5.20.20: Losing a job vs. getting coronavirus.
Plus stimulus payments, health & wellness and geo-relo
May 20, 2020.
Good Wednesday Morning. I wanted to quickly answer a couple of questions that some folks have shared over the last few days.
If you want to get started on today’s questions first, click the Let’s Talk button.
A couple quick mailbags:
If anyone is not getting their Talk to Tina surveys regularly, check your promotions folder. That’s where mine ended up yesterday.
This is really helpful! Hopefully this is fixed, but let me know if it’s still happening.
This just sucks
I hope you don’t mean these emails…
I asked yesterday and I'll ask again. Have you seen Unbelievable on Netflix? It's based on a true story and I'm more worried about that epidemic that covid-19 any day. What are your thoughts on this epidemic our country has been in and continues to go through?
I haven’t seen it, but I just looked it up. Without having seen it, it’s hard to have thoughts on it other than it’s an absolute tragedy that the series is based on a true story. I’ll watch it.
Just found out yesterday that my contractor position is ending early due to cost cutting. I am disappointed but grateful I have been able to work during the past 2 1/2 months of the pandemic.
Damn. I’m really, really sorry to hear that, friend. But I’m glad you had the work for that last 2 1/2 months, and hopefully the next gig will come through soon.
Nope :) first time here!
Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here. So is everyone else. Right, everyone?
If you want to help us grow more — and have more first timers — let a friend or family member know that you care what they think and you want them to be heard.
Results from May 19, 2020
Question 1: Would you rather lose your job or get the coronavirus?
As one anonymous user commented:
“Would I rather lose my job or get coronavirus?” How could someone answer yes to either of those? If you lose your job, you’d obviously lose income and possible health benefits. If you get coronavirus you may not be one of the “lucky ones” that gets a mild case or is asymptomatic.
That’s the point. Neither one is a good option, and that’s what makes this question tough.
The user who suggested the question was (I believe) trying to understand how people do the cost/benefit analyses of each option, as it is an analysis real people are making each day.
I think an age demographic tied to the first question would present interesting corollary information.
Many of you shared how you were thinking about the trade-off of each bad outcome.
For the "would you rather..." question, I only say that I would rather get the coronavirus under the following circumstances: 1) I am someone not in any of the "high risk" categories, so I should be able to kick it quickly and/or not have any symptoms; 2) I would also like to know I have it when I do so I could self quarantine and not affect others during the periods where I am contagious. If these demands cannot be met, I would rather lose my job than risk infecting others which could lead to more potential deaths and/or me getting very sick.
Some decided getting the virus was the lesser of two evils and prioritized their jobs…
I also would rather have COVID-19 because I have already recovered from it. As a low-risk person, it was mild and passed after 1-1.5 weeks. As with this epidemic as a whole, I'm far more concerned with the economic impact such as job loss. (No, I don't support re-opening at the risk of people's lives).
While others felt they had the economic security to prioritize not getting sick.
I have the benefit of being married to someone who out-earns me by a fair margin, and I was also unemployed last year for a few months. Given this privileged position, I'd take being unemployed again over the potentially deadly disease any day, but I realize I'm in a fairly unique situation compared to the average person.
Question 2: Have you received an individual stimulus payment from the US government?
Over 60% of our community has received or expects to receive a stimulus payment.
Question 3: What did you do with the payment you received? (If you haven't yet received the payment but you expect to receive it, what do you plan to do with it?)
Lots of saving and bill paying amongst our users.
While only 15% were able to:
And one user who said “I’ve used part of my stimulus check to support a small business” and another who put it towards “Home Improvement to help local contractors”.
Question 4: How would you describe your overall health and wellness during the quarantine?
The average is 3.4, which suggests a little better than normal, but the comments painted a far more complicated story.
Even if there’s more intentional exercise, there’s less incidental exercise. And there’s more drinking.
On health and wellness during the quarantine, I rated a 3. Before covid I took an in-studio workout class nearly everyday. During quarantine I have done on demand/zoom workouts everyday so you could argue I’m exercising a little more than before. However, I am getting barely any steps. As someone living in NYC, you don’t have to even think about getting 10k steps a day. However, based on trying to stay safe, not nice weather, working longer hours, some days I track under 300 steps and I absolutely feel the affect on my body.
Also, I’m definitely drinking more often than I was because after a long stressful day of staring at a screen, a drink has become a nice way to separate the workday from after work.
We’re relying more on our fitness instructors, even if we don’t get to see them in person…
I was working Twilight shifts until April and my gym days were 2 classes on Tues and one on weds. Mix of dance and condition classes. I'm not sure how that schedule will change w new hours (Check out gridfit in Nashville its cool and different. Semi videogame vibe). The main instructor has been sending workouts 2-3 times a week. I do slightly lower impact (I'm on the 2nd floor and don't want to bug the neighbors down stairs) but if she sends it its done. Last night after work I was doing moutian climbers, crunches, wallsits, jacks, and attempting plank Jack's. If she wasn't taking the time to send them I don't know how much I'd work out.
And while we may be eating well and staying active, our overall wellness is still suffering.
Health and wellnesss Q- I am in a highly demanding educational program. As a result of coronavirus and being dismissed from in person responsibilities... I’ve basically only been focusing on eating well and exercising. Compared to the norm, this is vacation. But I’m bored and my sense of self-worth is at its lowest.
But there has been some good news…
I've lost 20 lbs during #coronacation #SassFitness
I didn’t know that my fitness plan had started trending, but I think you owe me a royalty? (Kidding aside, that’s fantastic news. Congratulations!)
Question 5: Has the coronavirus outbreak made you re-consider the location in which you live?
My affection for the Garden State is well known to Tina subscribers, but I asked this question because we’ve entertained the thought of moving sooner rather than later. It sounds like I’m not the only one, though folks are considering many factors.
Work from home has changed the way people think about work-family-life tradeoffs.
The coronavirus has made me reconsider living in nyc and I really hope the it makes companies reconsider the need for consistent in-office work. As much as I’ve loved living in Manhattan, the potential ability to live closer to family and in a less congested area when I decide to have kids (without the trade off of a lesser job) is one of the only things keeping my spirits up right now!
But there is real love for New York.
NYer here and despite being the epicenter of the US outbreak, I would not move. The epidemic has shown me what a good city and state I live in and revealed who NYers really are. We don't have any people showing up to armed protests and have all worked together to get through it as best we can. The 7PM daily clap for essential workers is my favorite.
That said, suburbs and rural areas still appear to be having their moment at the expense of more densely populated cities.
I said no to reconsider where I live, but that does not mean I have not thought about it. I am grateful to live in a place where I can safely go for walks and "be one" with nature.
If anything, this pandemic has reaffirmed my longstanding belief that living in a city is highly overrated (beyond being exorbitantly expensive for what you get AKA a tiny box that still costs way too much money even with roommates).
Quarantine has definitely made my husband and I realize how happy we are that we moved out of a city/condo bldg last fall. We are now very comfortable and loving our rural suburb!
The pandemic has made me love living in the suburbs more than ever. I have plenty of living space on my property, but i also have a close community of neighbors should I need anything (even it's just a conversation from 6+ feet away!). Additionally, even though I have strong feelings about corporations and big business, having chains (Trader Joe's, Home Depot, Target) nearby has been helpful for my sanity. They've stayed open so I've been able to get what I need fairly easily.
And some *strong* pro-Cleveland vibes came out today.
I love being back home in Ohio (Cleveland against the world!), and the virus has no impact on where I want to live.
Make it all the way through but forget to answer today’s questions?
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