My bubble is now 5 (plus little Bodie the rescue dog who is afraid of everyone who isn't me or Mr. April and therefore keeps trying to bite the other three). That part is extremely stressful. Today we had a speakerphone call with our trainer to help us make a plan for what to do.

The 5 two-leggeds are me, Mr. April, 23-yo Little Mr. April, and Little Mr. April's two roommates. Those three younger two-leggeds all escaped Brooklyn just before things got dark, and we all did two solid weeks of no contact (we have a barn/guest house where they self-isolated).

We are in our third week of no going out unless unavoidable, and we're still figuring out how to do it. Our tiny town has 48 infected people and 5 deaths so far. Same as Angie - tremendous leadership at the state and local level with major problems up above. (I don't care what anyone's politics are. I'm in a family full of doctors and scientists who assure me that much of what comes from above is dangerous nonsense.)

I'm missing human contact. I have very few friends, but the ones I have are as high-risk as I am, so we've been burning up the airwaves talking and texting. I miss my 12 step meetings so bad that words can't even begin to describe it. I always swore that if the zombie apocalypse happened, I'd head straight across the country to my mom and yet here I sit because I work in a grocery store and I don't want to risk exposing mom to any Coronacooties I may have picked up at work. I had to go to the laundromat today, and it was a mildly terrifying experience involving lots of hand sanitizer and sitting in the car plus some relief to see a guy come through and clean the front of every machine in the place. My trip to Walmart on Monday (for dog toys for Mollie and my flavored water) was like a nightmare.

I'm high-risk because of my COPD, so I'm with you. I'm terrified of the world outside my door, to the point that I'm even sanitizing packages as they enter my home after the delivery driver drops them on my doorstep

April, I just want to tell you Lilypup barks like Satan Spawn at my brother every time he comes up and this makes my mother laugh at my brother. Ahem...

I have no one in my inner circle; I live alone. But I have been video conferencing with my psychologist and a good friend frequently. I also have been able to take my piano teaching online (the studio I work for set us up with Zoom)--so I get more interaction that way too.

My friend and I are playing board games online together, and we use a site that has a video and audio chat feature--so we can talk as we play! If anyone is interested, the site is boardgamearena.com. However, the site sometimes doesn't work right because it has been inundated with users over the last few weeks, and it doesn't have the server capabilities to withstand such heavy traffic, lol.

As for how it's affecting me, I'm definitely finding it hard. I am an introvert that can be chatty with the right people, and I also do some ballroom dancing as a hobby, and it has been really hard not being able to engage in activities as before.

Omg. I want online piano lessons...! I’m a bad student, of course. I don’t practise.

Gigi, hugs to you. This is tough to go through even living with someone you love, so as another chatty introvert, I feel for people who are living alone. Do you have a pet?

Only me.

Sending virtual hugs to Ginger, Gigi, and all of you who live alone -- that is very hard. My stepdaughter lives alone and is in complete lockdown in Spain. We are constantly in touch with her but I can see the strain is real.

My situation is a bit like Janet's and a bit like Nemosmom's. Like Janet, many of my artistic opportunities have vanished. Poof. I was supposed to be on a desperately needed retreat last week to finish edits on a book. Obviously, that didn't happen. Was supposed to present at a conference in May. That's not happening. Was supposed to do research in Ottawa in May. Was admitted to a prestigious residency for July that will likely be cancelled. And so on.

This doesn't compare to the stress that many other people are facing, and I'm trying to remain positive. At the same time, the disappointment is real.

Meanwhile, as an introvert, I'm finding my life much too crowded and social right now! We are in our new home (though without most of my clothes and some of our things, which remain in Vancouver until we can get them). My bubble includes Mr. Suz, my 20 year old child, our cat -- and another young adult, a new temporary member of our family. And, you guessed it -- I'm finding it hard to adjust to an extra person in the house, even though he is considerate and helpful. My child, who has some mental health and other challenges, is also needier than usual, understandably. Meanwhile, I am still working from home and just got dumped with a huge load of manuscripts to edit, plus seemingly endless online meetings. In other words, I'm busier than ever, and many of my grounding routines have been ripped away from me.

The Times had an article about how to stay sane in an insane time that I'm finding really helpful and that I'm trying to follow. Basically, they suggest the following. Each day, try to ensure that you:

1. Complete one thing that gives you a feeling of mastery/ accomplishment. It might be doing your exercise class, finishing a small work project, making a pot of soup -- whatever. Just make sure it's something you can finish.

2. Find joy.

3. Talk to a friend.

I'm trying to count it as a good day when I've done those things. Also trying to limit news and social media to once or twice a day. And trying to find ways of being helpful to others in my circle and beyond. I know that doing something to make a difference will help.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Suz. The feeling of mastery must be why I am baking like a fiend. It's a job that can be completed, then enjoyed, which is more than you can say for almost anything else right now. A friend of mine is also posting just one thing a day that she is grateful for - simple or more complex, doesn't matter, and I swear it's my favourite thing to read . The rest of Facebook is the same 5-6 people reposting statistics, sharing Trump's tweets , articles we all are capable of reading ourselves and likely have already, or memes that seem inappropriate at best right now. Gratitude is nourishing.

Good article Suz. DH and I found summer retirement easy, but winter harder (less outdoor activities) so we determined we would do ‘one meaningful thing’ each day. It needn’t be a heroic task, either. Today I dug a winter’s worth of compostable coffee pods into the ground around my roses - and that was my ‘thing’. I’ve taken on my mom as my regular social contact. It can be hard, because she is not a cheerful person - but it is, what it is. I had already put media in it’s place with an hour of COVID-stuff in the am, and another in the pm. Sometimes I get pulled down the rabbit hole, but when I feel my anxiety level rising I recognize the problem, and turn the thing off.

3 humans, 2 cats - including me, husband, 21 year old son who is supposed to be doing all of the school stuff, plus all of the wonderful things you usually do in your last 8 weeks before graduation. Instead he's stuck with us. He was on spring break when everything started shutting down so he had no time to process - he went from having the most fun ever at the beach in the Virgin Islands, to coming home unexpectedly. The first week was rough, you guys! But, we've settled into a good routine and it is a gift of time with him that we would have never had before he goes off to serve in the Coast Guard for the next several years.
Older son stayed in Boston, and other than being super stressed about the science of the pandemic, he's incredibly content in his tiny studio. He's professionally lit his little work area for his Zoom calls for work, he has his bike on rollers and has started an exercise program like mine, he lives 3 blocks from Trader Joes, he's collaborating on music projects with friends from college, and he goes out into the empty city at night sometimes and does interesting photography. We talk every day, at length.
At first I really wanted him to be here at home, but if I'm honest it's worked out perfectly. He and his brother would probably be getting on each other's nerves by now, and I would not have my workout space - his room - which would remove a big source of my ability to relieve stress. I think he's actually thriving.

I haven't seen anyone else since March 8, except virtually or from across the street.

My mother has been my biggest frustration. Like others here have shared, she abjectly refused to acknowledge the severity of the growing pandemic and the need for physical distancing, and continued an active social life at the condo complex in FL where they spend a few months every year until just this week. I get so angry and upset. My Dad is super super high risk, the highest, at his age and health situation and she continued to be, in the opinion of me and my siblings, so irresponsible. I can understand, a little, that it didn't feel as dire down there since everything stayed open for so long. The laggard Governor finally called the shelter in place just yesterday. FL is now in the top 5 states for covid19 cases. My parents were supposed to leave for Pennsylvania on 4/15, but the owner of the condo graciously offered to extend their stay, and they're staying put until things improve. Very, very hard to be far from them.

I've worked from home for 22 years, so it's really not been a big transition that way. I'm used to being around my husband all the time! I really don't miss the constant work travel one little bit.

Mr Maven and I and 2 cats. He’s working with Zoom and did his therapist session with it last week. He’s a member of a stress reduction group that has been going since 1989. He’s torn out his hair trying to teach the older guys a dI think they’ve got it. Right now he has his first class on Zoom.

I Skype with my good friend and Saturday is Zoom with family. I have a Zoom class starting in 3 weeks. And I keep in touch with my sisters on phone calls and email.

I have books I want to read and gardening to do. I admit that when Mr M doesn’t have enough to do he can drive me nuts with interruptions. This afternoon it was urgent for me to watch him trim the beard he is growing.

This community is helping to keep me sane. I set a goal to post every day.

My worst days are when it’s cold & rainy. I would like to go to buy groceries, but Mr M insists on doing it.

I am going to do a post on him and his fashion journey soon.

So lovely to read the responses and know that the challenges faced are similar across the world. DH is an essential worker and has to work teaching students for whom being at school is safer than staying home. Unfortunately domestic violence thrives in unsettled times.

I am an extrovert and love socialising. I really miss my karate class and work colleagues. I have been working from home for the last two weeks and DS is also at home, attending school online. This is going to be the new normal, we are likely to have at least 6 more months of living like this in Australia, it is hard to know how we will cope, and so I plan to take one day at a time.

My dogs are great companions and enjoying having us home, that is definitely the silver lining.

My heart goes out to everyone - lots of different challenges right now for all of us.

NZ went early with the lockdown and very hard too.....whether that will pay off it is too early to tell.

Big hug to all.

My circle is DH and DS. DS doesn't live with us but has been working from his home for two weeks and hasn't been anywhere except to our house as I am getting his groceries. He has mild Aspergers and really has no friends to even text with so became more lonely and depressed. I didn't want him to spiral even lower so he visits with us two or three times a week. we don't hug or even touch.
I'm missing my friends and social interaction terribly. My husband works/plays on the computer 7 days a week and is somewhat depressed at the best of times. I'm trying to keep going with an on-line pilates class and walking 5 miles 4 days a week listening to pod casts. If I think too much I spiral as I'm worrying about my daughter who is in the healthcare profession and works in Brooklyn and my other son who lives in Southern CT . My daughter has told me some very sad stories and I certainly have to give myself a stern talking to at times reminding myself how lucky I am.

I'm at home with my husband, 3 kids (6, 12, 14), 2 dogs and 2 cats. It's a full house. My husband still goes into his clinic a couple times a week but there's only one other person working there right now. He manages the Seating Clinic for the State of NM, they make specialized prosthetics for wheelchairs. They're closed right now though and are just finishing up old orders or emergencies. I'm working remotely from home and keeping track of my kids so it's a challenge. We're starting to get into a routine now though. My kids miss their friends and my Kindergartner asks me everyday when he can go back to school.

I'm introverted but not this introverted. I enjoy hanging out with small groups of friends. We usually play cards with our neighbors on the weekends and of course we can't do that anymore. Luckily I live in a part of the city with a bunch of old irrigation ditches that make good walking trails. Since they're not "official" trails many people don't know about them. Although there's a few more people on the ditches, they're still not particularly busy. My dogs are living their best life right now with everyone home and taking them for walks once or twice a day.