Ask HN: How do you focus on work during a global pandemic?

I do work that can be done at home and my employer is cool with that. I worked at home a long time and got sick and tired of it, I'd prefer to go to the office, but it is better than getting sick. It is more challenging though since my teenager is home from school.

My wife helps take care of a sweet old man who suffers from dementia at a nearby care facility, they take her temperature, make her wear a mask, but she can still do that. She also teaches people how to ride horses, when the weather is good she still has people come out.

I live on a farm so I am physically isolated from potential carriers -- it's not like downstate, where it is just hard to find the distance. I am an introvert and don't feel the need to go out to busy places other than the gym to lift weights. The weather has been unpleasant the last few days so it hasn't been so much fun to go outside.

Despite all that I am still messed up by the stress, a friend of the family told me that he "feels tired" and that might be a good way to put it. Even if your physical situation is OK, you probably aren't going to be firing on all cylinders because of the stress and the first thing is to not beat yourself up over it.

I remind my self that being in a pandemic _and_ being high on the list of targets for being laid off for non-performance is much, much worse than simply being in a pandemic. The bills still have to be paid after all.