doing alright, im used to being home so self isolation isn't to terrible, but just knowing i can't go visit or have anyone over for a long time put a big dent in my morale.

I play loads of games now, have a bunch of calls with people and just trying to stay good and understanding to the people around me that can't cope so well, it's taxing but i will manage.

 

[Tolemac]

I have a zoom room for all my family and friends so we can all keep in touch. I have also gone back to basics in the kitchen using my catering skills which I gained back in the 90's.

 

[Excalabur50]

Nice thread Mark,
I'm mostly doing what I always do which is go feed my animals come home and play some Borderlands 3 and as for the night time it's mainly Star Citizen and the rest of the time is doing my carer duties.
I don't have friends outside of online really so it's pretty easy for me, but I hope all the rest of my OC3D family is doing well

 

[AlienALX]

Well as some of you will know I self isolate any way. Long term I only really see my mother and my care worker. My care worker started isolating weeks ago.

So not much has changed for me. I am at mum's, she has a garden, and I have too many bikes that need full restoration should the weather stay good.

I am feeling a little depressed. Not because of isolation (I got used to that years ago) but just because of the bad stuff happening, and mostly idiots who can't heed a few simple warnings. It's them who will slow this down and drag it on longer.

The news is also getting me down. Well, the fake news.

That said every night around 5ish I have found myself shutting everything off and listening to the birds singing. Just a reminder that life is going on. It's also very relaxing.

 

[NeverBackDown]

I have just been playing bannerlord constantly. Such a fun game. Other than that I'm always self isolated so really it's just another day for me

 

[AlienALX]

I've completed HL2, Ep 1 and Ep 2. Started DNF last night.

The last of the modding bits came in for the USB cable to the sound card, so I can crack on with that when I feel like it. The weather is improving by day though, so I might just have to crack out a BMX frame and set to work out in the garden

 

[grec]

I've been very lucky to be in a position where I can still work, even now I'm in full house quarantine and will have to remain so for another week or so, some businesses I work with have had to put things on pause but I've been helping some others on bringing educational & child fitness products to market rapidly in the mean time which has kept me busy (Which I think is important to staying mentally healthy).

Besides that, playing online with friends in the evening has kept me in touch with everyone, fair bit of CoD:Warzones and some healthy doses of F1 2019 too recently. Been watching the new Cosmos: Possible Worlds too, very relaxing and interesting series, and usually I have Limmy's streams on in the morning, looking forward to the debut of his new BBC show this weekend too.

 

[Eddie long]

For my sin's i'm still on the road to support our customers in the nhs/private hospital , police , mod and odd retail shops , all so they can have coffee to help them through the day

 

[Dicehunter]

Been playing A LOT of WoW, Stopped playing a few months after Legion came out as my job didn't permit it, Just bought the Shadowlands Complete Epic Edition for £94.99 which includes all expansions to date including the upcoming Shadowlands expansion, A 110 and 120 level boost, Shadowlands pet, Shadowlands mount and 60 days of game time, Then I also bought the BFA Digital Deluxe package for £13 which includes the collectors edition mount and pet, So now I have -

WoW - Base
Burning Crusade - Collectors Edition
The Wrath of the Lich King - Collectors Edition
Cataclysm - Collectors Edition
Mists of Pandaria - Collectors Edition
Warlords of Draenor - Collectors Edition
Legion - Collectors Edition
Battle for Azeroth - Collectors Edition
Shadowlands - Collectors Edition

WoW overload XD

 

[Greenback]

besides having my son home and cooking propper dinners more often, not much has changed.
lucky enough I have a back garden with a trampoline and a massive field close by we can walk in, have a shop close by that stocks the essentials and has never been short on any thing.

I'm glad my son isn't in secondary school yet so I don't have to remember how to do algebra and other silly things i haven't used since leaving school.

Game wise my sons been playing Alxy and we've been have competitions on Beat saber on the VR, with all the time nothing better than some europa universalis 4, civ and cities skyline with some forza thrown in.

If i'm honest it's been nice having us time, the MRS is down her mums so it's just us boys and plenty of playtime

 

[Spiderz]

Only changes are that the Government seems insistent on removing my ability to do any of my de-stressing activities (gyms shut, having to justify being out, and, if the threat holds true, the inability to go outside even to exercise) and work getting a shed load busier.


Single health care professional living alone with an inability to see friends nearby and family 100 miles up the road is not a good place to be I'm finding out.



Throw in locking down the world with restrictions on people's movements and the public's desire for something more authoritarian in governance is sadly eroding away at my morale at a frightening rate. I do not fear the virus, I fear that we are trying to save people from the virus by stopping the world for 2-3 months and we'll end up killing more people as a result over the next 5-10 years as more people end up slipping into poverty as a consequence of a wrecked economy. As a thanks for all the hard work, pay freezes and a tax hike are sure to come the way of all the key workers. (stopping now or I'll be here all day)



The eye opener was one of the nurses at work walking by me and putting a quick hand on the shoulder during a stressful day.

 

[grec]

Only changes are that the Government seems insistent on removing my ability to do any of my de-stressing activities (gyms shut, having to justify being out, and, if the threat holds true, the inability to go outside even to exercise) and work getting a shed load busier.


Single health care professional living alone with an inability to see friends nearby and family 100 miles up the road is not a good place to be I'm finding out.



Throw in locking down the world with restrictions on people's movements and the public's desire for something more authoritarian in governance is sadly eroding away at my morale at a frightening rate. I do not fear the virus, I fear that we are trying to save people from the virus by stopping the world for 2-3 months and we'll end up killing more people as a result over the next 5-10 years as more people end up slipping into poverty as a consequence of a wrecked economy. As a thanks for all the hard work, pay freezes and a tax hike are sure to come the way of all the key workers. (stopping now or I'll be here all day)



The eye opener was one of the nurses at work walking by me and putting a quick hand on the shoulder during a stressful day.

While I agree it's likely what is coming for us from the Tory govt once this is all over, in any developed nation a downturn in GDP should not cause an increase in poverty unless a government chooses to make it so. Reinforcing welfare systems would actually be the economically safest route after the economic downturn of a lockdown, interest rates will be low for government borrowing so any smart government coming out of this will invest heavily in their people to get things back on track. It would be economically disastrous and purely ideological if our government chose to punish the general public with austerity for the economic downturn created by the lockdown by imposing pay freezes and the like, governments can borrow both without limits, and in events like this without penalty, and the period after a crisis is when this kind of investment in the welfare of a population delivers its heaviest returns.

It's always worth remembering that widespread poverty isn't caused simply by low GDP, with strong welfare policies many countries can have tiny GDP's per capita and yet very low levels of real poverty. Poverty in any developed nation is predominantly caused by policy decisions, and never really an economic necessity. Even now, the UK govt have wiped out homelessness in a matter of weeks, written off billions of NHS debt, and introduced wage compensation schemes for those in emergency situations, the idea this couldn't have been done before the crisis is simply false, the idea we shouldn't continue it after the crisis is dangerously idiotic(And goes against all modern Keynesian economics).

This is also why it's essentially undebated amongst economists that the UK's policy of austerity, "tightening the belt", during a period of record low interest rates, significantly slowed down the UKs economic recovery after 2008, as demonstrated by comparing our economic growth to many other countries with similar dips but different responses. In order to avoid more businesses going under we need to get most people in a position where they can spend as soon as possible, building up consumer confidence and spending levels is key to a strong recovery. Austerity as economic theory has now been roundly tried, and never succeeded, so we should definitely strive for better.

 

[AlienALX]

Yeah to be fair they are doing the right thing.

This sort of thing is hard, but just be thankful it's not harder. Like WW2, where people were told to go and risk their lives (well, most of them die). They didn't get a choice.

With this? we have the choice how long we want it to go on for.

I don't want to sound like I'm on some sort of soap box, but I suggest watching documentaries on Auschwitz and WW2 and seeing just how crap life can be. I assure you, safe in your home you will feel much better.

I also suggest buying some sort of exercise equipment, if it's that important to you.

Also? I would fear the virus. A mate I grew up with had it and he's only 42, perfectly fit and healthy and it nearly killed him. It's no joke.

What I fear the most is becoming a killer, by not doing what I am told. I could survive it maybe? but what about the people I pass it onto? it would kill every one around me.

Stay strong, and if you need to talk this thread is a good place to do it.

 

[Bartacus]

I've been working from home full time for 3 weeks now. Also a hermit, so other than a toilet paper scare, very little has changed. I've been self-isolating for years, LOL. I picked the perfect time to get into a new hobby, 3d printing, so that has been keeping my brain VERY well exercised.

 

[RobM]

I'm finding this lockdown a doddle for the most part, being ex army I am used to long periods in the same place.
Other than having a neighbour lying about being tested and unable to get an asda delivery, am reliant on the local convenience store for our shopping, only lacking eggs for the time being.

I get out each afternoon with my dog and am lucky enough to live right next to the park so spend about 2 hours throwing the ball for Ruby whilst putting the world to rights with another neighbour (2 meters apart).

Shame I no longer have a car to be able to go and get a proper shop in, but think we will manage ok.

Spending plenty time playing warhammer and looking for cheap watercooling stuff so I can actually get a loop made, only missing cpu block and soft tube fittings now.

I hope everyone is keeping safe and managing to keep a sane head.

 

[Dark NighT]

Struggeling a bit more, just wanna see friends but other then that im still pretty sane.

 

[SparkleDJackson]

My dad is very high risk and my family have a holiday home in donegal which is in ireland which is a separate country to northern ireland where i am from. So my family in my home and my sisters family home all shuttled up three weeks before any dont go to holiday home travel restrictions were put in place. I have been going back once every 10 days to do a little work which is on my own as we are self employed and are eligible for feck all government assistance. Get some medicines and resupply a little then go back up to our mad house full of babies. I like my quiet and its a bit hard to be surrounded by screaming that my nuts didnt create. My 34 inch monitor and 2080ti are at my real home and all i have is my laptop. But now the internet has been throttled so i cant download the updates so i cant get online or download any offline games. Fun. Today it was announced that the borders have been shut and are manned by the police/garda and i am no longer able to return next week to do a little work or get resupplies. Fun. Three year old nephew ate one of my switch controller sticks and its drifting now. Fun.

 

[AlienALX]

This is quite important information.

A sub I watch on Youtube just lost his father in law to Covid 19. He said that 811 (Canada) told him he didn't have it and to stay home. 4 days later he was dead.

Apparently another "symptom" that I knew nothing about is the person becoming incoherent due to a lack of oxygen getting to the brain. Apparently a Canadian woman sat in A&E confused for several hours and then died, but they suspected she was schizophrenic because she wasn't making any sense.

So if you are on the phone with an elderly loved one and they don't make much sense call an ambulance.

 

[KingNosser]

I'm on the end boss of final fantasy 7 remake playing since last friday it's kept me busy, tons of fan service and actually a very good game pretty much a must buy for PS4 owners it's a solid game and I've enjoyed every moment of it. It'll depend on hard mode if it takes my top spot over the original, but there are more episodes to come yet hopefully I'll not have to wait into old age, but the wait for this was worth it as a fan it hits all the highs and lows and keeps the quality throughout and at times gives you a challange, so when I can get this boss done i'll be looking forward to hard mode to see what it's like

The biggest thing I've enjoyed thou is still the music and in the remake it's stella.