Introduction Post

[petra]

If you're joining us, please comment with:
1. Your name (your pronouns)
2. Experience with being stuck inside: newbie, been not around the block a few times, Grizzled Veteran of the Indoors Wars
3. Self-soothing: Favorite way to self-soothe at the moment
4. I hope: What you hope this community can do for you
5. I can offer: What you are bringing to the party

For example:
Petra (she/her)
Been not around the block a few times
Self-soothing: reading long fanfiction & Stardew Valley
I hope: I want to add structure and enjoyment to my days of being stuck inside, and bring the same benefits to other people
I can offer: an open, sympathetic mind and suggestions of ways to cope, e. g. "connect with new people on the internet for new perspectives"

Comments

[hannah]

1. Hannah, she/her/hers.
2. Newbie.
3. Deadwood, tea, and feeding the local pigeons.
4. A way to peek my head outside and engage with people, even if not in real time.
5. Sympathy, concern, empathy, and assorted suggestions which have helped me and might help others, such as recording home workouts in my gym journal to keep the momentum going on those.

[petra]

Welcome!

Tea and monitoring your exercise sound like good starts to the project of coping.

[via_ostiense]

1. via_ostiense / she
2. newbie - I normally stay inside but I can't remember ever having to stay inside, except maybe when I had the chicken pox. In 1993.
3. bicycling
4. Interaction with fellow DWers
5. comments!

[petra]

Not since 1993, huh? Well, things have come on a bit since then, I reckon.

How far do you go on your (stationary?) bike?

[harpers_child]

1. harper she/her
2. Experience with being stuck inside: been not around the block a few times
3. Self-soothing: tea, gardening, holding stuffed animals, listening to music, comfort TV
4. I hope: I'd like to talk to more people.
5. I can offer: advice, crafting suggestions, comments

[petra]

Welcome! What's your recent comfort TV?

[desireearmfeldt]

1. Desiree (she/her)
2. Experience with being stuck inside: none with being stuck but a lot with working from home
3. Self-soothing: it's a work in progress...making music, reading fiction, exercycling while watching TV.
4. I hope: meeting new people, social that doesn't involve turning on FaceBook? I'm not sure....
5. I can offer: In-depth conversation for fellow introverts who have been watching everyone announce all the groups they're forming and inviting everyone in the world to online social events and reacting with combined fear-of-missing-out and dislike-of-large-real-time-group-events.

[petra]

Large, real-time online social events don't sound like my idea of a good time either. All the stress of People, right in your own home.

Have you read anything good recently?

[minoanmiss]

Minoanmiss/Rubynye, she/her
have been becoming more of a homebody over the last few years
Self-soothing: listening to music and watching gentle nonfiction. I just discovered a TV show about the Georgia Aquarium and a Youtube channel by a boy who does chemistry for fun.
I hope to maintain a window on the world here
I can offer childish art and random facts!

[desireearmfeldt]

Tell us a random fact!

(Not sure where the original version of this comment disappeared to.)

Waves hello, later. (I do everything later)

[jesse_the_k]

1. Jesse (she/her/hers)

2. Smooth-skinned veteran of the Indoors Wars

3. Soothing tea! Making beaded necklaces; listening to podcasts; petting my dog (see icon); snacking; listening to CDs that have been collecting dust for a while.

4. I’m lucky to be comfortable and well-loved, I hope I can share some of that good fortune

5. I can offer: basic Apple tech support, assistive technology geekdom, tea & sympathy, 27 years’ experience staying home A LOT on disability.

Re: Waves hello, later. (I do everything later)

[petra]

Ah, I should have remembered that true veterans of the Indoors Wars have less UV damage than the rest of us, and so remain fresher-faced.

I have a necklace I need to restring; we'll see how long it takes me to get the gumption to do it.

Thank you for joining us! I am sure that your experience with coping while disabled will come in handy for you and yours as we find our way along this new path.

[starshipfox]

This is a great idea, Petra, thank you!

1. Ros [she/her]
2. Regularly at home for long period due to chronic illness, but I've got used to walks / libraries / coffee shops over the past few years.
3. Spend time with cats. Take care of the plants. Watch vids of birds. Nap.
4. I hope to connect with people!
5. I can offer you So. Many. Book. Recs.

[petra]

Thanks for joining us! I'm still trying to figure out what would be useful to people, so any suggestions you have are welcome.

Regularly at home except for the times you get to not be at home feels similar to this but also...not. Losing the ability to choose is hard for me.

Cats and bird vids are good things.

What would you recommend for some escapist reading?

[tamsin]

1. Tamsin, she/her
2. Newbie
3. sharing funny and animal videos with friends via whatsapp
4. interaction with fellow DWers
5. book or fanwork recs, comments, symphathy and commiseration

[petra]

Welcome!

I think tomorrow's post is going to be a place to put escapist videos, because sharing funny/animal videos seems to be a big part of what's keeping me smiling lately too.

[scytale]

1. Scytale (she/her)
2. Experience with being stuck inside: Newbie
3. Self-soothing: Tea. Yoga. Lie down on the bed for a bit (it helps!).
4. I hope: To keep connected with people, and to gather advice on how to cope!
5. I can offer: comments and commiseration

[petra]

Welcome! I'm glad yoga is helping you.

As for how to cope--well, we're all working on that together, really.

[ex_flameandsong751]

1. Let's go with my username Verhalen on a public post, he/him.
2. Grizzled Veteran of the Indoors Wars - I'm disabled and don't drive, and have been pretty isolated for the last almost-20 years.
3. My favorite way to self-soothe is listening to music (I have very eclectic music taste). I also write fic and snuggle with my cats and smell scenty things.
4. Friendly interaction with other people.
5. I can offer empathy, comments and commiseration, possible dorky humor.

[petra]

Welcome! You indubitably have some accumulated wisdom to share.

What fandoms have you been writing for recently?

[sorchasilver]

1. Claire (or Sorcha), she/her
2. Total newbie
3. Reading and watching YouTube videos
4. A sense of connection and interaction
5. Empathy, comments, support

[petra]

Welcome! I hope we can bring you what you need.

[sulien]

Name: Sûlien (Soo-lee-en), she, her, her's (but really, just call me in time for dinner and I'll be happy).
Experience: Grizzled Veteran of the Indoor Wars for sure (medically retired with chronic migraines and fibromyalgia-like symptoms).
Self-soothing: listening to favorite New Age composers, reading fan fiction and the backlog of articles from the Explorator Newsletter I've not read yet.
I hope: to interact a bit with other folks and maybe provide some assistance.
I can offer: listening ears and an open mind, suggestions for fanfic, streaming suggestions, recommendations for beginner crochet projects if you want to teach yourself to crochet or Tunisian crochet during this mess.

[petra]

As a fellow chronic migraine sufferer, I sympathize deeply with you. Welcome to the community, and thank you for bringing your expertise to share.

[lethe1]

1. lethe (she/her)
2. Newbie, in the sense that I have never *had* to stay in except when I didn't want to go out anyway (think flu, etc.)
3. Comfort TV, reading, funny videos
4. Contact with other DW'ers, and the sense that we are all in this together, even though we are apart
5. A listening ear, comments & commiserations

[petra]

Welcome to the party. I hope we have some things you can use already!

[monochromanium]

1. Chroma/Vixen (She/her)
2. Experience with being stuck inside: A hardcore veteran, full with a Ph.D in Staying Home (Mostly because I was asocial and didn't have friends).
3. Self-soothing: Writing (fanfics), playing (currently Harvest Moon 64), exercising and--of course--journaling.
4. I hope: I hope to find to find tips/advice on how to better deal with the situation.
5. I can offer: I've got a good ear, lighthearted humor, some degree of advice and I hope to help fellow hoomans cope along~

[petra]

Welcome, Dr. Chroma/Dr. Vixen, to the community and to Dreamwidth! What fandom(s) have you written for lately?

[mific]

Hi there *waves* - I only discovered this comm today, so I'm a bit late to the party.
1. I'm mific, aka Fizz, she/her.
2. In lockdown here in Auckland for 12 days now. I was a work from home person before though, so it's generally worrying but not all that odd for me. Except for how it is.
3. Self-soothing: arting, reading, oatmeal for breakfast.
4. I hope for connection, and something to make it all feel less surreal.
5. I can offer participation and virtual hugs, and am doing a daily views art project - a gouache landscape painted each day so we have something to look at as we can't get out much or travel and see the real thing.

[petra]

Welcome, Fizz!

I think surreality is an unfortunate consequence of the circumstances where we find ourselves, but I hope this community helps you stay grounded, even if it's only for a few minutes a day.

[fullupwithfire]

Been lurking a while, but thought I should try and introduce myself before I try to participate. :)

1. August (username or derivatives also welcome!), they/them
2. Newbie? I've had issue leaving the house for anxiety/depression reasons before, and been working from home for a while, but never had to stay in for reasons other than my brain.
3. Self-soothing: Singing a lot has been my #1 coping mechanism. Also repetitive crafts (embroidery mostly, some knitting), TV, and reading fanfiction.
4. I'm just really hoping for connecting with people, and maybe some things to think about/be distractedd by.
5. I can offer an ear, sympathy, cat pictures, and maybe some music/TV/fic recs?

[petra]

Welcome, August! I think there's a qualitative difference between "I can't leave the house because of things inherent to my brain" and "They say I can't leave the house," though there's an overlap of skill sets.

[mesotablar]

1. Meso She/Her
2. Grizzled Veteran! Also with experience of being mostly bed-bound for several months
3. reading and re-watching my DVD box sets (100% Escapism)
4. I saw a post on my reading page and thought it might be good for getting new ideas or giving me something different to do when I can't sleep.
5. With my internet being so unreliable now there is so much more strain on my local area's system I don't know if I can offer much, except that the comments I make (when/if I can make them) will probably be one or two paragraphs long!!

[petra]

Welcome, Meso. I look forward to your contributions.

[luscious_purple]

1. Patty (she/her)
2. I've been a freelance writer (WFH) since the fall of 2010, except for one time-limited gig for several months in 2013. So working from home is not a new concept to me.
3. Self-soothing: mostly reading Facebook and other things online (instead of doing my freelance assignments). Farmville 2: Country Escape is my main game -- I'm not much into computer gaming
4. I hope: I need to get more focused -- I have a bad case of tech-aggravated ADHD.
5. I can offer: Six decades of life experience, a shoulder to cry on.

[petra]

Welcome, Patty! I can imagine that it's hard to concentrate on your assignments with all the Demanding News around these days.

I don't know how to help with focusing, but there are plenty of people around with ideas.

[noxidlp]

1. Name: Kim. She/Her.
2. Experience with being stuck inside: As someone else said, I normally stay in, but never because I've had to.
3. Self-soothing: Soundtracks on repeat and movies on prime.
4. I hope: to be able to get away from the stress of current situations.
5. I can offer: Advice, comments, etc.

[magikarpwow]

1. Autumn (she/her)
2. Experience with being stuck inside: been around the block a few times
I have Crohn's and spent much of my HS years home schooling while dealing with that. After gaining control of my disease, I've spent years very opposed to that "locked in" feeling.
3. Self-soothing: Watching shows! Usually I never have the time. Also gaming, as always.
4. I hope: I'm new to DW in general, looking for some friends.
5. I can offer: I'm happy to chat whenever! Let's commiserate, maybe even play multiplayer games.

[petra]

Welcome! It sounds like you've got plenty of experience with dealing with cabin fever.

What have you been watching and playing lately?

[althea_valara]

Thanks for linking to this post again, I somehow missed it when it was first posted!

1. Your name (your pronouns): Karen, she/her
2. Experience with being stuck inside: newbie, been not around the block a few times, Grizzled Veteran of the Indoors Wars: Grizzled Veteran of the Indoor Wars. I've been mostly at home for ten years now.
3. Self-soothing: Favorite way to self-soothe at the moment: Video games! Lots and lots of video games.
4. I hope: What you hope this community can do for you: Hmm, I'm not sure. I just saw someone post about it on my reading list and it sounded like a good idea, so I joined
5. I can offer: What you are bringing to the party: My experience with staying at home.

[petra]

Thanks for introducing yourself! Being mostly at home for ten years sounds like a lot of experience with the current situation. I'm glad you have your copinng mechanisms in place for dealing with being inside; I'm sure you have plenty of wisdom to share with those of us who are dealing with staying inside on a serious level for the first time.

[caiusmajor]

1. Caius (he/him)
2. Newbie
3. Tea, audiobooks.
4. Human connection.
5. Hopefully the same.

[petra]

What was the last good audiobook you finished?

[fred_mouse]

I'm another one that missed the introduction post when I joined.

1. On dreamwidth, I'll answer to fred, mouse, or most combinations of those; I prefer 'they', but don't actually care all that much, and I've not yet got my statement of gender down to under 200 words.
2. I've not been around the block a few times - I've had three bouts of chronic fatigue, the current one having started in 2007. While I'm much improved, I still have days where getting out of the bedroom makes me want to cry.
3. Current self-soothing is a bad habit I'm trying to break, which is endless scrolling of tumblr and/or facebook; which is then followed by endlessly reading at AO3 (and not actually really engaging with the stories, just reading until I have to sleep)
4. my hopes for this community: asynchronous, low effort interaction with other humans.
5. I'm likely to comment sporadically, and will attempt to get involved with activities, but tend to run out of oomph and vanish. This is never an indication that there is an issue beyond 'I'm going to bed and never coming out again'.

[petra]

The endless scroll of Tumblr calls to me, too. I wish you a lessening of your fatigue that lasts.

[gibbles]

1. Name: Gibbles they/them
2. Experience with being stuck inside: I haven't ever been 'stuck' persay but have some manageable-ish anxiety about going outside. Honestly enjoying being able to work from home without feeling guilty about it.
3. Self-soothing: Been mass-consuming mcelroy content. Mucking around in Animal Crossing while listening to the Sawbones podcast has been my go-to recently.
4. I hope: for some low-stakes social interaction I guess. Have been searching for more online friends since way before this whole thing happened
5. I can offer: The same I guess :P I've also had almost exclusively online friends for most of my life so I have a decent amount of recommendations for games/activities to do with people at a distance.

[petra]

I see your "Animal Crossing to the tune of Sawbones" and I raise you "Stardew Valley to the tune of The Adventure Zone." <3

What kinds of games do you like sharing with online buddies?

Hello!

[applepirates]

1. I'm Amy, she/they are both comfy.
2. Been around the block a few times, more self imposed than anything. I am not great with crowds or in person social situations.
3. Animal Crossing, fanfic reading, rewatching favorite shows and movies, petting my cats.
4. I hope there might be some folks here with similar interests or with a desire to share interests and introduce each other to new things. I hope it might be a little break from the world.
5. I have a pretty unlimited capacity to listen to you talk about your favorite thing (even if it's not mine) and encourage you! I have many fic recs ready to share.

Re: Hello!

[petra]

Welcome, Amy!

I think I will put out a call for fanfic recs tomorrow. It's been a while since the last one.