‘Treating isolation like a holiday’

[Theyearofthestress]

Everyone is so angry and it’s doing my head in! Taking the mick out of people ‘treating this as a holiday’ because they’re doing their house up, or some gardening or god forbid have a bbq when the weather is nice.

Why are some people so keen to pounce on everyone and tell them they aren’t doing quarantine right? Haven’t we got enough to worry about? It is shit times for everyone, lots have lost their jobs, have huge changes to routine, worried for their health, kids are confused, adults are scared- why is it so wrong to try and make the most out of a shit situation?

We can’t go outside, so people are doing the right thing by staying in yet online everywhere are people complaining ‘Dave next door is treating this like a bloody holiday, with his gardening’ even a news article I read today condemned people who would have a bbq right now.

It’s like we should sit inside in silence in order to be doing this right.

I wish everyone would shut up moaning about other people, if you are staying inside you are doing the right thing. So AIBU to do whatever I can to pass the time, be it gardening, bbqs, painting... anything and tell others to mind their own business?

I know what you mean! I asked my son to pick up some bedding plants being sold by the (not very busy this morning) supermarket at the same time as he was shopping for grocery essentials. I was assumed they wouldn't be selling plants in large racks outside the store if we weren't supposed to be buying them, and that they would simply die and need throwing away if nobody bought them and planted them.

I then worried that someone would think that my son wasn't 'taking this seriously' and was simply shopping for fripperies.

I haven't seen anywhere that people would be angry for someone doing diy (unless it's non stop) or having bbq in their garden. What I have seen is people being angry at dipshits doing bbq in public spaces, people having parties and/or loudly drinking every night. And rightfully so

I wish we'd had at least 24 hours notice of lockdown.
I said this so I could prepare.

My garden is what is keeping me going at the moment. Tidying, planning, sitting. I painted the fence today (has the paint already) and it felt like I had actually accomplished something.

I’m with you on this!

Everyone seems to be complaining and judging others (online mainly)... it’s like, well I’m miserable so you should be too.

It’s exceptionally difficult for a lot of people and as long as you’re not risking others I really think making the best of it is the way to go. This may be unpopular in principle but I am still seeing one friend. She is categorically the only person I’m seeing and vice versa. We’re also taking it in turns to do both our shopping so we limit contact with others. She has no UK family and I’m very recently separated. Yes we must be safe and respectful of others but I do worry about the mental health repercussions for a lot of people. I do feel guilty that we’re socialising in this way, however to clarify we take our one exercise outdoors together and then at either of our homes respectively, not hanging out in parks or any such thing. I know it’s strictly not right but 100% isolation coupled with separation would be too much for me, for most I would have thought. Plus if we lived together there would be no issue with any of the above. It’s very hard.

Everyone seems to be complaining and judging others (online mainly)...

Can't very well do it face to face now😂

I wish we'd had at least 24 hours notice of lockdown.

We had weeks to prepare - it was obvious it was coming, it was just a matter of when.

No way there could have been a notice
There would be an actual bloodbath

it's directed at the continuous groups of people who are BBQing and hanging out in public, and not doing what they're being told to do

Not for the hardcore group of posters on MN who scream abuse at anyone who so much as puts the neighbor's bins out, never mind taking a short, socially distanced walk IN THE COUNTRYSIDE.

Or why I can't enjoy my daily walk. Does smiling mean I'm more likely to spread something?

According to the aforementioned MNers, looking happy while walking increases the risk of infection by 75%. And laughing? You're basically just out there killing people.

Yes, my local FB page is full of this. “Saw more people out walking without a care in the world!! Do they not know the HELL THAT AWAITS US?”

I think a lot of people are very scared right now and are coping with that fear by demanding everyone else feel just as afraid all the time. Probably much healthier to deal with feeling scared by doing some gardening or redecorating the kitchen.

I've just spent the afternoon sawing wood (that we already had) and planning a new enclosure for my tortoises. Being outside doing something positive has definitely lifted my spirits and hopefully tired me out so I won't spend quite so long lying in bed worrying about money tonight. I changed career and became self employed in January

it's directed at the continuous groups of people who are BBQing and hanging out in public, and not doing what they're being told to do

It''s really not - I was roundly criticised on another thread for using the downtime to clear out the junk in the house!

I've got no excuses not to get on with all the stuff that needs doing, Its not that I'm that super well organised - its just that most of those jobs have been waiting to be done for months and I bought the stuff to do them months ago

I think it's great to use this time constructively. We are all scared and worried, but finding something useful to do in our homes is a really positive thing to do. I spent the spring cleaning and planning my garden and am thrilled with my new clean home. Nothing wrong with finding pleasure in small things.

I was a bit at some of our field staff complaining at having to work last week, when all the office staff are working from home and are now all over FB with the great family they are getting because they’ve been furloughed. Maybe being in the office is not so cushy after all.

I don't see the problem having BBQ's, cleaning and sorting their homes and garden as long as they are not coming in to contact with people outside the their family. It's important that people keep busy otherwise people will get bored and start looking for things to do and that would probably cause them to go out and break the self isolation rules.

I wish I had bought the furniture I want for DD2 bedroom, because if I had I could use the time to decorate and re do her room.

Does smiling mean I'm more likely to spread something?

OMG how can you be so selfish? Don’t you know that just one smile will literally cause the deaths of millions? Don’t even think about laughing, you‘ll wipe the planet out.

Because some people love seeing other people miserable.

it's directed at the continuous groups of people who are BBQing and hanging out in public, and not doing what they're being told to do

I've only heard of this as well. Why would anyone be concerned what you are doing in your own house. I plan to have a clear out and do all the jobs around the house I've been putting off

We had a BBQ yesterday. It was a surprise for our DD who turned 13.

I managed 2 surprises, some special balloons and a BBQ. Not much, but she was thrilled.

But, our BBQ was in the garden, not the park.

I have been encouraging the kids into the garden as much as possible, as this weather clearly won’t last.

OH and I read out the nuttiest judgemental posts to each other we find on social media. A bit of a competition.

Crack on with doing all your jobs, hobbies, just don`t tell anyone is my advice.

@MulberryPeony

are we still allowed to order from B&Q?

I go on my walk everyday with dh and the dog and I smile and say hello to everyone I meet at a safe distance - we often have chats across the road with the people we meet. We're eating nice food, the odd takeaways, drinking wine at virtual pubs - doing a lot of laughing, taking the piss out of the dc's pals when they are on zoom. Gardening too! We're making the best of it...being miserable lowers your immune system. We're both working from home - so not really a holiday but making the best of it.