Poll:Your feelings of happiness during this health crisis?

[Lsbcal]

It is possible to be happy or not happy during this period of crisis. How have you felt in general over the past several weeks relative to your normal state?

Some possible answers and reasons why:
Very much happier: you are a deep introvert and now have a reason to avoid human contacts
Somewhat happier: you got out of the stock market at the peak and can hardly wait to spend all that money
Same level of happiness: you just like to be alive and enjoying your life
Somewhat less happy: the news has really got you down
Very unhappy: you or a loved one is very sick with the coronavirus OR you lost a ton of money in stocks OR you lost your

P.S. No need to feel guilty if you are happier.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

I said very unhappy because I've had w*rk turmoil that's completely unrelated to the current crisis. And I'm probably as likely now to find a new job as before, maybe even moreso, because it's probably easier for me to find work online than most people. But it's also made me appreciate being FI, and I realized that we would be OK if I never worked again. But if I can keep padding our accounts for a few more years, it would be a much more comfortable retirement!

 

[RunningBum]

Somewhat more happy because I'm in a 3 month new relationship. It would be very much more but the news has brought me down somewhere in between the two.

I don't generally associate happiness with money events. Money can lessen stress. Stress could hamper me from being happy, but it doesn't fully correlate.

 

[Walt34]

We're retired and introverted homebodies anyway so aside from not seeing some family and friends as frequently as we used to there isn't much difference in daily life. When we do go out the reduction in traffic sure is nice though!

Shopping for just about anything in a B&M store is a royal PITA anymore so as noted in several news articles that's speeding the transition to online shopping. Shopping isn't something that we did or do for entertainment anyway so that doesn't move the needle much on the happiness scale.

 

[aja8888]

It is possible to be happy or not happy during this period of crisis. How have you felt in general over the past several weeks relative to your normal state?

I am pretty much down in the dumps most of the time. Everyone is tense and it's a new game in town to do what we all did without much thought. Plus, we are in our 70's and DW has COPD and is on oxygen making her a higher potential for health issues if she catches the bug. Her worrying has spilled over to me as I am here more due to "restrictions".

Ugh!

 

[ER Eddie]

I'm more fulfilled but not happier, if that makes any sense. Ironically, all the virus stuff caused me to take a sabbatical from all news and politics for a month. As a result, I am more focused on things that matter to me, such as reading and writing. The cessation of social events helped a lot with that, too. I'm a big introvert, so it feels natural to me.

I've gotten a lot of good work done, which has been fulfilling. At the same time, though, I can't say I'm "happier," because the reading and the writing are both fairly serious, having to do with philosophy, death, and subjects I can't describe as "happy."

So, I'm more fulfilled, but no more happy.

 

[MRG]

Oddly at peace. I normally have some anxiety and I have been working on non-drug treatments since last fall. I had a phlebotomy just before the stay at home started and my anxiety went away with the blood. I had to go off the beta blocker I took for my BP, it's normal now. When I do a deep breathing exercise I'll go to sleep in a couple minutes. Used to do nothing!

 

[Aerides]

Somewhat less, but not because of the news, more the reality. Lack of travel, going out, etc. Not going to be celebrating my bday in London as planned. Not going to a gamer-con this fall where we see old friends every few years. Worried for my parents and friends with conditions that make this higher risk. Dismay at the reactions of some in society.

On the plus side, getting parks back open was great news for me. This week, knowing that our favorite sushi place (with really crazy well spaced out outdoor seating) would reopen vs. takeout, I felt better - just from anticipating a little return to normal.

 

[erkevin]

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.

 

[MissMolly]

I am a lot less happy. I don't get to see my granddaughter. She used to spend the night with us every couple of weeks. Now, it's been since late February. I miss her. She's 6.5 years old. She likes to bake cakes and cookies with me, play games, talk about silly stuff that 6 yr olds talk about... She not a big chatter on the phone or on Skype. So, I'm not happy.

 

[rk911]

other than being bored to tears everything else in my life is the same. i did venture into a grocery store this morning..1st time in nearly 3-weeks. was just a little surprised to see the TP aisle as well as the sanitizer section fully stocked. snagged enough TP to fully stock the motor home for a year. THAT increased my happiness quotient.

 

[RobbieB]

Of course I'm less happy, I haven't been to a sushi bar in months. Haven't had dim-sum either.

This just sucks.

 

[frayne]

Less happy, can't come and go as usual and miss hugging on my grandkids.

 

[Rustic23]

The glass is half full, so don’t worrY be happy. We are retired, financially secure, we see the kids every six months or so, so not much change.

 

[ckelly78z]

I voted somewhat more happy, I have been laid off for 7 weeks now, with unemployment issues that have not allowed a single payment yet (what a CF website/automated phone system).

In spite of all that, I have been able to secure a years worth of firewood, build a big greenhouse, turn a 14' jon boat into a fully outfitted bass rig, rebuild my John Deere 316, and spend quiet evenings with my wife (almost like retirement practice).

I am a loner who likes peace, and quiet, so tinkering in the shop is satisfying, and not worrying about money (despite being owed about $5000-6000 from the government) have allowed me an almost ZEN existence.

So many of my co-workers who ARE getting unemployment checks are riddled with anxiety, and stress possibly from some of the bad choices they have made, and have to deal with now.

 

[badatmath]

I voted "more happy" cause WFH is about 1000 times better than going to the office. And saves me time and money! If not during work hours, probably less happy.

 

[jollystomper]

I would say I am happy. Happy tends to be a moment in time for a given situation. I would say I am content. Some things I am happy about, some things I am not, but overall I am content and feel at peace. In truth I find a little humor in these times, perhaps because I grew up, and am friends with many who grew up, in worse conditions.

 

[Squirrel]

DH is working from home.
DH is ambitious.
I am [-]not ambitious [/-] lazy.

DH is radiantly happy working here.

He pops out of the office so we can eat lunch together.
I clean up lunch and take a nap. The dog squishes under the bed for his nap.
DH doesn't complain; he teases me about living 'the life of Riley'
DH often takes a 10-minute afternoon break to sit down with me for a snack.
He takes occasional 10-minute breaks, and we take my insane little dog for a walk. Sometimes even while the sun is up!

This has relieved a lot of my worries about a mismatch in energy/ambition once DH retires.
I'm happier.

 

[mountainsoft]

I'm somewhat more happy. My wife has been working from home the past couple months so we've been enjoying more time together. With no commute to worry about we get to sleep in a little later, and life is generally just a little more relaxed. It's sort of our preview of what life might be like once we retire.

I work from home normally, but as an added bonus business has actually improved over the last couple months. We're spending less on gas, aren't spending money going out, and generally haven't had any financial issues to worry about. If anything we've had more money that we usually would.

The only thing keeping us from being very much happier is not being able to go out on dates or go hiking. Still, we haven't really felt restricted being isolated at home.

 

[tb001]

It’s an interesting question.

I’m somewhat happier, but it was also coupled with leaving work at the beginning of the year. We have young kids, so no school it’s been a lot more work than I anticipated for my first 6 months of not working. That said, I’ve spent a lot of time homeschooling DD, which has been more rewarding than I expected. And our family life is just easier without swim and dance and soccer and etc.... DH went from traveling 2wks/mo for work to nothing and it’s been nice to have him home. In general, our family and household flow just seems to be better. I’m a total introvert though and if I had it my way, I would leave the house once a week for errands and be home the rest, so this suits me.

DH has a higher need to be out and about. He was usually out and about every day, at the gym, stopping by the grocery/drug store, going out to lunch, etc. I thought this would be very hard on him. Especially coupled with no travel and a significant cut back on work/income. But when I asked him, his response was somewhere between significantly happier and somewhat happier.

I think the more relaxed pace of life is just nicer, especially with young kids. I’m glad he’s appreciating it too. Financially, it’s been a hit to lose much of income, but it was ‘extra’ anyway. And our spend has gone way down without those daily trips to the store!

I honestly hope when things settle down that we remember the lessons learned and aren’t trying to push so much.

 

[bbbamI]

The virus is the icing on my crap storm cake. Dealing with illness and family/friends matters have taken its toll on my optimism and sense of humor.

I struggle to find something to smile about, but I will find joy at least once a day. Life is a gift and I refuse to take it for granted.

 

[davismills]

My standard answer when people ask me why I smile so much: I'm too stupid to do otherwise.

Seriously, being an introvert, I'm happy and really don't miss the "stores". Our travel plans for the future have come into doubt and that's a bit of a downer.

DW is the extrovert and this has affected her much more than me.

 

[socca]

I avoid the word 'happiness', preferring to measure 'health' along four axes:
• physical : same
• mental / emotional : same
• mental / intellectual : same
• financial : worse, but not seriously so (yet)

Overall summary : same.

 

[Red Badger]

Very unhappy - but not for my circumstance.

Millions are sick and hundreds of thousands of souls are being removed from this planet prematurely.

The global economy is in tatters and billions will feel that effect.

Working class families are now unemployed, while the kids are home all day, and state leaders clamp down on business in (often) arbitrary and nonsensical dictates (liquor store open - house of worship closed, etc).

Trillions of dollars in new debt that we can ill-afford. And entire sectors of our economy that may take years to recover. In the case of small restaurants, I suspect perhaps 25% may never recover.

So, our little domicile is just fine. DW and I in good health and no C19 issues, direct or tangential. But we pray and grieve for the world.

 

[Golden sunsets]

We were never social butterflies per se, but we do miss travel, dining out, miss the general lack of upcoming engagements on our social calendar and miss the ability to interact in a normal way with our adult children.

On the upside we and our children have our health, are financially very secure and live in a beautiful ocean front community in a northeastern state, where summer is always gorgeous.

On balance, I'd say, slightly less happy, but counting our blessings.

Like Badger though, we are very sad about the suffering of others in this country and throughout the world.