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Original poster

One Year Later... How has your life changed?

59 replies

LudoBear · 23/03/2021 09:20

One year ago today we were put into lockdown. What a year it's been.

How has your life changed? What have you had to put on hold?

I guess I've been quite lucky in that I was on long term sick so haven't had to work throughout. Though it's certainly made my mental health worse.

OP posts:
FizzyPink · 23/03/2021 09:28

I’m so pleased that my work have finally embraced home working. We’ve been told we’ll only be going back a minimum of 2 days per week which is brilliant for lots of us trying to buy houses who now have much more flexibility on location by not having to go into London every day.

I’ve been incredibly lucky to have worked from home throughout and saved lots of money. DP on the other hand has had a year of uncertainty and around 6 months in total where he hasn’t been allowed to work. Due to this we won’t be buying a house this year as planned but will probably be waiting another year.

We’ve also had to get used to spending a lot more time together. Previously he’d leave for work at 7am and get home anytime between 8 and 10pm plus weekends so we’d never really spent long stretches together. I won’t lie, I genuinely thought it would break us last summer but now I feel like we’re a lot stronger and have learnt to be much more tolerant of each other.

To be honest, the bit I’m most upset about is travel. I live for holidays and even just short city breaks which obviously haven’t been possible. That’s what I’m looking forward to the most

ReclaimingTheKaren · 23/03/2021 09:39

A year ago, I was pregnant. Now my twins are buried beside the back gate Sad

SingToTheSky · 23/03/2021 09:44

My god reclaimingthekaren I’m so, so sorry 💐

SaberToothKitten · 23/03/2021 09:47

reclaimingthekaren, that is heartbreaking. I am so sorry for your loss Flowers

UnderHisAye · 23/03/2021 09:48

Oh my good @ReclaimingTheKaren I am so, so sorry.

I spent six months on furlough, then lost my job of 14 years.

Got redundancy money, got another job, paid off all my debt.

DH and I both love working from home, and don't think either of us will go back FT.

We're saving about £400 a month on out of school club, and we'll never need to pay that again.

We have been very very lucky. And I'm getting my vaccine this week.

(although I have just spent some of the morning coughing...)

Vodkabulary · 23/03/2021 09:50

So sorry @reclaimingthekaren Flowers

DH work have really embraced home working and have said that he can continue to do so as it suits his needs. Excellent news as his commute is 1.5hrs on a good day so on days he doesn’t need to be in the office he’ll be able to wfh and see the kids at dinner / bed time.

Our house is in a much better state! We’ve used this time to do a lot of work on it that I’d been avoiding or putting off

Cowbells · 23/03/2021 09:50

@ReclaimingTheKaren

A year ago, I was pregnant. Now my twins are buried beside the back gate Sad
That is so, so sad. I am sorry.
SingToTheSky · 23/03/2021 09:54

I’ve had a lot of changes I guess. I didn’t really notice this day last year as I was unwell (probably covid but no test), I just remember thinking “about time” re lockdown. Had chronic illness for years and once I’d gradually got better from the ?covid, my health improved massively and I was managing more exercise than I had in years (still not as much as many but considering my conditions I felt pretty amazing). Now, somehow, I’m back to where I started, which is beyond frustrating. I’d lost weight at the start of the year too but that’s going nowhere now.

Similarly my mental health (an issue for most of my life) has been up, down, round the houses and back again. DH’s physical and mental health have also declined a lot so it’s been a tough year. We had our early help plan closed and I never got closure on some courses I was doing - that’s been hard to deal with. Losing the playgroup I went to with my youngest has probably been the hardest of all, oddly.

One really positive change though - in lockdown 1 I started a free counselling skills course with adult ed. Then I did another course with them. My confidence and study skills etc have improved vastly and I’m now ready to start my degree in autumn. I’d had to give up before when I was too ill and I really thought I’d never be able to study again. I found myself a work coach via an autism-award charity and have just started training for a volunteer role, first of many I hope. I feel like I’m building a future for myself now, which is amazing!

LagneyandCasey · 23/03/2021 09:56

ReclaimingTheKaren I'm so sorry Flowers

I'm 100% working at home now and dh does 3 days at home.

We're building a home office in the garden for one of us.

We are rethinking our holidays. Before covid we had 2 holidays abroad most years. Last year's holiday at home was actually quite nice, but the good weather might have had something to do with it! We enjoyed pottering about at home and walking in the local woods and having the time to cook from scratch and chill out watching movies. I think we'll now appreciate being at home doing simple things instead of using all our time off work to rush around going somewhere.

Cowbells · 23/03/2021 09:57

My life has barely changed. But this was the year it was supposed to. DC were both supposed to be leaving home to start uni. Both still living at home, learning on line. We get on well but they are desperate for adult life to begin and I had been planning on more freedom.

WFH anyway most of the time so the only changes are loss of income from on site contracts and some contracts shifting from in-person meetings to Zoom.

I've lost a stone in weight. Need to lose two more though...
Managed to achieve a few other goals as well last year - some long overdue home improvements, a few industry recognition goals, a fitness challenge, so it wasn't a complete waste of time.

Used to spend all available income on theatre, live music gigs, art exhibitions and travel. The house finally got a look in last year, poor thing.

truetuesdays · 23/03/2021 10:00

I've lost two stone which is good

Mental health taken a nose dive though, but it has prompted me to finally get therapy which is a good thing

Flippyferloppy · 23/03/2021 10:01

I have lost the will to live. Seriously. I don't see the point any more. There is no end in sight (not UK) and this is not living, just existing. My family is on the other side of the world and it will be at least 2022 before I see them (with some likely to die in the meantime)

Cowbells · 23/03/2021 10:03

@Flippyferloppy - It might not be easy or financially viable but you are allowed to travel to visit dying relatives. If you are concerned they are frail, you could start to make plans.

AdoraBell · 23/03/2021 10:09

I’ve gained about a stone, not weighing myself just guessing based on clothes. Currently living in gym clothes 🤦‍♀️

Can’t sleep due to stress, almost lost the will to live.

FilledSoda · 23/03/2021 10:20

My business has always necessitated me working from home so that's been a constant.
We don't really go on holiday.
I've really loved having more time with DH.
I do realise how lucky we've been.

WhatAreWordsWorth · 23/03/2021 10:28

I’m just bored. This time last year DH and I were both fed up with our jobs and looking to move on. Then lockdown happened so we decided to sit tight for a bit. We saved loads of money and spent it on doing our house up, instead of having a holiday.

DH finally switched jobs a couple of months ago, and I’m also due to start a new job next month. I’m excited but I do feel a bit burned out from WFH. I desperately want to get away for a holiday, even though I’m aware we’ve had a VERY easy year compared to others.

AnotherBoredOne · 23/03/2021 10:38

@ReclaimingTheKaren

A year ago, I was pregnant. Now my twins are buried beside the back gate Sad
Hugs
dontsaveusername · 23/03/2021 10:38

It's not a life it's an existence

PitchImperfect · 23/03/2021 10:41

DH has a different job now & WFH most days, but then WFH wasn't unusual for him if we needed him home for some reason pre-pandemic.

My anxiety issues have switched from "can't cope with external social expectations" to "can't cope with being stuck in the house with family all the time" but no more/less severe. I do like that we can't currently go to stay at anyone's house, or have them in our house. Both were big triggers for my anxiety before but I'm getting stressed now that it looks likely that such things will be allowed again at some point. Various people keep talking about how lovely it'll be when we can visit them again & I smile & nod, not wanting to hurt them by explaining that I find the concept incredibly stressful. It's nothing personal, I'm the same with everyone!

I guess life isn't massively better/worse for me than this time last year, just a few small differences.

AnotherBoredOne · 23/03/2021 10:41

Lost my Dh after an 18th battle with Leukemia. Raising three boys on my own now and trying to sort the messes of mortgages and businesses.
2021 will be a year for simplification and consolidation.

AnotherBoredOne · 23/03/2021 10:42

18 month

garlictwist · 23/03/2021 10:49

I've been working from home for a year and not really seeing anyone. Getting a lot more exercise in though with some good lunchtime bike rides and don't really want to go back, but I know I will have to at some point.

Other than that, not a lot has changed.

CMOTDibbler · 23/03/2021 10:50

23rd of March last year I had both parents. 24th of March my dad died. 26th of April my mum died. Neither of them got a celebration of their lives

UnsolicitedDickPic · 23/03/2021 10:50

@ReclaimingTheKaren I am so very sorry for your loss. This internet stranger is thinking of you.

DPs mental health is significantly worse than last year. What I had originally assumed was depression I now think is full-blown bipolar. He's now tried two different types of medication so I'm hoping this latest one works. He completely changed careers at the start of lockdown last year and any change of routine just causes chaos.

I have a new job which is much more secure than the one I had previously. But I also taught privately and the confusion around exams has had a significant impact on that income.

DD has remained in nursery throughout and whilst she doesn't really notice that we're going through this experience, she does get quite bored of the daily routine.

islockdownoveryet · 23/03/2021 11:23

@dontsaveusername

It's not a life it's an existence
Agree I wouldn’t think 12 months on still in lockdown. My dd has Covid so we can’t go anywhere or see anyone it’s hard but I’m positive. Next week restrictions are being lifted a little more and more are having the vaccine . My employer wants me back in the office and are optimistic of the future so things will get better . It’s been tough for all some more than others I hope we are turning a corner .