How to survive a government shutdown
I remember the day my employer emailed my colleagues and me about a potential government shut down and what to do should said event happen. The year was 2013 and I was a federal employee working in Seattle and at my second federal job in 4 years. October 1, 2013 loomed over our heads like a swiftly changing storm cloud ready to release an onslaught of confusion and soak us with frustration. OK maybe that was a bit dramatic, but it was all so surreal and silly to me. The Republican party wanted to delay or defund President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) affectionately known as Obamacare and as far as I was concerned, they were all throwing a serious group tantrum.
I worked in heath for an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services so this definitely had huge ramifications on our work, mission and funding priorities. How on earth did a group of grown, educated men and women who get paid to make decisions fail to make a decision? How will they explain themselves to the public and all the government employees, contractors and other men and women who rely on a fully functioning government to make ends meet? During the shut down, several D.C. Based restaurants saw less business as government workers decided to cut back on eating out and spending money that they weren’t making in that period. Bars saw more patrons though and some places even offered specials or other things to attract and maintain business.
The little rebel that I pretend to be, I decided that I would ignore the directive to not report to work during the shut down. But at the last minute, I chickened out and stayed at home. I didn’t want to tempt fate, plus at the time, I had a 2hr one way commute and, truth be told, I could have used the extra sleep. Working from home wasn’t an option since a lot of my work was on an encrypted network at my work station. Soooooo... yeah no.
Anyways I experienced the 2 week government shutdown of 2013 and lived to tell about it.
Since I survived it, I thought I would share some tips on how to get through a potential second one in 2018.
Talk it out: The first few days are frustrating. I remember talking and texting with a few friends and coworkers who were going through the same thing. “I had this meeting lined up that took me months to secure and now this!,” or “I feel like I’m being punished for a crime I didn’t commit,” or “So what about my bills? Are they going to shut down my student loan debt and utility bills because…?”. I don’t have to tell you to talk about it. You already have. I will say talking is therapy but too much talking and lamenting makes a sore throat, sore ears and sore spirit. Don’t let it consume your every thought and conversation for too long.
Work out: Much like the DMV Blizzard of 2010, the current government tantrum is happening during the winter months - cue all the Game of Thrones references since winter isn’t coming, it’s here baby. So if you’re in a cold place and can’t get out due to snow and bad roads, find a way to work out indoors. Pop in that DVD or pull up a YouTube fitness video and give it a go. If you’re working in areas that don’t have words for “ice”, “snow” or “cold”, then get out of the house and away from any screens and take in fresh air. It will help you burn off frustration and you’ll be in great mental, physical and emotional shape when the government reopens and you have to return to work. I regret not going to the YMCA up the street from our house. I would have been in great shape at the end of two weeks.
Move into a new apartment or shift your environment: We moved into a new place. Our lease was coming up and we found an affordable 2 bedroom apartment on Bainbridge Island, which would shorten my commute by 30-45min. So Chris and I agreed to move from Silverdale and I used the furlough period to find moving boxes, pack up our house and move into a new one. #ThanksObama! Of course with a shut down comes the concern that we might not need to spend whatever money on moving vans and movers to change homes. But it all worked out in the end. Our wonderful friends offered to help us load and unload our stuff and we enjoyed the much needed move. Now, this was all a matter of timing for us and we had already agreed to roll out. I know everyone can’t just pick up and move. For you, it might be as simple as decorating or rearranging your furniture to give the appearance of being in a new place or an environmental facelift. Go ahead and paint that wall cherry red or Aegean blue, or furlough gray.
Write that book/screen play/ film script, etc.: Get your creativity up and running and write a story about whatever sets your heart ablaze. While furloughed, I cobbled together a few creative ideas that were floating around in my head in the form of a short story. I didn’t publish or finish anything but I felt good about making creative use of my time and not lamenting the days off.
Watch old movies or TV shows that you haven’t had time to get into: As long as your bills are up to date and your electricity won’t be turned off during this period, I say watch something new or catch up on something you’ve been putting off. I hear Netflix’s “The Crown” is amazing and “Grace and Frankie” is among my top 10 favorite shows on air.
Get politically sharp: Organize your plans for improving society, read up on or study existing laws and policies, draft outlines for what you would and could do to improve the state of affairs, write your members of Congress and effect change where possible. I know it sounds polly-annaish given the circumstances, but the shutdown is a symptom of a larger problem so perhaps it’s an invitation to exact solutions where you can.
Volunteer: Now that you have time on your hands, this is a good period to look up or resume any volunteer activities that resonate with you. Walk dogs at the shelter, visit with adults at the senior center, visit children at the children’s hospitals, paint or rebuild houses with organizations that support homeless and displaced populations.
Take a trip: Now, this one is tricky. During the last shut down, we never knew how long it would be before we were back to work. I remember stalking C-SPAN and news networks like a kid the night before a big snow storm. “Is the government going to be open today? No. Ok, guess I’ll keep packing.” Of course you’d hate to go out of town and miss work when the government opens back up, especially if you don’t have leave approval (*shrugs*). But look, grab the spouse and kids if you have any, pack up as much food and clothing as you want, and take yourself a little trip up north to Canada. For all you know, “The Handmaid’s Tale” is prophecy and since people escape to Canada, you might have a head start.
Humor me. What other ideas have you come across or considered for your Furlough-cation? Were you also a federal employee in 2013 during the last shut down? If so, what did you do?