Cabin Fever | Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.

Introduction
The shelter-in-place strategy that was implemented to slow down the progression of the coronavirus has gradually resulted in a mild to moderate case of "cabin fever" in many people all over the world.

Cabin fever can impact one person, or a group of people, who are required to live in the same space for an extended period of time. Originally it happened when people had to remain inside their homes during a long bitter winter in order to survive until the spring. They knew if they went outside for very long then they would freeze to death. They also knew if they traveled more than just a very short distance away from the safety of their cabin, and if they had a simple accident, then they might not be able to make it all the way back to their safe cabin and they would freeze to death.

Cabin fever can also affect people who have to spend an extended period of time underwater in submarines and this is one of the reasons for "shore leave." It also affects people who are incarcerated in prisons and this is one of the reasons for the variety of activities the prisoners are allowed to participate in.

Cabin fever is not an illness. However it has symptoms that are similar to depression.

A simple way to minimize the impact of cabin fever is to become involved in projects that can be done safely wherever you happen to be. Some examples would be as follows:

Interacting with nature can improve a person's mental health. This includes growing flowers or vegetables in pots in front of a window or in your yard.
Planning and doing simple inexpensive remodeling projects to your home.
Learning a new hobby that interests you, such as sewing (needlepoint, cross stitch, crochet), assembling miniature model airplanes or cars, learning how to play a musical instrument by following a "how-to book" or a home video course, learning home gunsmithing skills, or learning how to cook like a professional.
Learning how to dance by following a home video dvd dance course.
Beginning a simple daily exercise routine that you can do at home without investing a lot of money in equipment. Examples would be toe touch, sit-ups, leg lifts, etc.
Learning how to successfully play new games, such as card games, or board games, or solitaire games, or assembling jig-saw puzzles (500, 1000, or 2000 pieces but not the puzzles with tiny miniature jig-saw pieces).

The best way to deal with cabin fever is to select a variety of the above options to occupy your time.

The wrong way to deal with cabin fever is to repeat a daily routine that does not vary significantly from day-to-day.

The worst way to deal with cabin fever is to allow boredom to force you to leave your cabin and to do something you know is not safe and that may increase the risk of your death.

Discussion
In the USA each state, and each county, and each major city, has it own set of laws (or guidelines) for the current shelter-in-place strategy. These strategies were implemented in order to minimize the spread of the coronavirus.

However, these shelter-in-place strategies have resulted in the bankruptcy of a lot of different small businesses. This has decreased tax revenues by as much as 30% in some areas. The decreased tax revenue is having a significant impact on the successful operation of most government services and government institutions because there is not enough money currently being received for these governments to continue to operate as they have done in the past. Therefore some non-critical services are being discontinued, and some services are being provided for fewer hours each week. Most government employees are working fewer hours per week and some government employees are losing their jobs. This is helping to decrease government costs but it is also adding to the number of people who will be receiving unemployment benefits. This downward spiral of bankruptcies, reduced tax revenues, and an increase in the number of unemployed people will continue until something significant happens to stabilize the economy. I do not wish to speculate on what that significant event might be.

Cabin fever has resulted in many people reaching their breaking points with the shelter-in-place strategy. These people have decided they are going to resume some aspects of their previous lives and they are going to more openly socialize with their friends, they are going to eat at their favorite restaurants (which may be a fast-food restaurant or an expensive restaurant), and they are going to do a variety of other things which may or may not cause them to catch the coronavirus. If this happens then there will be a significant increase in the number of reported (and unreported) coronavirus cases and in the number of deaths.

Even if a revised version of the shelter-in-place strategy is implemented in your area, you should carefully consider whether or not you will continue your current survival strategy or if you will do some or all of the things that you will soon be permitted to do.

This is a situation where common sense should help guide your behavior. Should you combat the effects of cabin fever in a safe manner (as suggested above) in order to increase the chance of your long-term survival? Or should you do something reckless and increase the chance of your death?

Conclusion
The best way to minimize the effects of cabin fever is to acknowledge that it is actually affecting you. Once you understand what the true problem is then it is easier to implement a strategy to combat the effect of cabin fever based on what appeals to you. This could help you avoid making a bad decision and doing something that could result in your catching the coronavirus and which may result in your death.

In conclusion the most important question is, "Which would you truthfully prefer: boredom or death?"

Respectfully,
Grandpappy.

Grandpappy's e-mail address is: RobertWayneAtkins@hotmail.com