Us, Interrupted: How Writer Charles Yu Is Adapting To COVID-19 With His Family

Here, Yu shares with us how he and his family are adapting to life during COVID-19: with exercise, getting outside, and maintaining connection with loved ones online, as well as the challenges of self-care during this difficult time:

My day-to-day routine is get up, walk my dog, pour coffee, and write. I tried to exercise at least three times a week, either a class or a 3- to 4-mile walk. My wife ordered some home exercise stuff (resistance bands and floor sliders), so we can try to get workouts in while isolated at home.

I was not great about sleep; I wouldn't get enough. I'd stay up late and get up early. 

We were starting to get the feeling that it was going to be big, and yet, for a week or so, we continued to live our normal lives. My wife went to Costco on a Monday and stocked up, and by the end of that week, we started seeing photos of all these panic-buyers and shelves being empty. And then last week the announcement of schools closing. It was a gradual drip of dread and anxiety, and then it came all at once. 

On March 13, we went over to a small dinner party at a friend's house, and then starting the next day, March 14, we have been voluntarily self-isolating. We haven't left; my wife has gotten really good at grocery delivery apps, and I've played a lot of catch with my kids in the middle of the cul-de-sac, so anyone walking by is several meters away. We FaceTime and Skype with friends and family. When we take walks, we cross the street to avoid people, which goes against basic notions of courtesy and felt rude at first, but now it feels normal.

I've also reached out to so many people whom I haven't talked to in a while. I feel guilty and fortunate that my work hasn't been as affected as many others (so far, anyway). It's hard to think about all those millions of kids who can't get their hot meals from school. I have tried to be more thoughtful about my daily interactions with others online and more grateful that my family and I have the necessities. 

That psychological impact and feeling of "it's never going to get better." My sleep still isn't great, but it's getting a bit better. My diet has been OK, although I'm definitely doing a fair amount of stress-eating of carbs. We're trying to make sure our kids get enough exercise and don't absorb too much of the anxiety of their parents.

Making sure we get outside at least once a day. One benefit of living in the suburbs: We can get sunlight and fresh air and not worry about running into a ton of people as soon as we step out our door. We've been spending a lot more meaningful time together as a family.  

I've learned my wife is definitely the one who keeps us all alive. This is true in normal times; it's especially true now.  Also, how important the fundamentals are: planning, routine, consistency. I didn't take it for granted before, but these basic things are so key to having a good state of mind and staying healthy, and it all feeds into itself.  

It might seem like a very scary book to read right now, but for me it's exactly what I needed. It's an exquisitely written and a compelling story but also one that inspires a deep appreciation for so many things we normally take for granted: our technologies, our creature comforts, our systems and institutions, and each other.  

The idea that there are really hardworking and smart scientists and doctors who are working on this to help us. What brightens my day is reconnecting with people and remembering how decent and caring most people are.