How will you behave after lockdown ends?

[Crazydiamond106]

I’ve been thinking about the profound effect lockdown / fear has had on (most) people’s behaviour. For example..me and my husband went from being very relaxed before lockdown began and thinking the media was over-hyping everything, to washing down the shopping and crossing the road to keep a distance from people on our walks.

When lockdown ends / is relaxed will we all just go back to normal, despite the risk still being there? We have a 3 month old baby and I guess I was thinking we’ll be going from actively keeping 2 metres away from people straight back to family and friends hugging and kissing within a day...but we’ve had that fear and change of mentality the past few weeks. It seems like it will be a strange transition!

Will you go back to your old life completely or be more cautious and avoid certain situations? It’s a tough one as we have to carry on to some extent if a vaccine is 1+ years away and when everyone’s back at school and work I guess any other distancing is futile.

[HelloItsmeAgain1]

Assessing it when it happens. We were cautious before lockdown, so probably go back to that, which is seeing close friends and family to try and rescue and manage the risk. If we think it's getting too much then we will retreat again like last time. Not going to wait to do what the government says but keep reading the research and talking to people in the know how.

[HelloItsmeAgain1]

Reduce not rescue

[Tootletum]

Like a nutter. Drive at 90, go to a rave, get hammered in 10 pubs... in my dreams.

[LaurieFairyCake]

One thing I know for certain is that the government will choose the economy over protection at some point (it's their ethos and they will say it's a necessity)

And that point will be well before I will personally live life the same way

[EmbarrassedUser]

All the businesses, particularly the small ones, are just assuming/hoping that people will flood back to them the day lockdown is lifted. I for one won’t be. Neither will DH, my mum, MiL or her husband. That’s just a few people and I know more. People’s habits have changed and for some people it will be permanent.

[ThenSheSaidMore]

We started acting a lot more cautiously a few weeks before others - declining invitations, working from home where possible (DH, not me as I'm a teacher), not shopping in malls, etc. We reduced our shopping down to once a week, etc. Took child out of nursery early and had to work around that. We had friends and family acting like we were bonkers. We'll continue with that - if schools re-open I'll need to go to work but I'm hoping they work out models of risk before then.

[Noooblerooble]

I will be wearing a face mask, still mostly going out only when necessary and when I do meet friends, doing so outside so we can maintain a bit of distance. I would eat in a cafe if they stuck to only filling 50% of it at most and I would travel on public transport outside of rush hour. I'd also like to visit shops again with my face mask to hand. But we'll see. In many ways I want to get the virus as I'm low risk and I think it's better to get it out the way. But obviously only at a time when the NHS isn't overstretched.

[Pipandmum]

I think the majority will return to normal within a few weeks or a couple months. I've never liked physical contact with other people outside my family so would happily never kiss anyone ever again!
People love to shop and depending on financial situation there will be some pent up demand. And I know a number of people itching to book the next travel adventure!

[OhClover]

I’ll see family and close friends, night even go to cafes with proper distancing but I won’t have big parties or attend mass gatherings etc for a while

[Waxonwaxoff0]

I will go back to how I was before. I'm not a particularly cautious person anyway though and never have been, it's not how I want to live.

[Dinosauratemydaffodils]

I think it depends on your previous "life" and also your feelings towards risk. I've never been a hugger, hate unnecessary physical contact and would prefer a world where people stay out of my personal space. I do however want to be able to go out for coffee with my friends, take the children to places which aren't just within walking distance and see their grandparents.

Some habits will stay changed though, we've started shopping a lot more locally using farm shops, local butchers/bakers etc and I can see that continuing. Dh's company have always been okay with working from home so I think he'd probably continue with that a day or two a week.

[justasking111]

I think there will be a renaissance in people using butcher/greengrocer/baker after lockdown. Which is a good thing, we never stopped because the quality was much better.

We were talking about this the other night personally we will continue to avoid big groups, will be careful in the supermarket, do not really fancy restaurants, coffee shops at the moment, I think it really has left its mark on us. Not being able to see family has been so hard.

[FatRascalsAndJam]

I will see my adult DC and go back to meeting close friends for walks, socialising in our homes and gardens with a select few etc. I’m very fortunate to live remotely and not encounter many situations day to day where I can’t keep a degree of social distancing. If anything, I now shop far more at local small shops (operating delivery/click and collect type services) and much prefer it so won’t see myself heading back to the large supermarket for a while.

I also won’t be able to work until schools are back, however when that happens I will have to add commuting via public transport and spending time in numerous large secondary schools into the mix. I was already pretty hot on hygiene when in school so not much will change there.

[Ted27]

Depends on your previous life doesnt it. I already had a good work life balance, work four days a week, no commute, no car, have an allotment. I only go pubs if its for a meal, and then only occasionally - birthdays etc, so I will resume when they are open. I do use a couple of tea shops regularly so will resume as soon as allowed, as with the gym.

I do go to the theatre, gigs, sports events, I think these will be the last to resume, so yes I will go when they are opened. If I have to wear a mask I will but I'd rather do that and enjoy life rather than sit at home - spent too many years doing that.

[Pinkbubbles12]

I will see my mum and sister and 1 close family who are like family.
We will continue the way we are for now, only going out for essentials.
Staying in and safe.
The tough bit will be the teenagers as they will want to see all there friends and have parties, it will be hard explaining yes you can see friends but still social distantly as much as can

[stardance]

I think it'll take me a while to feel okay with going back to normal. I'm expecting to feeling uncomfortable having visitors and will probably clean everything after they've left. Going to shops, cafes and other public spaces is going to be a challenge. I'm already really anxious about going back to work because I'm in a job where social distancing is impossible.... I work with young children so it's perfectly normal to have them cough right in your face, wipe their nose on your shoulder etc.

[Phantom1]

With caution.

[Users3987782375]

I’m actually worried about this. I’m not confident that I will go back to “normal” and think that it will cause some friction between school/family/work because my limits are different to theirs.

Previously we’ve probably always been a bit more cautious anyway but I can see wanting to go more slowly or not necessarily trusting someone else’s idea of social distancing is going to open a whole new section of MIL style threads...

[Inferiorbeing]

I will be more cautious, you won't find me on a night out to a bar or club for a while!

[Inferiorbeing]

Although I'm a teacher and dp a paramedic so we are at risk all the time anyway

[userxx]

One thing I know for certain is that the government will choose the economy over protection at some point (it's their ethos and they will say it's a necessity)

Without the economy there is no protection.

[ladybee28]

Just been listening to an interview with an epidemiologist on the New York Times 'Daily' podcast about how they're likely to de-escalate lockdown.

He's talking about it in terms of a dance – where they relax restrictions a little bit and then tighten up again, over and over and over. Restaurants operating at 10% capacity, social distancing in schools, sports events happening with only cameramen in the stands...

Says it's quite possible this back-and-forth dance will go on for years – because even once a vaccine is found, production at the levels required will take a long time too.

Not sure what 'lockdown ending' will really mean, nor how much control we'll really have over how we behave once we're allowed out more.

[okiedokieme]

Personally I will quickly return to normal, I don't have any health issues nor do my family. For those with health problems it's a different picture

[DBML]

I think I will be creepy.

[oldwhyno]

As normally as possible within whatever instructions are put in place.