Poll:Your feelings of happiness during this health crisis?

[audreyh1]

You honestly don't see the difference between <5% unemployment and 30% (for now) unemployment? Or Great Depression II?

I guess I don’t get the connection between world health and economic situation and being very unhappy personally, even if you personally are not in hardship nor sick and your neighborhood, friends and family are OK.

 

[RobbieB]

Brother, can you spare a dime?

 

[Calico]

Lets put it this way:
* tomorrow will be the 21st day of use for the single roll of toilet paper hanging in my bathroom (dunno if its the Cottonelle brand or improvements in technique... but thats a new personal record).
* My grocery bill has tripled in the last 2 months... yet I've lost 34ish pounds from skipping meals to make the food stretch farther. Readers of other threads on this board have heard me whinge about $26/box of Bisquick pancake mix and now I'm reading projections of $10-15/lb hamburger. As a lean FIRE who was just balanced before the SHTF I am in no way capable of absorbing that.
* Its now summer here with 100+F daily temps, so no more mail-order food deliveries until late Sept. <snip>

I'm confused by two things in your post. Bisquick pancake mix is available at my local grocery store at the prices shown below. Where do you live that Bisquick costs $26?

And why would food deliveries stop in your location when the temperature rises?

 

[audreyh1]

I think I’m a little happier since the beginning of the year since our lives have been simplified a little. I’m less stressed in spite of several challenges.

We had already had to indefinitely postpone our leisure travel due to DF needing far more care. We honestly didn’t expect the rest of the world to join us. Instead I had a rather ambitious flying schedule back and forth to manage his care. I had to abandon that scheme in March, as it became clear it was too risky. We relocated temporarily to stay near DF. That’s been easier, even though it’s away from home. But we’re in a decent location out in the country, and have plenty to do, so I can’t complain.

Hey - DF made it to 90. He sure didn’t expect to live that long, and I don’t think he wanted to either (well, I know he didn’t). Who knows what will happen next. Future is really up in the air for all of us.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I've been happier lately as stores and venues are opening up here and locally there have been relatively few deaths and hospitalizations. I'm going to start in person grocery shopping again and some of our hiking / walking groups are restarting. Some local gardens are open to the public again.

I do feel bad for the families hit hard by layoffs and reduced income, and also very grateful we don't have to worry about that. It is nice not having to work right now and only venture out to place we think are fairly low risk.

 

[Spock]

I'm confused by two things in your post. Bisquick pancake mix is available at my local grocery store at the prices shown below. Where do you live that Bisquick costs $26?

And why would food deliveries stop in your location when the temperature rises?

Southern AZ: The brick and mortar store shelves are still stripped and (as elsewhere) spreading to the meat dept. Bread, milk, meat, eggs, soap/cleaning products are limited to 1 item of whatever brand and size they have left. Rice and flour are gone (or "gluten free"). Online there are lower prices around, but they are also out of stock so the lower price isn't really valid. The 3rd party sellers that have it in stock and can actually ship (or claim to) have sky high prices.


Heat: When ordering online (walmart, amazon) the product ships from across the country... Walmart seems to ship from Chino CA. When daily highs are routinely in the 100's and days long transit times (I have one walmart order that supposedly shipped Apr 14 and is not here yet) the inventory that can ship is reduced... for example a can of Crisco in the Apr 14 order has by now melted all over everything else in the shipment. Everything is going to arrive half cooked and anything with oil in it (ex. peanut butter) is at risk.

 

[gwraigty]

On top of all of that, in mid-March I had an emergency petition to have my Dad declared incompetent. Formal diagnosis is now "dementia with Alzheimers". Judge appointed guardian and conservator... BUT... the court allows dementia patients with Alzheimers to chose their own guardian/conservator, so since I filed the suit and "ruined his life", Dad is mad at me so he tossed 20 years of estate planning out the window and chose a 3rd party conservator to bleed him dry at $125/hr (he has 4 rentals, so the hours are going to be big).


So yeah. I'm in the not a happy camper group.

Just wanted to say that I remember your posts about having to deal with all of this in the middle of all of that and I'm sorry that this is happening.

 

[Bir48die]

There is happiness and there is joy. Happiness is an emotion that can be short lived. Joy is the overarching ability to have gratitude, peace and other healthy emotional components in the midst of good or bad periods.

 

[sengsational]

Happier because I've been taking a stoicism course.


BTW, the Stoics would say allowing external events that are clearly outside of your control to affect your level of happiness isn't aligned with the Stoic principals

 

[gwraigty]

You honestly don't see the difference between <5% unemployment and 30% (for now) unemployment? Or Great Depression II?

+1000

I highly respect people who realize that even though their immediate world hasn't drastically changed for the worse over this, or the last, economic crisis, that it's not like that for a much higher than average number of people.

 

[audreyh1]

Happier because I've been taking a stoicism course.


BTW, the Stoics would say allowing external events that are clearly outside of your control to affect your level of happiness isn't aligned with the Stoic principals

Wow - I didn’t realize that was part of the Stoic philosophy.

 

[Lsbcal]

Happier because I've been taking a stoicism course.


BTW, the Stoics would say allowing external events that are clearly outside of your control to affect your level of happiness isn't aligned with the Stoic principals

That is certainly a rational response I guess. But then I have a few questions:
1) What if those external events outside your control are really affecting your daily life?
2) Isn't happiness very much an emotional response? If so then the irrational is part of that equation i.e. happiness is a function of rational and irrational. I don't have that formula down exactly.

EDIT: Now I remember you had a thread on stoicism here: https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/the-stoicism-thread-102138.html
So I'll go read that.

 

[eytonxav]

I am not sure state of happiness is the right term for me, as I've been angry over how this virus has impacted everyones lives and our economy. Mad as hell over how China and WHO communicated and the way media blasts out all the doom and gloom.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

We've just finished up watching Season 3 of Ozark. I feel happy our problems and life adjustments due to the pandemic seem pretty minor compared to the problems of the Byrde family.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Definitely less happy. Had a month trip booked for August in Europe and part of it with my kids. No clue if we will all go the following year since it depends on many things. Were also going to see my DIL’s family in Poland. All my kids have been negatively affected by this. Missing going out and seeing my friends. Two weeks ago we started doing both. Still wearing masks and being careful about crowds.

 

[HI Bill]

I'm a bit unhappier; trip to Puerto Vallarta CANCELLED, trip to Cabo CANCELLED, trip to Costa Rica CANCELLED.

Oh, and my wife has been WORKING FROM HOME THE PAST TWO MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!!

Help me please.

Sorry, I can't help you. But my DW and I are in the same boat, so you're not alone:

May 15 Retirement Date DELAYED
Trip to Europe CANCELLED
Trip to Okinawa CANCELLED
Trip to Bali CANCELLED
Trip to Glapagos CANCELLED
Condo sale and moving to my retirement island DELAYED

I've also been working at home since March 23rd.

 

[sengsational]

For those of you who are interested in spending a longer time exploring deeper what this video covers, here's an audio book by Seneca: "On the Shortness of Life" (55 minutes).

 

[brewer12345]

This whole mess has been a significant source of stress since January. I live what is probably best described as a suburban homesteader/prepper lifestyle and I saw the mess coming when it was only loose in Wuhan, so I am well prepared for as ugly as this gets. That said, I am a worrier and risk manager in my personal and professional life, so I have my head on a swivel. It is wearing.

 

[lrip]

Happy because I finally get to telework. This was actually part of my plan to phase out slowly, but wasn't offered in my present position.

That said, I could certainly do without the whole COVID mess. Feel it's messed up my post retirement plans. Because of that, kind of holding steady on pulling the trigger and finally saying good bye.

Unhappy because I have yet to even get close to my latest grandson. Three weeks old and have only seen from a distance.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

Same level of happiness - normally very high, still very high. As a retired introvert I have as much socialization as ever (almost none with people, lots with dogs). Plusses - the stock market has been very entertaining the last 2 months (I was down 49% at one point), no freeway traffic (Los Angeles) for errands. Minus - no vacations to plan until things open up.

 

[Poopycat]

This is a great poll question. I answered “about the same” because I have had very unhappy times and times of peace, and it sort of averages out to the same. I’m not one that gets too emotional, happy or unhappy, anyway.

At first I was unhappy because I was scared of seeing the market flop right as I was being let go from work. But I was happy at the same time because it meant I wouldn’t have to see my boss ever again. Then I went through the disappointment that comes with job search...all the rejections, all the time wasted filling out applications online that go nowhere, and the feeling that maybe I’m too old now to get a job.

But recently, I’ve been feeling content, if not downright happy. The job search appears to be coming to a close. I’ve ended up receiving much more attention from employers than I expected to, especially during a pandemic. While I’ve gotten plenty of rejections for jobs that would have been a perfect fit, I’ve also had my fair share of interview requests, to the point where I wonder whether I should have set my sights on a higher level job. I really don’t think I want to work; it is just a nice boost to the ego to feel like you’re wanted and have valuable skills, especially when the last company decided to cut me loose.

While I still feel unsettled as I decide whether to retire or keep working, I’m also feeling relaxed. I’ve fallen off the weight loss wagon the past two weeks but am confident I will get back on track. I do wish I could travel but I’m enjoying binge watching shows I didn’t get to see the first time they aired. I’m feeling pleased that I have options. And happy that my life may be getting out of this prolonged holding pattern soon, either by moving for a new job or moving to my former stomping grounds once I get the house sold. And summer is around the corner! No more cold weather, just long days of sunshine. I love having the sun stay up til 9:00 at night!

 

[statsman]

We're both retired, with DW on SS and me on my modest pension. So, maintaining an income stream during the lockdown orders wasn't an issue for us. That's probably the only part to be really happy about for us. The rest of it is not as enjoyable as before the lockdowns. While not depressing, it certainly is quite a bit of a damper on qualify of life right now.

 

[kcowan]

We are "Less happiers".....sat out in the complex's gazebo, (while observing proscribed "Too Closeness" conventions), with the two eldest granddaughters, et al, yesterday for a while which was great. (DW misses the 'hugs' but we enjoy whatever we can safely get.)

DW, since the community pool remains closed, really misses her thrice weekly swims - she received an e-mail from the complex the other day asking if she'd like to participate in 'virtual activities' during the shutdown......told her to ask what temperature the 'virtual water' was set at.

The big 'Piss Off', of course, is the extreme unlikelihood that we'll be going anywhere until......and at our (my) ages we're quickly running out of time.

Other stuff? [-]Minor[/-] Non-existent inconveniences.

Eating out? On our list of priorities Brahmagupta would be proud of us. (We're not consumed by it. )

Yes we are contemplating that we may never get to our preferred travel,destinations because they are too expensive and too restricted to be bothered!

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I was happy until I saw this COVID related thread that hasn't been stuck in the quarantine section.