[DaveW]

Hey peoples!

Ok so let's face it, it's been one f*cking sh*tter of a year!
As a small business owner it's been hard & I got off pretty bloody light given the way NZ's society and ecconomy have adjusted compared to many places.
But I know for a bunch of you it's been way harder.
More than a few of the monkeys are business owners as well & I know stress is way the hell up.

I used to work in extreme stress jobs and I know all too intimately just how it can wear you down and then work you over just when you think you're clear.
Even though now I personally am getting through then pretty easy by comparison to many, my stress levels have been pretty nasty to me.

Thankfully my government has been crazy supportive of small to medium business.
They realize just what that sector of the economy does to the very fabric & well being of communities we live in.
Not all places that the monkey's come from are as good at communicating that.

So I thought I'd share one wee email link sent out recently to me by the Government Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
You need to look after your people and your business.
BUT you also need to look after yourself mate!
Hopefully some of this will help for some of you.

Boss burnout: Spot warning signs in yourself

Learn to spot warning signs and pick up tips to improve your wellbeing. Your health and happiness — and your business — will benefit.

www.business.govt.nz

There's some really good advice in there, yes it's on the side of generic but in that sort of message it kinda has to be as it's aimed at all managers and not targeted an a few specific people/problems.
Please read it it may help you in some way!

Look I've been there, depression is so fucking hard to handle, don't think you have to handle it alone.
You have mates reach out to them, learn to back shit off, take a longer view.
Hey if you want to talk slide into my PM's.
Dunno if I'll have a silver bullet for your black dog, but fuck it I can but try!

In case your wondering what set this off for me.
Last few week's the cumulative effect of the last 6 months of stress finally broke thru the mental defense's that I've carefully built up after the corporate world broke me.
In short by Friday last week I lost my shit and went to the edge of the precipice & had a real good long look over the edge.
I was pulled back by just simply talking to a mate...... We all have that one person or family member we know that's the rock.
Calm and caring.
Go talk to the rock.
Dunno if I'm rock right now as I'm still pretty messed up.... more of a pumice stone I guess?
But hey I can listen to you ok.
Kia kaha.
Dave

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Hey peoples!

Ok so let's face it, it's been one f*cking sh*tter of a year!
As a small business owner it's been hard & I got off pretty bloody light given the way NZ's society and ecconomy have adjusted.
But I know for a bunch of you it's been way harder.
More than a few of the monkeys are business owners as well & I know stress is way the hell up.

I used to work in extreme stress jobs and I know all too intimately just how it can wear you down and then work you over just when you think you're clear.
Even though now I personally am getting through then pretty easy by comparison to many, my stress levels have been pretty nasty to me.

Thankfully my government has been crazy supportive of small to medium business.
They realize just what that sector of the economy does to the very fabric & well being of communities we live in.
Not all places that the monkey's come from are as good at communicating that.

So I thought I'd share one wee email link sent out recently to me by the Government Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
You need to look after your people and your business.
BUT you also need to look after yourself mate!
Hopefully some of this will help for some of you.

Boss burnout: Spot warning signs in yourself

Learn to spot warning signs and pick up tips to improve your wellbeing. Your health and happiness — and your business — will benefit.

www.business.govt.nz

There's some really good advice in there, yes it's on the side of generic but in that sort of message it kinda has to be as it's aimed at all managers and not targeted an a few specific people/problems.
Please read it it may help you in some way!

Look I've been there, depression is so fucking hard to handle, don't think you have to handle it alone.
You have mates reach out to them, learn to back shit off, take a longer view.
Hey if you want to talk slide into my PM's.
Dunno if I'll have a silver bullet for your black dog, but fuck it I can but try!

In case your wondering what set this off for me.
Last few week's the cumulative effect of the last 6 months of stress finally broke thru the mental defense's that I've carefully built up after the corporate world broke me.
In short by Friday last week I lost my shit and went to the edge of the precipice & had a real good long look over the edge.
I was pulled back by just simply talking to a mate...... We all have that one person or family member we know that's the rock.
Calm and caring.
Go talk to the rock.
Dunno if I'm rock right now as I'm still pretty messed up.... more of a pumice stone I guess?
But hey I can listen to you ok.
Kia kaha.
Dave

Hang in, Dave!

 

[DaveW]

Hang in, Dave!

Cheers man!

I'll be ok, I've support that counts.
I posted this up because I know damn well that there will be others that won't know how to get that support and feel isolated.
Those people need to know it's there and deserve our help to reach out for it.

 

[StiHacka]

Thank you Dave. This hits home, I am not a business owner but I lost my job after months of extreme work and covid stress and I am under tremendous pressure and uncertainty for the future. After 17 years, I fear my career may be done. I have a few good friends that help me, but eventually I have to fight my own daemons and all the little mistakes from my past. Perhaps I should start writing a diary to get it off me?

Hang in there!

 

[Adventurous]

Thank you Dave. This hits home, I am not a business owner but I lost my job after months of extreme work and covid stress and I am under tremendous pressure and uncertainty for the future. After 17 years, I fear my career may be done. I have a few good friends that help me, but eventually I have to fight my own daemons and all the little mistakes from my past. Perhaps I should start writing a diary to get it off me?

Hang in there!

You still have decent health insurance? May be worth seeing if there are any mental health professionals in your area that are accepting new patients. This isn't a battle you have to fight alone, there are people out there who can help.

 

[stevew]

starting today.....my path to less stress....i put a reminder in my phone to vote....reminder about vaction.....ignoring politics was when i was happiest.....going back to that....

 

[daisycutter]

If you need to talk, don’t wait. Connect with someone who will listen and help
Its free call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
1-888-NYC-WELL (1-888-692-9355)

NYC 988

We’re here to listen and help with problems like stress, depression, anxiety, or drug and alcohol use. For you or someone you care for. What We Do Helping New Yorkers in Crisis NYC 988 is your…

nycwell.cityofnewyork.us

 

[AngryMetalsmith]

Thanks for posting @DaveW.

My studio has not been open to the public since early March nor have I been there during the day now that things are open. Too many other tenants not wearing masks in common places and the general public free to breath where ever, I wait until night to head in.

Prior to Covid shut down I was on a roll of selling/making high end gold rings, and filling up the thru hike fund. Which is fairly unusual and not sure if luck or being more focused on a goal (A.T.) All that came to a screeching halt except for two commissions. No sales since March, and the thru hiking fund is dwindling away. Trying not to freak out about the money because if I hadn't had the determination to hike, then I wouldn't have the fund and would truly be fucked. But it won't last much longer.

Sixteen months were spent prepping, saving and stressing for an adventure that has the potential to be the positive life changing experience that I need. Hopefully it will be safe to thru hike next year and I'll be able to make the money required. Since I quit drinking 12 years ago I've had a very isolated life and haven't been away from this place for more than three nights. I don't have a lot of close friends as some have died or moved away. And the only social interaction I get on a daily basis is at work. It is getting depressing.

Glad y'all are here though.

 

[jonKranked]

the whole WFH grind is wearing on me too. my functional group has been marginally understaffed at best the entire time i've been here. what really has me hung up i got assigned a project at the beginning of the year that was under-scoped by the project manager and thus under resourced by my boss ( it should have more than 1 engineer on it, or other workload of mine should have been shifted elsewhere, even knowing this now we're still stuck due to the underr-esourcing). to further complicate things the kids have been home, which is nice to have the extra time with them, but 3 and 5 year olds need social interaction so they've been kinda driving us up the wall. FURTHER complicating things my wife is *still* recovering from the car accident and i routinely (daily) have to interrupt my work to help her and the kids out. which means to stay on top of my work due to interruptions i'm routinely up past 11 or 12 working. and this is on top of all the dealings associated with the car accident lawsuit which we'd been dealing with before covid went down.

i'm ready to disappear into the woods for a week or 3.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Wort thing for me is that riding with friends gave me contact with folks across age groups. Now I only see old farts, and few of them. Now one of our Friday lunch group is reporting three days of mild fever...

 

[cecil]

Sorry to hear all the hardships the fellow monkeys are going through

I'm very fortunate the county I live in has had less than 3,000 cases total since this has all started my work and social activities have not been affected.

I refuse to let all this madness get to me

They day we are born the countdown to the end starts I'm not wasting one minute my limited days arguing and commiserating about idiot people, politicians and their actions

Disconnect from it let stupid people believe stupid things and do stupid things protect yourself and your family and enjoy what's left of your life

 

[Pesqueeb]

I've been thinking about this post since Dave posted it yesterday and have been mulling over it for sometime now. I have a slightly different take on this, and I recognize it as a sign that I probably need to go back therapy.


Speaking as someone who has struggled with depression and PTSD since at least 2007, the world since March has finally felt sane. By that, I mean, it feels like the world has come to me. Now EVERYONE is stressed. Now EVERYONE is twitchy and unsure. Now EVERYONE is having problems coping. Now EVERYONE is irrationally angry. Now EVERYONE is losing sleep. Now EVERYONE has anxiety and panic attacks. Now time has lost all meaning for EVERYONE. Now EVERYONE recognizes the disorder and chaos around them. Now EVERYONE is aware of how little actual control they have, and they are ALL engaging in existential crises.

And I LOVE it. I'm finally no longer the only inmate in the institution. I'm finally not the only one whose "long range" plans don't go past tuesday. I'm finally not the only one who has panic attacks in crowds of more than 5 people. I'm finally not the only one avoiding being in public places. I'm finally not the only one liable to explosively melt down at something tiny and inconsequential. I'm finally not the only one recognizing how completely fucked this reality is. Misery LOVES fucking company and holy shit, welcome aboard assholes!

Is there peace beneath the roar of the Forth Rd Bridge?

It's not just about Corona of course and the above statement is a gross over simplification of reality. But seriously, it's like the whole world is experiencing some grade A mental, if not actual physical, trauma. I remember reading something some time back about the effects that Corona and lockdown was having on the mental health of the general population, and spoiler, the long term outlook for society as a whole wasn't exactly rosy. But the first step, is recognizing that it's real, and acknowledging it. The second, is to realize that the process is life long, professional therapy works, and that it's okay to struggle and it's okay to ask for help. They are all the same thing.

I don't pretend to have any answers, and I'm not a professional. I don't wish these things on anyone. Reading what I just typed has made my blood pressure go way up, and I have given myself a real good case of anxiety, but I have the tools now to recognize what it is, and where it came from, because I talked to someone about my issues before. Anyone here, please feel free to PM me anytime. I will always be grateful to the people here, many of whom I've never actually met, who reached out to me and who listened when I was really struggling. I'm not a therapist, but even just putting your feelings and worries down to type can be immensely helpful in recognizing and organizing what's happening in your brain.

 

[boostindoubles]

Fuck, you guys I am just glad I didn't cut my foot off last week! My work is consistent and stressful. There are always new and dangerous issues that arise. The employees that break shit and then run off for me to discover sometimes months later drives me batty. Lithium ion forklift batteries are spendy and have to be plugged into appropriate chargers for ducks sake. The mechanic will call say "this is gonna piss you off" and I have to laugh because we have work to do and getting pissed and making people feel stupid never gets the work done.

*edit to add a comma

 

[Fiesta de Carne de Perro]

I have been fortunate that this hasn't affected me a whole lot. Other than wearing a mask in the suffocating Florida heat anyway. Oh well, it's almost September. I must say I hated working from home, but it was only for a month. I am dreading to see what happens when it cools off and the stupid snowbirds come back.

My main goal at this point is making enough to exit the US comfortably. I want off Mr Bone's Wild Ride. Fuck this place and fuck these people, I have completely detached. The rot is too deep, there's no chance to fix it within my lifetime.

 

[jonKranked]

the one upside in all of this is that i'm getting to spend a ton of extra time with my kids that i otherwise wouldn't have had by traveling to the cube farm 5 days a week.

 

[Pesqueeb]

the one upside in all of this is that i'm getting to spend a ton of extra time with my kids that i otherwise wouldn't have had by traveling to the cube farm 5 days a week.

It WAS nice to get to spend those three months at home.

The flip side is that the FTS on work days is much stronger than I could have imagined possible, and it was bad before.

 

[jonKranked]

the one upside in all of this is that i'm getting to spend a ton of extra time with my kids that i otherwise wouldn't have had by traveling to the cube farm 5 days a week.

there are days they drive me absolutely batty, but i still wouldn't trade it for *ANYTHING*.

 

[jonKranked]

It WAS nice to get to spend those three months at home.

The flip side is that the FTS on work days is much stronger than I could have imagined possible, and it was bad before.

fair point. it's also made me really REALLY confront the fact that this job and work pace is NOT how i want to spend my life. for the time being i will still just be pondering, but once covid and the lawsuit are behind me, we will be making major reevaluations and decisions on what to do and where to go next.

 

[SkaredShtles]

there are days they drive me absolutely batty, but i still wouldn't trade it for *ANYTHING*.

I'd have traded it for some hookers and blow.

 

[Westy]

I am kind of lucky that this whole situation has really lessened my stress to some extent. I am not really joking around when I say that COVID is great because I no longer have to make excuses and try to avoid people. I no longer feel obligated to check with a bunch of people to see if they want to go with me when I hike or ride. I don't have to come up with excuses to not join people for Thanksgiving or other holidays. I don't have to avoid potential conversations with my neighbors. I get to spend the day with my dog. Traffic is lighter so I can easily head to the mountains and ride after work. I don't have to deal with commuting. I get to sleep in an hour later.

The negatives for me is that more people are trying to do the same things I like to do, alone. More people walking in the neighborhood, more people on the trails. I do feel a little couped up at home but that is largely because this place is tiny not really suited to WFH. Working from home is a bit frustrating as it is harder to communicate with my teammates, who are all really poor communicators in the first place but I am guessing they would frustrate me no matter what.

I feel bad for the people whose jobs and businesses are fucked and those struggling with child care. My job security went from excellent to shit, but I have no one who depends on me and I am financially prepared if I lose my job. Actually I would look forward to some time off, mid-life retirements rule.

I do get a little stressed when I have to go out but I doing everything I can to protect myself and it has become routine.

 

[Full Trucker]

Are we just not going to talk about 'squeeb being a total and complete fucking sociopath?



Like others have posted, I'm one of the ones that hasn't really been hit too hard with COVID stress, at least not explicitly. Or maybe it's just that I had a bunch of stress before COVID hit and I'm used to it?

I mean... Life has been pretty fucking weird for this guy starting July 1, 2019 when my then girlfriend's father suddenly passed away, followed two days later by my grandfather. Throw in a shitty job that I wanted nothing to do with any longer, a massive falling out between my lady and her younger sister, then deciding to make a shift in my career and putting the steps in motion to make that happen (ultimately a good thing but still stressful), then losing my shitty job on the eve of a global pandemic, not one but two couples that I was very close to breaking up and throwing our entire circle of friends into a very weird and disconnected space, and then trying to find employment through said pandemic... well, the actual pandemic has kinda been "par for the course" to me. I feel like I'd already hit a stride with coping with stress in the 8-ish months prior to March. Hell, even eating the kimchi and breaking a few ribs with ~6 weeks off the bike didn't even seem to phase me...

Though that said, I am extrovert AF and being cooped up at home earlier this year was trying for me... I know that not getting out and about was giving me a depression for sure. Fortunately, my now financée and I get along really well, and we have a pretty good time just the two of us, so I poured some energy into that and it helped a ton. Zoom happy hours, plus spending a ton of time job hunting, and eventually starting a new job in a sorta-new field has occupied a bunch of time as well. But I do miss my friends and being more social, though that hasn't been as big of a deal lately as meeting up in outdoor spaces is pretty easy. Early on trails were crowded as shit but roads were empty, that seems to have largely reversed itself and things are back to "normal" -- whatever that is.

Despite all this, despite feeling "okay" with the new normal, I know the last year has changed me. It's HAD to have changed me. I try to check-in mentally with me pretty often... and I think I'm doing alright. But I know not everyone is... and if any of you fuckers need anything just reach out.

 

[Pesqueeb]

I'd have traded it for some hookers and blow.

Your kids, or Jon's kids?

 

[AngryMetalsmith]

I’ve got some thoughts on how others treat people with depression v.s. what they say. But I am on the little screen, type like a retarded monkey with both hands holding bananas, and am moar interested in riding my bike in the woods at the moment. Perhaps getting exercise more than one a week shall help my situation. Will blather on once in the studio later tonight.

 

[Pesqueeb]

Or maybe it's just that I had a bunch of stress before COVID hit and I'm used to it?

I think that maybe this is what I'm experiencing actually. I mean, my whole life experience basically inverted after my accident. I went from pretty happy-go-lucky and extroverted, to an introspective and reclusive shut-in with a mild case of paranoia. Or, as my shrink put it, "a textbook case of post trauma PTSD".

I kind of feel like the whole world is experiencing it now, and it's made me feel "normal" in a way I haven't experienced in over 13 years. That doesn't make it right, but I feel much more comfortable navigating it than maybe I should.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Your kids, or Jon's kids?

If I traded ALL of them, would I get more hookers and blow? 'Cause I'd do that.

 

[Westy]

I think that maybe this is what I'm experiencing actually. I mean, my whole life experience basically inverted after my accident. I went from pretty happy-go-lucky and extroverted, to an introspective and reclusive shut-in with a mild case of paranoia. Or, as my shrink put it, "a textbook case of post trauma PTSD".

I kind of feel like the whole world is now experiencing it now, and it's made me feel "normal" in a way I haven't experienced in over 13 years. That doesn't make it right, but I feel much more comfortable navigating it than maybe I should.

LOL. That has been my normal my entire life. I embrace it these days.

 

[junkyard]

Well i will admit ive been having a tough time lately. I own my company with my sisters. One of them sucks really bad. She is on the spectrum and is a total narcissist and is one of the laziest people ive ever known. It literally has to be the worst combo ever. Back around Christmas at a funeral for a family friend her daughter punched me in the balls, while dad was standing six inches from me and he just laughed as i fended of the first three blows. Shes 6 and its been an ongoing issue with me, my kids and others. My sister acts like its normal behavior. Anyway when i returned to the table in discomfort and was asked what was wrong. I said her daughter punched me in the balls and it hurts. My sister threw an epic melt down, called me names, made a big scene. This ended up carrying on for over a month until I "had" to apologize to her.

She brought her kid to work a couple months ago and the kid was acting scared of me and avoiding me. Which is fine but also really sucks. I dont want to scare kids or get punched in the balls. But i was guilt tripped hard for not going to her birthday earlier this month. But its just too big a risk. My sister has pulled the "im scared of him" shit since we were kids to get her way.

Now she wants to sell off our 3rd generation business and the younger sister agrees. They dont want to work and also dont want me to do it either. It fucking sucks, I love my work and this place, but they wont stop with wanting to sell it. There are worse positions to be in. I still hate it. Then I think if i dont have work and I am sick of living here in the city and desert, im moving. Current short list is Ashland, oregon or maybe bend.

Still times of uncertainty have me feeling uneasy and depressed.

 

[jonKranked]

I am kind of lucky that this whole situation has really lessened my stress to some extent. I am not really joking around when I say that COVID is great because I no longer have to make excuses and try to avoid people. I no longer feel obligated to check with a bunch of people to see if they want to go with me when I hike or ride. I don't have to come up with excuses to not join people for Thanksgiving or other holidays. I don't have to avoid potential conversations with my neighbors. I get to spend the day with my dog. Traffic is lighter so I can easily head to the mountains and ride after work. I don't have to deal with commuting. I get to sleep in an hour later.

The negatives for me is that more people are trying to do the same things I like to do, alone. More people walking in the neighborhood, more people on the trails. I do feel a little couped up at home but that is largely because this place is tiny not really suited to WFH. Working from home is a bit frustrating as it is harder to communicate with my teammates, who are all really poor communicators in the first place but I am guessing they would frustrate me no matter what.

I feel bad for the people whose jobs and businesses are fucked and those struggling with child care. My job security went from excellent to shit, but I have no one who depends on me and I am financially prepared if I lose my job. Actually I would look forward to some time off, mid-life retirements rule.

I do get a little stressed when I have to go out but I doing everything I can to protect myself and it has become routine.

 

[jonKranked]

Now she wants to sell off our 3rd generation business and the younger sister agrees. They dont want to work and also dont want me to do it either. It fucking sucks, I love my work and this place, but they wont stop with wanting to sell it. There are worse positions to be in. I still hate it. Then I think if i dont have work and I am sick of living here in the city and desert, im moving. Current short list is Ashland, oregon or maybe bend.

if they want to sell but you don't, you should legally be able to buy them out of the business unless there's something contractual that would prevent that.

 

[boostindoubles]

Agriculture is essential - besides the emergency rules we have had to implement in order to comply with the health department the biggest impacts have been delays in shipments or lack of availability of certain products - especially soaps and toilet paper. We had to install plexiglass in our bathroom sinks and hang curtains in the bunk rooms to stifle airflow. Another impact has been that extra unemployment keeping all the lazy fucks from coming back to work. I don't know how many times I heard "I can't get my guys to come back to work while they are getting that extra 600 bucks".

@junkyard can you buy them out under contract and keep going or is getting you out part of their plan also?

 

[6thElement]

I already worked from home and haven't had to do monthly flights to my customer site since March.
But my wife lost her job and she has found it tough not having that to focus on. But she launched her own business and is having some early successes with it.
We've done some rides with local monkies, but not as much as we'd have liked. It will also be the first year in a while where we've not headed to Moab in Sept/Oct as no way would we shuttle in one of the normal vans for enchilada.

What's actually made it worse the last couple of weeks is the wildfire smoke making it tough to get out for post work rides to de-stress.

@Pesqueeb we still need to ride, but your jerb at weekends makes that tough. Is your new egg size 2 or 3? Asking for a wife.

 

[Full Trucker]

She is on the spectrum and is a total narcissist and is one of the laziest people ive ever known.

Fuck this. The younger sister whom my financée had the falling out with is this... borderline personality disorder. Shit got UGLY. But then, my lady and her older sister (who I've been good friends with for many, many years, like a decade before my lady and I even met) essentially disavowed (disowned?) her and it's been way less stressful. It sucks to have seen them all go through that, I'm pretty close with my family, but ultimately it was/is more better.

Now she wants to sell off our 3rd generation business and the younger sister agrees. They dont want to work and also dont want me to do it either. It fucking sucks, I love my work and this place, but they wont stop with wanting to sell it. There are worse positions to be in. I still hate it. Then I think if i dont have work and I am sick of living here in the city and desert, im moving. Current short list is Ashland, oregon or maybe bend.

Insert something really encouraging here that parrots what others have said about buying them out.

Still times of uncertainty have me feeling uneasy and depressed.

Hear, hear. I was definitely infinitely more depressed and anxious before I got a job offer...

 

[kidwoo]

I've been thinking about this post since Dave posted it yesterday and have been mulling over it for sometime now. I have a slightly different take on this, and I recognize it as a sign that I probably need to go back therapy.


Speaking as someone who has struggled with depression and PTSD since at least 2007, the world since March has finally felt sane. By that, I mean, it feels like the world has come to me. Now EVERYONE is stressed. Now EVERYONE is twitchy and unsure. Now EVERYONE is having problems coping. Now EVERYONE is irrationally angry. Now EVERYONE is losing sleep. Now EVERYONE has anxiety and panic attacks. Now time has lost all meaning for EVERYONE. Now EVERYONE recognizes the disorder and chaos around them. Now EVERYONE is aware of how little actual control they have, and they are ALL engaging in existential crises.

And I LOVE it. I'm finally no longer the only inmate in the institution. I'm finally not the only one whose "long range" plans don't go past tuesday. I'm finally not the only one who has panic attacks in crowds of more than 5 people. I'm finally not the only one avoiding being in public places. I'm finally not the only one liable to explosively melt down at something tiny and inconsequential. I'm finally not the only one recognizing how completely fucked this reality is. Misery LOVES fucking company and holy shit, welcome aboard assholes!

Is there peace beneath the roar of the Forth Rd Bridge?

It's not just about Corona of course and the above statement is a gross over simplification of reality. But seriously, it's like the whole world is experiencing some grade A mental, if not actual physical, trauma. I remember reading something some time back about the effects that Corona and lockdown was having on the mental health of the general population, and spoiler, the long term outlook for society as a whole wasn't exactly rosy. But the first step, is recognizing that it's real, and acknowledging it. The second, is to realize that the process is life long, professional therapy works, and that it's okay to struggle and it's okay to ask for help. They are all the same thing.

I don't pretend to have any answers, and I'm not a professional. I don't wish these things on anyone. Reading what I just typed has made my blood pressure go way up, and I have given myself a real good case of anxiety, but I have the tools now to recognize what it is, and where it came from, because I talked to someone about my issues before. Anyone here, please feel free to PM me anytime. I will always be grateful to the people here, many of whom I've never actually met, who reached out to me and who listened when I was really struggling. I'm not a therapist, but even just putting your feelings and worries down to type can be immensely helpful in recognizing and organizing what's happening in your brain.

I just take it out on dan-o


It helps. Recommended.






Also whiskey. Definitely whiskey.

 

[Full Trucker]

Also whiskey. Definitely whiskey.

I've been using less whiskey, but earlier in the day. So far, so good.

 

[Pesqueeb]

I just take it out on dan-o


It helps. Recommended.






Also whiskey. Definitely whiskey.

I'll drink to that!

 

[iRider]

My work load ramped up massively with Covid, so quite stressful but also fulfilling to see things work out in the end. I quite enjoy working more from home and taking on the new challenges that come with ever changing rules and regulations. While not Covid-releated, losing my dad still affects me quite a lot.

 

[cecil]

Please Don't let worrying about life keep you from living life

 

[Full Trucker]

I'll drink to that!

View attachment 149068

Sláinte!




(Nice choice, that one's my favorite...)

 

[Full Trucker]

I already worked from home...

Same, so I'm sure that's helped me as well. I've been remote since 2016, and have worked as a freelancer (effectively remote) on a bunch of occasions before that even. Plus, I don't have kids at home, same as you. Could not IMAGINE what that is like.

But my wife lost her job and she has found it tough not having that to focus on. But she launched her own business and is having some early successes with it.

Glad to hear it!

We've done some rides with local monkies, but not as much as we'd have liked. It will also be the first year in a while where we've not headed to Moab in Sept/Oct as no way would we shuttle in one of the normal vans for enchilada.

Seconded on both of these sentiments: not enough rides with friends and gonna be sad to miss out on a WE rip this fall.

 

[Pesqueeb]

What's actually made it worse the last couple of weeks is the wildfire smoke making it tough to get out for post work rides to de-stress.

@Pesqueeb we still need to ride, but your jerb at weekends makes that tough. Is your new egg size 2 or 3? Asking for a wife.

Yeah, the smoke has been killing me. My lungs have already endured enough physical trauma for me to be super creeped out by teh 'Rona, then add in all the visible particulates...... Yikes do I not want to be breathing that crap in. But the lack of physical activity not only makes me fat, it makes me depressed. I'm getting out of shape, and then depressed because I'm out of shape, then don't want to ride because I'm afraid of how out of shape I'm getting. It's a brutal cycle. I just need to make myself get out, smoke or no. Chances are I'm just going to get wiped out by another car again anyway, so no point in worrying about my lungs.


Tell your wife I hover between 6' and 6'1". Rid egg is a size 3.