Stir – crazy
Welcome to the pandemic.
As many in this nation and many other nations either find themselves “sheltering at home” with or without children and possibly other family members or working at essential jobs often without appropriate protection and often without the understanding or support of employers or government agencies who are sometimes downplaying the seriousness of their dangerous working conditions, I am hearing many reports of exhaustion. The exhaustion of those working at essential jobs makes sense. They are physically out of energy and emotionally drained from attempting to balance the danger they and their families are in as a result of their compassion and commitment to serving others and financially supporting their families.
Many parents, grandparents and other relatives are sheltering at home with children. They are expected to provide a professional, interesting, educational, learning environment and quality lessons commensurate with those one expects, but does not always get, from school staff. They too are appropriately exhausted but may describe themselves as stir crazy.
There are also those who are sheltering at home either telecommuting their job or laid off and have now cleaned out the garage, all the closet and basements and packed many boxes or trash bags with items to deliver to the local thrift stores when they reopen. They may also have cooked for friends and neighbors and alphabetically rearranged all the items in the kitchen cabinets. They are now less active than normal. They too will describe themselves as exhausted even though their most strenuous activity has been binge watching all the movies and televisions series they had been wanting to watch for ages. In addition to being tired they will describe themselves as stir crazy.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines stir crazy as “psychologically disturbed, especially as a result of being confined or imprisoned.”
I am sure that all or most of us who are feeling stir crazy have plenty of projects which have been patiently waiting our attention for months or even years. This should be the perfect time to accomplish them. I have a very long list of books I “need”, “want” and “should” read. I have a very long list of home projects that I would like to mark as done. I have many CDs I have not heard in ages. The list in endless. Yet, many of us find that we are “too exhausted” to do much once we finish our home chores or the telecommuting job. Why is this? Why do we feel psychologically disturbed? Is this the same “dis ease” experienced by those we place in solitary confinement for long periods of time? Is this the same “dis ease” and exhaustion one feels after sitting with someone in the hospital for long periods of time.”
The answer is quite simple I suspect. Our emotional gas tanks are on empty. We are a social species. Even those who are introverts and who are chronically allergic to most people need some living fuel from outside of themselves. Parents who adore their children need time with adults. While we are blessed to have the means to more easily stay in touch with family and other friends via phone, face time, Zoom and other secure apps we crave the physical presence and voice of other humans. Animals fulfil some of our needs. Those who live with animals and especially those who live with multiple domesticated or wild animals may fare much better than those who live in the city or even the suburbs.
Perhaps this is a good time to access how intentional we are about nurturing relationships when we do not have “shelter at home” conditions. How often are we intentional about giving our undivided attention to family and other friends? How often are we intentional about the fact that our coworkers, the store clerk, the post office person, the city employees, the first responders, the transit driver, or the host of others with whom we come into contact are human beings and not just a role or a dehumanized “slave” to serve the master – us?
Jobs and careers “should” have the purpose of directly and indirectly taking care of people. We exist for and with each other because we need the connection with each other to feed our bodies. Our physical bodies let us know when we are disconnected; when our souls and spirits are on empty.
Perhaps we would do well to remember these lessons when we are no longer “sheltering in place”.
Written April 7, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
Welcome to the pandemic.
As many in this nation and many other nations either find themselves “sheltering at home” with or without children and possibly other family members or working at essential jobs often without appropriate protection and often without the understanding or support of employers or government agencies who are sometimes downplaying the seriousness of their dangerous working conditions, I am hearing many reports of exhaustion. The exhaustion of those working at essential jobs makes sense. They are physically out of energy and emotionally drained from attempting to balance the danger they and their families are in as a result of their compassion and commitment to serving others and financially supporting their families.
Many parents, grandparents and other relatives are sheltering at home with children. They are expected to provide a professional, interesting, educational, learning environment and quality lessons commensurate with those one expects, but does not always get, from school staff. They too are appropriately exhausted but may describe themselves as stir crazy.
There are also those who are sheltering at home either telecommuting their job or laid off and have now cleaned out the garage, all the closet and basements and packed many boxes or trash bags with items to deliver to the local thrift stores when they reopen. They may also have cooked for friends and neighbors and alphabetically rearranged all the items in the kitchen cabinets. They are now less active than normal. They too will describe themselves as exhausted even though their most strenuous activity has been binge watching all the movies and televisions series they had been wanting to watch for ages. In addition to being tired they will describe themselves as stir crazy.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines stir crazy as “psychologically disturbed, especially as a result of being confined or imprisoned.”
I am sure that all or most of us who are feeling stir crazy have plenty of projects which have been patiently waiting our attention for months or even years. This should be the perfect time to accomplish them. I have a very long list of books I “need”, “want” and “should” read. I have a very long list of home projects that I would like to mark as done. I have many CDs I have not heard in ages. The list in endless. Yet, many of us find that we are “too exhausted” to do much once we finish our home chores or the telecommuting job. Why is this? Why do we feel psychologically disturbed? Is this the same “dis ease” experienced by those we place in solitary confinement for long periods of time? Is this the same “dis ease” and exhaustion one feels after sitting with someone in the hospital for long periods of time.”
The answer is quite simple I suspect. Our emotional gas tanks are on empty. We are a social species. Even those who are introverts and who are chronically allergic to most people need some living fuel from outside of themselves. Parents who adore their children need time with adults. While we are blessed to have the means to more easily stay in touch with family and other friends via phone, face time, Zoom and other secure apps we crave the physical presence and voice of other humans. Animals fulfil some of our needs. Those who live with animals and especially those who live with multiple domesticated or wild animals may fare much better than those who live in the city or even the suburbs.
Perhaps this is a good time to access how intentional we are about nurturing relationships when we do not have “shelter at home” conditions. How often are we intentional about giving our undivided attention to family and other friends? How often are we intentional about the fact that our coworkers, the store clerk, the post office person, the city employees, the first responders, the transit driver, or the host of others with whom we come into contact are human beings and not just a role or a dehumanized “slave” to serve the master – us?
Jobs and careers “should” have the purpose of directly and indirectly taking care of people. We exist for and with each other because we need the connection with each other to feed our bodies. Our physical bodies let us know when we are disconnected; when our souls and spirits are on empty.
Perhaps we would do well to remember these lessons when we are no longer “sheltering in place”.
Written April 7, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
RSS Feed