Feeling a little burned out because of the constant, unyielding barrage of news about how no one knows when, of if, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Now, personally, I don’t really mind riding through an apocalypse, what I mind is not knowing how long it is to the off ramp.
But, one good thing to come out of this is that I have stepped up my prep game by several orders of magnitude. However, I am, honestly, getting a little tired of it. To be fair though, I’ve been going at it 110% for the last few months. I suppose I could dial it back a tad and still get things done without the burnout.
Perspective, I suspect, is the big thing for me to keep in mind. I’m really not that concerned about getting sick from the Kung Flu. I’m far^5 (thats the same as far, far, far, far, far) more worried about the consequences of the flu….the shortages, the price hikes, the inconveniences…but especially the economic impact. Look, you may avoid contracting this thing entirely. And if you do contract it, the odds are you’ll live through it. But there’s virtually no avoiding the economic fallout. It could be something fairly indirect, like your IRA not being anywhere near where it was 12/31/19, or it could be more direct as when your boss says “Don’t bother taking off your coat”. There’s not going to be any avoiding the economic fallout, the best you’re going to be able to do is mitigate it. The key word is resilience.
At the moment, I’m spending a few minutes each night, long after the sun goes down, sitting on my front steps, appreciating the overall quiet and placidity of the end of the day. I try not to think about anything other than that particular moment. Not think about tomorrow, not think about what needs to be done, not think about what may (or may not) be coming down the pike. Just enjoy the moment of sitting on the steps, on a summer evening, enjoying the calm and quiet. Kinda give myself five minutes where there’s nothing to think about, and just experience five minutes of sitting in the breeze, smelling the night air, and feeling good about that instant.
Of course, after that it’s back to checklists, expiration dates, spots and premiums, 30-rounders, 4473’s, rates of return, and due dates….the things that make up a life.
What about you? Getting a little burned out at the constant ‘under the gun’ feeling of this crisis? The ambiguous and often conflicting statements about severity and duration? The constant little voice in the back of your head that urges you to ‘do something’ even though you know you’re doing exactly what you should be doing? Whatcha doing about it?
Our lives here didn’t change that much, except the wife lost her job. She still gets about half in un-employment so it’s not that big of a deal.
I did get the lever action .357 (Henry) today that I’ve been on the look out for. Now I need to track down a peep sight for my Savage 99, turns out they are pretty rare right now. Precious metals come in all types of forms.
The economics of this pandemic worry me the most. Before this hit there were ~17,000 people in our state on unemployment, now it’s over 900,00! The numbers are staggering and if this doesn’t turn into a full blown depression it’s going to be close.
Cut down on most of the discretionary spending and concentrating on building up the rainy day fund which is now at it’s all time high. Bumped up the 401k to an additional 5%.
Hide and watch mode turned on.
When this all kicked off I told my wife time to get some last minute stuff. What I didn’t plan on was how do I cope with two kids in the house 24/7 from mid March until June. Yes we went outside but kids couldn’t play with the other kids in the neighborhood. Now we’re in July and I am about to snap. I read everyday, fix or build stuff, do my daily duties of being a househusband, etc. I started a work out program I made for me today and I am wondering how to distress more often.
Get into your workout program, mix it up with strength one day, cardio (walk or sprints) the next. Stretch everyday. You may want to try and get up early well before your curtain climbers hit the deck. By the time they are up, your PT will be done and you will be ready for the day.
My sons are grown and gone and I have constantly told my wife I am glad the boys are gone. This would have been rough with little tykes!
I had hip replacement this year and it set me back, my running days are done, so I walk/ruck a lot. I have a TRX Tactical band, rubber bands, power rack and weight bar & plates in my garage, although I seldom use the plates anymore. I used to toss the kettlebell around, but the hip replacement changed that. What I am getting at is you constantly have to modify and adapt. Look at building an exercise “toolbox”. Another benefit, your kids see you exercising, I GUARANTEE it will rub off on them. Both of my sons are fit and active. Hope this helps you a bit.
Hit tracer burn out the other day. So I did what you are writing about, began taking a moment to R&R from the day. It is amazing how many things you can find to do around your house when your inspecting it with a magnifier! Overall, the family is holding but still concerning about the school year for our son. Many inside the circle are at the same point as I am….when? I carefully select when I choose to read the news, but I do consume all points not to be blinded by what is being put out there. I feel as if I am working longer from the house then before. We have accomplished so much in five months that would have taken us a year. So I am happy about that, but we remain vigilant with our money and preps. I am not ashamed to say I fee a bit comfortable. You cannot see the boogey man around every corner every second of the day. We have our posture here, it is sound and planned out. We are trying to instill a positive environment for our son. I think he is done with this BS, but I cannot blame him. There is always more to do as you say CZ, but taking a breather is just as important as well. Enjoying the sunsets here in NEPA as much as I am spending this time with my family.
I have given up on chasing ammo. I am still buying silver every month, I ran into a deal on mags and slings so I jumped on that. The nice thing is that when you are rounding out the preps find the low hanging fruit and pick it. Dental floss and aluminum foil are my fall back items.
If it’s truly the apocalypse, most likely there won’t be an off ramp at all. Sitting around wondering when it ends is counter productive. Find the right balance, continue to adapt to current events/news (I.e. data).
Most likely, like all things, it’ll pass. (Possibly with great economic and physical damage) I don’t get too worried about the when, just being prepared for the how is comfort enough.
Anyone can get burned out by what feels like a constant barrage of bad news. Don’t be too self critical that you feel that way–it’s just being human.
Also, try to remember that much of this anxiety is being manufactured by the media. Yes, the virus is real and yes there will be economic consequences. But the world is not burning down around us. The media intentionally makes every crisis feel bigger and closer to home than it really is for most of us, that’s how they boost ratings and manipulate emotions to suit their agendas.
When I get to feeling anxious, I take it as my cue to unplug from the internet–especially social media–for a few days. Pick up a good novel and lose yourself in it for a while. (as an aside, I’m currently reading “The Whisper Man” by Alex North and it’s pretty great so far). Let yourself enjoy a quiet walk and/or a cold beer. The world will keep turning.
Finally, recognize that this is a great opportunity to invest in your retirement account. Stocks are down, but looking at it another way, that means they’re on sale. It may take a year or more, but the economy will bounce back, and this is a great time to get into the investment game for even just a couple hundred bucks. (join.robinhood.com/peterb3042)
Keep your head up. The world is still full of great people–they just get much less airtime.
My wife and I have gotten thru this mess just fine–so far.
We have most of what we need/want.
We pick up a few things when we shop, I pick up a few things too.
I said at the beginning–this will bankrupt many more than it kills.
I still stand by that.
This is about one thing– Trump and the election.
The news talking heads talk about the low number of cases in foreign countries– so what– they are not trying to effect an election!!
We’ve been making forward progress with the supplies as we expect things to get ugly again at some point in the next couple months, most likely sooner.
I’m actually in the process of picking up a weekend “unarmed” security gig on the weekends to increase cash flow. We’ve already worked up a goals list for this additional income so we’ll have something to focus on with it AND know when I can nicely part ways with the company.
Plus this refreshed my security resume as another option in the future. It wouldn’t pay anywhere close to what my full time job does but it’s still positive cash flow in a completely different industry.
Steelheart
I’ve turned off the F’n TV, don’t check news sites, and limit FB (which I detest but use it to keep in touch w friends) to just a few mike. Do an hour of cardio a day, 20 mike of cals, work in the yard and garden (lots coming ripe now), put up the produce, try to spend quality time with the GF, play with the dog, try new recipes (made some killer peppermint ice cream), and just take time to smell the roses.
I figure I’ve done what I can and I’m as ready as I’ll ever be for whatever comes down the pike. I’m good with that. Just remember, we’re light years ahead of the sheeple and that’s a very good place to be.
Regards
I quit watching the propaganda channels years ago. I found that my regular wanderings across the Inturweb more than keep me up to date on things that matter to me. I am a much less stressed person because of it.
Maybe its age showing, but i really dont care what some 90 IQ person in a $1200 suit/dress thinks. Or the fake ‘heros’ of ‘prime time’. Its ALL designed to manipulate your mind.
Science. If it cant stand the Scientific Method, its BS.
Ryan Holiday has a number of good points to make about finding peace in pandemic. A podcast here seems geared to it – “Asserting control and using routine to find stillness in an environment not conducive for it”
https://youtu.be/JWpGztbtDnA
Finding stillness in chaos is vital to coping with chaos.
I really limit news intake these days. Maybe an hour of half listening in the morning while I work.
No major preparations being undertaken. Did order an extra 10 Magpul AK mags the other week though. In terms of preparations mostly just rounding out a few odds and ends.
Slowly watching my world get smaller because the nearest major urban center is a total disaster and we really need to watch our spending till the GF finds another job. Lots of fishing, walks and afternoons at nearby lakes/ rivers. No travel or major purchases. Might be the longest I’ve gone without buying a gun in years. Really I’ve got way more than I need anyway.
New hobbies are forming up in BBQ and fishing. A resurgence of interest in fitness and unarmed combatives. Those occupy most of my spare time.
Rome wasnt built in a day. But it didnt collapse in a day either.
Its a slow burn for most things. The history books tend to chop catalyst events into a paragraph “Weimar collapsed because of this..” Yes, the events lead to a domino collapse, but generally not in a 12hr period.
I guess we get so caught up in the holy-crap-its-a-comet type events that we tend to overlook the slow stuff. Personally I never wargamed a slow fall, caught unawares on that aspect.
off ramp? we just got on the approach lane to the ON ramp. take a breather, you’ve earned it, then get back at it. the part killing me is the waiting for the big one. this state of half-crash where grid is up/leo is still on duty is hard to maintain. novemberwill of course tell the tale one direction or the other. hang in there.
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”;
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings—nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run—
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
If – by Rudyard Kipling
I just don’t worry about it. Have settled into a fatalistic approach these days. That’s not to say that I’ve given up on preps, or life, or a plan. Just that worry will kill ya, too. Haven’t turned on the tube or radio in months. You just never know what life will throw at you, and all you can do is have a plan and go from there. Things have been pretty good here; nice to live in a semi-rural area. Few cases, but lots of folks up from the city. I, too, see things getting worse, but we’ll deal with it as it comes. Take a deep breath, watch the comet, have an adult beverage in the evening, and enjoy the life you have.
Y’know what has given me serenity lately? Going through old files, receipts, manuals for things I no longer own, random boxes in the shed, and crap I’ve saved for sentimental reasons. And throwing 75% of it out or giving it away. It makes me feel more streamlined and focused. The less clutter surrounding me, the more clearly I can see the big picture.
As a guy who lives north of the (not so) United States, everything’s moving along fine. Our area has moved into stage three of the pandemic which means I can go out, visit restaurants, get some range time in etc, and not have to keep looking over my shoulder.
Yes, I have to wear a mask when indoors in a public place and I wash my hands a lot too, but that’s fine. I understand the alternative of the hospital on a ventilator or death and that’s something I can do without.
Are police still executing for not wearing masks? You did see the story,didnt you?