Effect of coronavirus shutdown on cognition and behavior

Post Reply New Topic

Hi, SocOfAut. Of course each household presents its own set of challenges and strengths. I'm glad to hear you are doing physically better, though.

Wish I could claim as much!

Thanks for the welcome.

A lot of people seem to feel pressured to achieve something during this time. Clean more, garden more, read more, write more, catch up on everything under the sun. I sense there's a lot of guilt from people who haven't achieved daily goals.

My personal philosophy is that no one should be pressured to achieve anything. Many of us need this time to recover from our previous lives. Time to stare at the wall. Time to breathe. Time to feel emotions. Time to decompress even if we don't recharge. Time to be alone with our thoughts. Time to reflect. Time to do nothing if that's what our bodies want to do. Time to be quiet and time to wonder.

We'll never get this opportunity again.

The world is allowing us to unwind.

Just be.

I was thinking as I read that article, the author was suddenly locked down with parents, and though she didn't mention any trouble coming from that, I did wonder whether that might be something of a strain. Couples living with parents is notorious for causing stress. In our case we haven't dared even visit my wife's parents for a few weeks because of the risk of giving them the virus, as they're high-risk, being very old. If we'd been locked down with them it would have been very different. They don't even know that we don't go to church. Them being very dyed-in-the-wool Baptists we've managed to avoid the subject, as we doubt they'd ever accept that we weren't going to hell, but the cat would be out of the bag for sure if we lived with them. And that's just one of the frictions that would come up.

I agree with IsabellaLinton's idea that we're better off if we can detach from worrying about achieving, though I guess that would be hard for anybody who has defined themselves by achievements all their life. Personally I get some guilt and ennuie if I don't feel I've done much, but luckily I'm satisfied with incredibly small steps such as making a social media post that I'm pleased with, or some small job about the house such as re-potting the tomato plants. There was a Zen book that mentioned the "Little Way" of some saint or other, who attained enlightenment by doing very small things that most people might scoff at as not counting as worthy stuff.

I spent a bit of money and got a hardware store delivery this week. If can't go out I plan to make my home & garden more pleasant to be in. I know I'll actually do the garden projects when it warms up - we'll see about the inside ones. I'll aim for 75% completion by end of summer.
And I hate to admit this but I don't mind being home at all. I am rested, thinking clearer, and nobody wants anything of me so no pressure, and with gov money my bills are getting paid. Sounds aren't making me as jumpy so that confirms I'm doing ok. I do miss long walks - hard to do without a purpose/destination (and nowhere to go pee!).

That's great! I'm not saying that no one should ever do anything. I just feel badly when some people pressure themselves to achieve, and they feel guilty when they don't. They feel like failures. Achieving rest and calm is just as important as achieving a personal goal.

THIS! My mom has anxiety and got laid off (I'm working from home). She yells a lot so we're at each other's throats fairly often

I am only slightly more isolated than usual. I was already having trouble with motivation, and now it turns out that my project, pertaining to performance art, is on hold. My other top priority, getting a telephone, has become imperative to interface with the new carry-out stores, so I'm willing to gamble more time and money on that shell game now, and have been making progress, under high stress levels. Overall, I think I'm getting more organized, since other plans are off now, and I should make the most of the opportunity.
Most other people, and in this case, NTs to a greater degree, are probably suffering from increased social isolation.

I'm sure you weren't saying nobody should do anything. I also feel much the same way about how so many people feel driven to achieve the mainstream idea of proper goals, instead of finding out what they personally want. Having a rest shouldn't be touted as a bad thing to do.

Yes, I'm maintaining that balance as best as I can; that is whether to keep busy, or to passively reflect.

I should definitely be doing more exercise. That's not achievement so much as self-care. I lost access to the warm water pool where I used to go. And I haven't really found a replacement.

Just saw this - perhaps it's not surprising that the problems of the lockdown depend on how high-functioning you are:
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-52398144

Thanks for sharing that story. I just wish they included more diversity. All three people in the story were middle-aged men in care homes or with full-time caregivers. Of course their needs and their stories are relevant, but the story reinforces a stereotype that autistic people are males who need professional support on a daily basis. The virus has caused just as much stress for all genders of autistic people, including those who live on their own, those who are parents, and those who are having difficulty coping for any number of reasons (change in routine, difficulty getting food, lost income, stress using Zoom, loss of psychological services, fear and anxiety etc.)

^
Yes I think that's a valid criticism, especially as the BBC likes to portray itself as so inclusive and diversity-aware. I get the impression that they're often in a big hurry to rush out their stories these days.

I'd love if they interviewed an autistic, working woman who was dealing with sudden unemployment or changes to her job responsibilities, juggling single-parenting childcare (e.g., homeschooling her own children whilst also working 9-5 on Zoom despite camera phobia), and also having to arrange care for her ailing parent(s) in another town. Maybe let her have an autoimmune disorder as well. Seriously though, that's the reality for many of us. Male and female alike.