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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Does anyone else feel stressed at how busy/overcrowded everything is all the time?

107 replies

Walkyrie · 08/06/2026 18:52

Just that really. Supermarkets, the roads, even what used to be fairly quiet dog walks. Pavements, beaches, bus stops, it just feels like everything is really busy and there are very few places you can go outside your home, even at off peak hours, that are peaceful and quiet. Even then our house is very overlooked with constant traffic and mopeds outside.

I totally appreciate I am also a person and therefore contributing to this by the way! It just feels like everything is so hectic. I’m having a tough time at the moment and just went out to what used to be a fairly quiet dog walking route, hoping for a bit of quiet, but nope - people everywhere. Just constant mental noise.

OP posts:
Dbank · 08/06/2026 19:00

no doubt, partly due to the UK population growing by 18% in the last 25 years....

Walkyrie · 08/06/2026 18:58

Whataninterestinglookingpotato · 08/06/2026 18:56

We live on the edge of a medium sized town in a rural county, so hardly a metropolis. But it is busy and you can always hear people. Wherever you go you will mostly see people even out in the countryside.

DH and I have just got back from a weekend away in the middle of nowhere. It was lovely to be so far away from others. Just the odd farm vehicle, sheep and birds. It was lovely. Though I might go a little crazy if I was there permanently.

Yes it feels like even rural areas are now quite busy compared to how they were. It’s very difficult to ‘get away from things’.

OP posts:
Walkyrie · 08/06/2026 18:57

I work so can’t pick and choose when I do things. Even the least popular routes seem busy. And all it takes on the road is 1 slightly slower driver and the congestion piles up. Joining the dual carriageway today felt like playing high speed jenga.

OP posts:
EnoughRain · 08/06/2026 18:56

I can’t say I’ve noticed.

Whataninterestinglookingpotato · 08/06/2026 18:56

We live on the edge of a medium sized town in a rural county, so hardly a metropolis. But it is busy and you can always hear people. Wherever you go you will mostly see people even out in the countryside.

DH and I have just got back from a weekend away in the middle of nowhere. It was lovely to be so far away from others. Just the odd farm vehicle, sheep and birds. It was lovely. Though I might go a little crazy if I was there permanently.

Hatty65 · 08/06/2026 18:55

Absolutely. I can't cope with crowds. We're fortunate to live rurally but I avoid the supermarket if it's busy. It just fries my brain and I can't think.

The other thing I avoid is shops with loud music on. It means I can't focus on what I want to buy and so I have to leave.

ofcolitas · 08/06/2026 18:54

I'm retired now so tend to shop and run errands and attend appointments mid week when it's less busy.

If the dog wak that you take is crowded could you use another route instead?