Well, here we are 21 days into the shutdown, which ties this shutdown with the one that occurred in 1995-1996. Per the latest reports, there is no end in sight, which means that this is quickly becoming a possible contender for the longest shutdown in US history.
On my end, all has been well. I’m happy that my resources have sustained me thus far, and I”m just waiting patiently as things get sorted out with the federal government. Things may become direr for employees who weren’t able to prepare for the shutdown (thinking specifically of those newer employees, or those that have had recent or drastic changes in their financial circumstances). Please keep those folks uplifted in your thoughts: this may be an especially difficult time for them.
I’ve been employing a lot of selective information consumption at this time. However, some of my favorite sources for shutdown and general government information have been:
- Federal News Network (enough general information on here to keep most people well informed)
- NPR (great if I prefer to get my news via radio)
- Heather Cox Richardson (government explained through a historian’s perspective: refreshing and informative)
- LinkedIn News (though I often find myself conducting quite a bit of fact-checking to confirm the veracity of the statements I’m reading)
As soon as I have more details, I’ll be sure to share with you all. Until then, I’m standing by and waiting, just like the rest of the federal workforce.
In the meantime, I’ve been resting, traveling a little, and reading a lot. In previous furloughs, I learned that the most important thing I can do is occupy my time with things I enjoy and avoid obsessing about the things I cannot control. That has been instrumental in making sure that I don’t feel anxious or stressed, because worrying changes nothing. As a result, I always end up feeling pretty good about the uncertainty surrounding these closures. I use the time wisely and find ways to make the time off as fun as I can, too.
That’s it for this week in the Government Shutdown. Here’s hoping we’ll have some good news soon!