Cabin Fever

[Shoshana]

I am housebound most of the time even when not snowed in. I am usually alone 10-12 hours every day. Because of my Multiple Chemical Sensitivity I cannot go to a lot of places like church, work, etc.....I cannot even go to most peoples houses. As someone that had always been very social I find it quite a challenge under normal circumstances .......but right now I feel like I am going crazy. We had more snow last week in Oklahoma then I have ever seen. It is a curvy hilly dirt road 1-1/2 miles to the highway....even when the highway is driveable my road is pretty bad and I won't drive on it. To make matters worse, I am not able to do my animal chores right now.......tromping through the snow last week flared my arthritis in my hip and my husband has had to take over.....so my normal twice daily outings into the fresh air to feed, water and play with my goats and chickens is not happening......I did not realize just how important that is to my days!

 

We live in a very open barn-like building that is planned to be my husbands future shop/barn. It has a large two story overhead door that is uninsulated and lets in a lot of drafts, plus because we don't have interior rooms but it is just one large open to the second story cavernous space our wood-stove struggles to keep the space heated and when it is in the single digits and teen temps it is routinely in the low 50's at the warmest part of the day INSIDE.....and is regularly in the high 30's-40's when we wake up in the morning INSIDE. When it is that cold I just cannot seem to get much work done and sit huddled by the fire.

 

I love to read and have lots of books on my Kindle and read for several hours a day but I cannot do it all day long.

 

I do hang out on the internet a lot but there are only so many hours a day I can do that.

 

 

I only get one TV station and usually we only get a decent signal at night or if it is a storm (I have not figured that one out)......but there is not a lot to see there.......I am not into talk shows or soap operas which seem to be what is on this station in the day.

 

I have de-cluttered most of our DVD's (maybe I should not have done that) and we usually are satisfied with Netflix but right now I could sure use more to watch and we did not even have mail delivery for two days and all the snow here and at the distribution center and the normally fast Netflix turn around time is not there right now.

 

I normally don't have the time or energy for crafts so I don't currently have any kind of crafting materials right now.

 

I feel like such a whiner.....I have many blessings and I know for one I should be thankful we have power because it is really crazy without the internet or movies when the power is out.....but any idea on how I can make the snowed in days not seem so long?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Christy]

Dear Shoshana, with all what's going on in your body, life is not easy at the best of circumstances.

When you're too tired to craft, there not much left but read and browse.

Could you and hubby place a tent so that the warmth of the oven gets inside there and you have a relative warmer place? Or hang up fabric, quilts, sheets even to make a snug?

Surely the cold is not doing you any good either.

 

Once saw a documentary where Sami in Lapland made a square tent of reindeer furs to sleep in inside their bigger tents. It was toasty in there.

 

Big hugs

Christy

[Stephanie]

I was just talking with my mom about cabin fever. She is spending the majority of her time alone for the first time in her life and it is becoming a drudgery.

 

Have you considered taking up some Fiber Arts, My mom and and I both learned to crochet this year and we enjoy it so much!! There are countless YouTube's that give instruction for simple beginner projects.

 

Also, if you aren't able to attend church I highly suggest that you fellowship with like minded believers in other ways. There are forums, boards and even YouTubes.

 

Have you connected with Facebook? It is really neat and can be a tremendous social outlet. I hesitated to sign up there, but now, very glad I did. Have reunited with so many long lost friends and family.

 

I think that one of the most important things is structure, we just don't function well without it, it isn't in our nature. So, set up some boundaries for yourself and your time and your days. See if that makes a difference.

 

[themartianchick]

I am so sorry that you are feeling the way that you are. It doesn't seem fair that you should be miserable at the time when you are starting to see progress on your homesteading dream. The others have given some good advice...I only have one addition to their suggestions. You could come visit us at Mrs. S. more often! I frequently pop in during the day to see if there are new topics being discussed or updates on threads that I'm following. I'm sure that others do, too!

 

Hoping to see you post more frequently!!

[Amishway Homesteaders]

Wow! And some people think sometimes they have it bad when it is too cold to go shopping.

Anyway here are a few more hints to help and some redoes of what was said:

Sit by a window when the sun is out as much as possible (that is part of the cabin fever)

even if you just read, like you said, that would help.

 

You need to divide that space up!

hang some blankets from the rafters, move the furniture around to make some room blocks (instead of the 'hutch' being against the wall move it into the room to make a 'wall')

even if all you can do is get a refrigerate box and open it up so you have an 'L' to close off the Kitchen area that would work for now.

Anything so you are NOT looking at 4 walls every day.

 

And YES if that big door is NOT your way in COVER it! Put up blankets or even just ducktape the sides where the air is coming in. or stuff folded newspaper up in the cracks. Like they did in the old 'cabin days. ’LOL

 

How about starting a indoor garden? Something in the window sill - just use leftover seed or even grass seed just get something growing or now.

 

Maybe a few members can start a Sunday Church Chat (pick a time that works for all to be in there) Nothing heavy just ya know............ wherever 2 or more are gathered I am there!

Never said we all HAD to be in the same building.

 

Good Luck - stay warm...................

and Spring IS COMING!

 

 

[Shoshana]

Could you and hubby place a tent so that the warmth of the oven gets inside there and you have a relative warmer place? Or hang up fabric, quilts, sheets even to make a snug?

Surely the cold is not doing you any good either.

 

I don't know how we would hang quilts, etc. with the ceiling so high......and yes I would be warmer but only if I sat in there......it still would not be warm enough to work in the rest of the house.......we do have walls around the bathroom and there is a space heater in there and if we turn it on it stays warm since it is very small and closed in so if I get desperate I can sit in there but it is very tiny and there is no tv nor internet in there :-)

 

 

 

[Shoshana]

Have you considered taking up some Fiber Arts, My mom and and I both learned to crochet this year and we enjoy it so much!! There are countless YouTube's that give instruction for simple beginner projects.

 

Also, if you aren't able to attend church I highly suggest that you fellowship with like minded believers in other ways. There are forums, boards and even YouTubes.

 

Have you connected with Facebook? It is really neat and can be a tremendous social outlet. I hesitated to sign up there, but now, very glad I did. Have reunited with so many long lost friends and family.

 

I think that one of the most important things is structure, we just don't function well without it, it isn't in our nature. So, set up some boundaries for yourself and your time and your days. See if that makes a difference.

 

 

I have considered different kinds of "Fiber Arts" but I have nothing right now and no way to get them.

 

 

I am on some Christian and Messianic boards online and my husband and I study and worship together when he is here. I also do get one radio station and it happens to be a "preaching" station and listen to those when I am in my kitchen.

I am on Facebook and do keep up with friends from all over, there. I also subscribe to lots of blogs that I read in my Google Reader.

Your ideas about structure are really true for me and when things are "normal" I do that. I love structure and divide my work among the days and do certain things at different times and it really helps.

 

But right now when it is too cold to do my normal inside work and I cannot go out and do my outside work I feel like there are two things I can do play online and read. I enjoy both of those activities but am alone 12 hours a day and reading 6 hours and internetting 6 hours is more than I can stand on either of those.......am just trying to think of something to add.

 

 

 

 

 

[Shoshana]

You need to divide that space up!

hang some blankets from the rafters, move the furniture around to make some room blocks (instead of the 'hutch' being against the wall move it into the room to make a 'wall')

even if all you can do is get a refrigerate box and open it up so you have an 'L' to close off the Kitchen area that would work for now.

Anything so you are NOT looking at 4 walls every day.

 

We do sort of have dividers in a way. We have these office supply cabinets that are six feet tall and three feet wide. They form an "L" that divides the living room "area" from the bedroom "area" and the kitchen "area" from the bedroom "area".......so I have visual rooms somewhat but it is not enough to hold the heat in those areas.

The rafters are like 20 feet up so hanging things from them would not be an easy task.

 

 

 

[Shoshana]

...I only have one addition to their suggestions. You could come visit us at Mrs. S. more often! I frequently pop in during the day to see if there are new topics being discussed or updates on threads that I'm following. I'm sure that others do, too!

 

Hoping to see you post more frequently!!

 

You are right, I should :-)

 

 

 

[Shoshana]

Thank you all so much for all your replies and suggestions! Having this conversation has helped tremendously today.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!

[Stephanie]

Thank you all so much for all your replies and suggestions! Having this conversation has helped tremendously today.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

So glad you were encouraged a bit! Wonderful!

 

Here's a thought on the Fiber Arts. Have you ever researched Rag Rugs? You take old clothing, sheets, any type of cloth and cut it into strips, then roll it into balls and it becomes a type of 'yarn' for you to crochet together, It's pretty nifty and plus a good way to recycle.

[Shoshana]

So glad you were encouraged a bit! Wonderful!

 

Here's a thought on the Fiber Arts. Have you ever researched Rag Rugs? You take old clothing, sheets, any type of cloth and cut it into strips, then roll it into balls and it becomes a type of 'yarn' for you to crochet together, It's pretty nifty and plus a good way to recycle.

 

I have heard of it but not really thought about it in a long time......that would be something for me to work on in the future....I would have to start collecting the materials. It will probably take me a long time to collect things though as I would pretty much have to use our own used clothing. I cannot buy from thrift stores or take things from others usually because of fabric softeners and laundry detergent. I have to use baking soda and vinegar to wash my clothes as I cannot tolerate the normal washing mediums......and my success rate and cleaning up things formerly washed in scented things has not been good.

 

I will look around online for information about it.

 

 

Thank you.

 

 

 

[Amishway Homesteaders]

......... I just reread all the posts here and I have to say with all that is going on around you and with your health problems you are doing a GREAT job of just saying 'oh well thats life' and I will handle it with what I CAN do and not with what I CAN'T do!

You are a inspiration to us all that may think we are having a hard time right now.

* Like with all the snow - BUT it will go away!

* With Money Issues - BUT there may come a time when that is better!

* A cold or just run down with all that is happening - BUT that too will change!

 

So for all your posting on this issue................................ THANKS!