Is anyone else loving this slower pace of life?

[JMAngel1]

Just that really - silver linings anyone?
No commute, no racing around.
Easy structure to homeschooling is going well - kids are happy which is all I'm aiming for and feel like I'm teaching them good life skills too - housekeeping, baking etc
Decluttering is very cathartic for me and yesterday we made banana bread - I never get time to bake usually.
Lots of reading together and board games.
Trying to stay calm and take each day at a time.
Beautiful sunshine for our one walk a day.

This time at home has made me realise how miserable my life of constant travel, commuting and always being available is. My job has owned me for the past ten years. I'm remembering that I'm not a snappy frazzled workaholic. I love to bake, read, chat and watch very trashy tv.

Hold this be how we deal with climate change. How many of us don't really NEED to drive a car for an hour there and back everyday .. m work hasn't suffered at all... and we could give up the gazillions pound lease in London.

We have also managed very successfully with Skype conferencing . No need for all the travelling to meetings.. civil service so all this money saving is tax saving too. Win win.

Even my teenagers are enjoying the slower pace.. not least because A levels were cancelled, predicted grades more than adequate for Uni and now 7 months holiday.. add to that one was one the books ' at the pub .. and will still get paid 80%.
So personally it's all pretty pleasant but still can't really enjoy with the knowledge that some are working themselves to exhaustion.. and even worse, many dying ..

No, I'm working my tits off with no job security now - I'm a hairs-breath away from financial disaster, not seeing my beloved friends & family, some of who work in education/NHS and are under even more pressure than usual, worried about the vulnerable people in my life.

If you don't like working, and obviously can afford it, then give up work - you can bake all the banana loaf you want then!

Yes I’m enjoying it. Relaxed mornings, sitting in the garden, catching up with jobs around the house and hobbies.

Working from home is so much nicer as no commute or office politics.

Yes I'm loving it too (apart from feeling very sad about it of course). Loving being at home with dh and the dc. We aren't at work (well, dh has to go in occasionally).I'm not being paid, but dh still is, and he's by far the main earner.
Kids mostly loving not being at school, though they're getting tons of school work to do. They are getting on with it almost entirely independently (11 and 14).

I'm feeling very relaxed with time to do all the things I normally struggle to get around to. Getting more exercise (1 dog walk per day plus a bit of yoga or a workout). It helps that the weather's been so lovely.

I have no time. My work is so busy (wfh) and then being in the house 24/7 means more housework and I can’t get on top of it. And a 4 year old.

If I had no children and was being paid without having to work then lovely. But no. Not currently enjoying it

No I’m not enjoying it. I used to think I was quite unsociable but since all of this started I really miss people! And working from home is so boring and lonely.

How are those who are wfh doing all this other stuff during working hours!

I have had a theory for years that many of the problems with stress and poor mental health that we all suffer is due to us going too far away from our natural activities. If we didn't have cars, trains, buses, and jobs far away from home, we would live a much quieter life. We would stay at home, socialise within our village, working together to get food/supplies. I think this enforced lockdown is making us see what that slower pace of life could be like, and for many it is much better.

Key worker, front line, literally waiting to catch this virus. No ppe. Can't tell you how worried about I am about my elderly isolated parents. I am exhausted, I have one food delivery due and after that I am worried about food and infecting others by going out to buy food... I know so many people whose lives have been turned upside down but I count myself as lucky. I have a job. I dont have much time for my usual exercise or meditation. I'll give caffeine and adrenaline as my weapons of survival for the foreseeable!

Babdoc I hope you feel better soon.
Awful, sorry you’re having a rubbish time too, thank you for whatever you’re doing on the frontline and the sacrifices you’re making.
I’m not enjoying it because my work is still crazy, my kids are at home, no time to teach them, endless housework that needs doing.
And depressed about the pandemic

Nope - it's not a slower pace of life here
I already worked from home (I have a studio here) but now in addition to trying to keep my business afloat I also have a 3yo who wants attention all the time, an 11yo who wants to work but schools still catching up on setting stuff, I sit on the regional council for my professional institute and we are scrambling to support our members, DH is a frontline dr who is also part of his hospitals response planning committee, I'm also having to co-ordinate (from afar) my vulnerable mums care (she has dementia) which is falling apart due to lack of care staff, support my dad who has had to self isolate from his partner for the next few weeks/months because she's frontline nhs and poses a risk to him & having to self isolate because I'm vulnerable myself
Yesterday it all felt like a bit too much and I sat and had a little cry, I'm exhausted.

I have no time. My work is so busy (wfh) and then being in the house 24/7 means more housework and I can’t get on top of it. And a 4 year old.

This. Except mine is 12. I am trying to WFH plus homeschool him, and keep on top of the housework etc. DS is rubbish at entertaining himself and is struggling without school, sport and hobbies.
My anxiety is through the roof, and I can't concentrate so I feel like I am doing nothing very well at the moment.
I have many blessings to count, but there's definitely no slower pace of life here!

I’ve never been busier

3 elderly relatives, one with Alzheimer’s
Sister moved in
Trying to wfh, homeschool dyslexic ds who can’t do anything without direction and trying to wind down a business.

Yes really enjoying it.

• Relaxed mornings
• Loving homeschooling my children (not sarcastic - true!)
• Everything is tidy, washing is all done, cooking and clearing up is being done from a place of time and energy and so is joyful.
• The sun
• Our garden
• I have really hurt my back and being at home and not feeling guilty about not going to the gym (as its shut) nor letting work down is helping me too.

God no. I'm climbing the walls.
House is trashed, everything is going to rack and ruin. Trying to WFH even part time is impossible with 2 dc's making a mess around me.

Im wfm but also trying to keep children occupied. We are managing to do joe wicks every morning, I’m doing musical instrument practice, we are reading too. They are doing school work in the mornings, playing in the garden, and doing similar to brownie badges in the afternoons.

Just getting rid of the commute has freed up loads of time. And the money we are saving on diesel, childcare and the dog walker is the same as the 20% of salary my dh will lose if paid the 80% the gov promised.

We are not doing less, we are doing more daily but without the stressful commute, and actually leaving the house, we have more time and more motivation.

And my anxiety is heart attack level. I'm even having nightmares about CV.

Absolutely! There is less pressure from the outside. No need to compare what I have, no feeling I'm missing out.

It's nice when the sun is shining, but in a week when it's raining and grim again you'll all be complaining about how depressing it is. I don't mind it, and could be far worse, but I miss freedom and I feel sorry for the children missing out on school.

No.

Two adults with full time jobs that we are trying to do from home. Two children age 7 and 4 who we are expected to home school. The house is an absolute mess and we are stressed.

It might be lovely if one of us didn’t have to work so could homeschool and do childcare and if we had more space. However we are grateful for our jobs!

Sorry, long post....
It's not slower for me.
I'm a teacher, so I'm going ahead with lesson planning, putting data on the system for students' assessments (including GCSE and A level students), rewarding students who have completed work, sorting out those who have problems, planning for those who don't have internet, plus the jobs my Head of Department has asked me to do.
If anything, it's more intense than a normal teaching day, where you know you will get the odd interludes where everyone is working fairly happily.
I'm also not giving myself the PPA (planning and preparation allowance) periods that I normally have as I have so much to do!
I've sent 70 emails to students today, and put 60 rewards on the system my school uses.
I don't feel sorry for myself. But, I do want to make the point that for some people working from home is very intense.
I have to say, though, that I've been able to get out and start sorting out my back garden due to the time I've gained from not commuting.

Less clock watching for sure, but being a full time working, lone parent trying to home educate/entertain does not result in a slow pace, just frustration at not being able to do anything well.

I'm not complaining though, I am keeping things in perspective.

I have company, no financial concerns due to this, we are all healthy, we can access food and what we need, we live rurally so have space and our village has really pulled together.

Fucking hell, no. DH has to work. I'm usually part-time but now having to work all week due to my job. Kids unsettled, missing friends, finding home schooling hard, missing their clubs. Everyone stressed. We didn't panic buy so struggling with lack of some favourite foods. Glad some folk are finding it okay, but we're only in week 1 and I can't even imagine what the hell week 3 will look like. I'm going to have to clean and cook all weekend just to make next week bearable.