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Original poster

Is anyone else dreading going back to ‘normal’ after lockdown ends?

76 replies

Unknown2020 · 30/04/2020 07:56

I’m a introvert who suffers from anxiety when leaving the house. I love just being in my own bubble at home with my family and to be honest I could quite happily never leave the house again!

My DS has autism and also prefers to be at home or in the garden. He doesn’t cope well at school or mixing and is very socially awkward. Since lockdown he’s been so happy, it’s like his ideal life just being in his comfortable space surrounded by his family with no care in the world. I’m already nervous about the transition back to school and all the tears and meltdowns that will follow from it. If we even mention the word ‘school’ he goes into meltdown and starts panicking.

Me and OH have both been able to do some work from home, but we’ve also had so much time to get all the jobs done around the house that we could never be bothered to do by the time it was the weekend and all we wanted to do was just relax before another week of rushing around with work/school/keeping on top of jobs in the house/keeping kids happy.

As a family we all seem so much happier and I’m just dreading going back to ‘normal’

Does anyone else feel like this?

OP posts:
HollyBollyBooBoo · 30/04/2020 08:07

I know what you mean. Certain elements I am craving now that were blissful at the beginning, so for example I love the calls with my team just because I miss the banter and stories.

I miss being able to pop to the shops and get something nice for lunch or dinner!

I am definitely dreading 12 hours out of the house commuting to and working in an office with 3000 other people but I am hoping this is very phased and will be months away.

Purrmuda · 30/04/2020 08:09

Yes totally agree. I actually think Im likely to develop something like agoraphobia. I enjoy being at home a lot and also fear being outside.
I hope I can continue to work from home.

Toffeewhirl · 30/04/2020 08:18

Yes, exactly the same here. Family of introverts Anxiety and autism in the mix. We are all so contented at the moment. I'm more productive wfh (no office distractions) and am finally catching up with jobs at home. I have time to read again. No desire to go back to normal life at all.

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Families
Andahelterskelterroundmylittle · 30/04/2020 08:24

Yes, although I miss some small aspects of normal life, the thought of going back to that full speed rat race fills me with dread .

Humina · 30/04/2020 08:24

Yes, although I do have some reservations about my teens not forming the relationships and independence they'll need to eventually live independently of us. But yes, god, it is all so much easier, especially for the oldest teen who is so unhappy at school. Youngest is thriving too.

I am always quite happy to be on my own and at home though and we haven't had a holiday in 4 yrs for various reasons, so I don't have that to miss. I'm happy working from home. Absolutely fine with it. Dreading a return to all that stress.

I do know how lucky we are to be in the position where it's mostly enjoyable though. I really feel for the people who are experiencing great hardship, loss and terrible stress.

Umnoway · 30/04/2020 08:39

Yep. I had agoraphobia and social anxiety a few years back and I can feel those tendencies creeping back in which isn’t good. I’m pregnant so technically ‘shielded’ right now and shouldn’t leave the house at all so I haven’t, aside from to sit in the garden for a bit. I have cabin fever.

Runkatierun · 30/04/2020 08:40

I am loving my bubble atm. We live on a farm though so we are not as restricted when it comes to fresh air as most. I've got so much time for playing with dds and cooking and baking and getting jobs done. I am missing some friends and my elder dd is missing school and friends but when this is all over I wont want to extend my bubble much.

I cant wait to go for days out to the beach, NT places and other gems with my dds but I dread how busy they will be.

Friends are already planning big bbqs and parties which I will feel pressured to go to but I'm really not looking forward to. I'm definitely going to be living a quieter life and trying not to force myself to socialise as much

Fatted · 30/04/2020 08:41

No. I can't bloody well wait until I can see my family again. I also cannot wait until I can have ten minutes to sit alone in my house in perfect silence.

lovinglavidaloca · 30/04/2020 08:44

I’m the same. Love being here in my little nest not having to worry about being around other people. It’s suiting me down to the ground. Going back to work is going to be a massive massive struggle.

BrutusMcDogface · 30/04/2020 08:45

I agree with Fatted. This isn’t a healthy way of life for us personally. And I spend every day thinking I’m a failure on some count that I’m not enjoying all this time with my family; we are not getting jobs done (ha!!); we aren’t just content. I mean it could be a lot worse but I’m pretty sure my kids are getting depressed.

BrutusMcDogface · 30/04/2020 08:46

Maybe it’s the fact that we have 4 kids including a 2 year old...?!

BrutusMcDogface · 30/04/2020 08:47

That does read badly; I AM enjoying time with my family, of course. I adore them. It’s just not the content and blissful little bubble that some people are experiencing.

ToldYouOnce · 30/04/2020 08:47

No, I can't wait to get back to 'normal'

Rebellenny · 30/04/2020 08:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ifoughtforliberty · 30/04/2020 08:50

No not at all. I don't think it's it's a healthy way to live. My teen dc are very much missing their friends and lives too. I can cope with holidays and entertainment being cancelled in the short term, but what I am really missing is my friends and family. I am just hoping that life returns to normal as soon as it can. All of our plans for this year I have mentally moved into next year. I will be very upset if that doesn't happen. I can wfh so that doesn't affect me too much but I love our day to day normal life too much for this to be the future.

Nighting · 30/04/2020 08:50

Lockdown is the life I've always dreamed of. The only thing I miss is travel.

Rebellenny · 30/04/2020 08:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BobbinThreadbare123 · 30/04/2020 08:51

I'm also quite content. DH and I are both introverted and like our own or each other's company. I like WFH and it's working out pretty well. I'm not going to be bothered about the return to normal one way or the other. However, we have no children and are very lucky to still be working full time, on full pay. And we really do know how lucky we are.

FuckThisWind · 30/04/2020 08:55

I'm loving my own space (just me and DD aged 8) we only have a small house but we do have a garden. I've gone from being very sociable and dating in my early 40s then around 46/47 just realised I wasn't bothered and actually preferred my own company. I'm 49 in three weeks. It's really given me time to think, and I'm hopeful that I will be able to take partial retirement next year. My Mum having cancer throughput this has also made me think of my own personal quality of life. The rushing about / juggling / stress/ expectations that come with being an adult and parent. I don't enjoy it. I find the pressure of visiting people and attending events a little too much for me these days - I ask nothing of anyone, so I do my best, but will often politely turn down invitations to social functions. I also gave up social media a year ago, and again can't say I miss it at all. So much competitiveness.

We are all different, but I hope most people will he able to return to a way of life that best suits and nourishes their emotional needs.

Humina · 30/04/2020 08:59

People have always taken the piss out of me for being 'anti social' and being happy at home and not relying on others, but all of that has been a bloody godsend the last few weeks.

pinkmagic1 · 30/04/2020 09:01

In a way. I am currently on furlough and apart from mat leave, I have never had this long away from work of some sort since I was 15, I am now 40. I am not looking forward to the return to the rat race and my awful hour long each way commute and then coming home in the evening and having to start running round like a blue arsed fly the second I get in. But on the other hand I am missing friends, family and colleagues and being able to go out and do things and go places.

whatdoyoudonow · 30/04/2020 09:05

I know that hiding away like this is not good for me in the long term.
However, the thought of 'getting back to normal' isn't something I'm looking forward to.
I can feel the familiar anxiety each time I open a work e-mail but at least from home, I am able to distance myself from it.
I also realise how little money I actually need / spend when I'm not at work!

BigSandyBalls2015 · 30/04/2020 09:08

I’m certainly getting used to it and I’ll find it hard to go back to a long commute, although I do miss the office chat, popping to pret for lunch, the occasional drink in the pub on way home.

I feel for my teens, they’re coping very well, haven’t moaned much but one is missing uni and her shared flat and the other is missing her boyfriend. DH still working and was always a bit of a home bird anyway so I don’t think he gets it really.

Bananabixfloof · 30/04/2020 09:08

I'm loving it. I wake up around 8am naturally I've found out. I'm dreading having to get up at 5am again. I'm not totally shattered by the end of every day. I'm not trying to solve a hundred problems at once.
I did recently say I could retire right now and be happy. Obviously I need money to do that, which could be a problem.

Buuut, my kids are grown and left and DP is keyworking outside the home.
If either the kids and/or DP were home too I'd probably have a new patio by now.

RoseyOldCrow · 30/04/2020 09:09

@Nighting I'm with you!

I have actually started to feel anxious at the thought of lockdown ending, but so far managed to mostly keep it under control by telling myself it is some months away. Which obviously triggers anxieties about how the DC are going to cope with it!