What is your life like post-COVID?

[ForeverWeBlend]

I'm late 50's, two adult DC. During the pandemic both DC were here with us, plus one of their friends who could not go home due to a fall out with their parents. On the whole we were happy - but we didn't lose anyone and both DH and I were able to WFH, so we did not have the financial problems many others had. So grateful for that.
But life has never gone back to 'normal'. We go out rarely now. I find it hard to get the energy to see the good friends I used to see regularly. When we get invites I look for reasons not to go. TV, glass of wine and I'm good.

Is it just me?

Nothing changed for me. Well, we moved house last year and I’m pregnant again but covid hasn’t changed things for us. We eat out, go on holiday, see family and friends regularly. We’re early 30s with no health conditions if that makes a difference.

Back to normal for us. Dh and I both worked throughout (well, he was off for 4 weeks before he could pick back up with working), out of the house. Youngest was in school.
Look back at it now in a weird disbelief that it happened, was a very strange time and I am so glad it’s over, no lockdowns, free to travel as we wish, no nightmare getting a shopping slot or going to the supermarket, can meet my friends as and when I want in any number, everything really.

It’s funny because I did lose someone in the middle of the pandemic (that alone would have made a recluse) but I was determined to get out and about and do things and take the kids out etc when the restrictions lifted.

but I found that I didnt want to. I can’t be arsed, I’d rather be at home than go to all the faff of going out. I never go out anymore and I’ve noticed that my younger dc are the same 15 and 12. Both are anxious at the mere thought of going somewhere that’s not our town.

I’ve noticed that my friends are similar, but they have families to visit and socialise with still. I don’t even have that.

life has definitely changed

@bloodywhitecat

im the same. Dh cancer journey would also have been very different had it not been for the pandemic.

I also would not have had to choose which one out of my four children could attend my restricted hospital wedding either.

many peoples lives were changed forever due to the covid restrictions, and will never go back to normal

💐 for you

We didn't lose anyone thank God, and our immediate family were all furloughed and at home with me on good pay, or working as normal through the pandemic so we were ok financially.

The lasting effect it has had on me is that an already dwindling fondness for physically going to the shops has turned into hating going shopping and neve doing it. It's completely online for me now.

I actually went physically in search of a new onesie for DD recently and got SO frustrated with driving all the way and finding none in the first shop i went to and hardly any in the 2nd. I just wanted to press a button and see them all as if i was on Amazon. All that wandering about and all that time! Ugh.

Sorry that turned into a shopping rant! 😂

to @bloodywhitecat and @blackheartsgirl

Mixed really - DP is still working from home mostly, but we had a baby just before the first lockdown so it's hard to say if our life has changed because of covid or just having a baby and toddler! I changed my career path during covid (best thing I ever ever did!) and the service we provide was "inspired" by the lockdowns but again, I don't know if my career change was due to lockdown or that my new role suits family life better. Life in general seems much better now than it did in 2019 though

We were largely ‘ok’ during covid, adult children at home, large enough house, stimulating jobs, no financial worries, a decent garden, online shopping. I made a lot of effort to keep us all cheerful: I booked restaurant deliveries, ordered various cheering presents for family and friends, had a list of things to look forward to.

but we lost a dear, close family member in 2020, to covid. We only had 30 at the funeral. I couldn’t hug my devastated children as there were officials watching us. We also argued as my adult children thought the risks to them were low so why shouldn’t they meet friends - this was pre any vaccine.

on the positive side, we both now WFH full time. Although I’d say my mental health is good and I’m fairly resilient I still feel like I’ve lost 2 years. A close relative died recently and I’d seen less of them in their last years because of covid.

it feels like time was suspended and my brain keeps telling me it’s 2021.

I’m lucky enough to have no major health problems so life is pretty much back to normal, going out, seeing friends. I hated being cooped up though tried to make the best of it with hobbies etc. One thing that has changed is that we work far more online now and I don’t like that. I’d be happy never to join a Zoom or MS Teams meeting ever again, much prefer F2F contact.

Still semi isolating almost three years on. Due to ill health in family we went into our own lockdown in February 2020 on the advice of doctor.

we’ve tried to get back to a normal life but first time out last year got Covid, then multiple colds, and then flu. Trying again now but am expecting to get Covid again or flu, I still wear a mask out and we LFT regularly.

desperate to have a life, do things, talk to people IRL, I feel as if a large chunk of my life has been stolen. We went to the shopping centre yesterday to buy underwear and it was sooo exciting that actually I came home really sad about the life we live. We have decided we are going to go more but in the evenings early in the week when we’ve been told it’s very quiet by checkout staff.

I remember about a year or so in to Covid I had for some odd reason to go to our local Tesco Express to buy some medicines. I stood in front of the rack of sweets and chocolate and grabbed loads of different things and sat in my car in the car park and ate some, the excitement of buying what I wanted and eating it straight away was bizarre. Normally I would have ordered it online and then waited a day or more for it and then want something else.

My life's pretty much back to normal but my teen dd developed an eating disorder during the first lockdown which we're still dealing with now.

Op it sounds like you need to push yourself a bit more tbh.

I read the OP as asking how culture has changed as a result of us getting used to being at home etc rather than a covid fear.

So the posts talking about how they aren't scared etc don't really gel with what I thought the OP was asking and I'm wondering if my contribution is what the OP was after, but here goes...

Like many others I'm not scared of the virus and as I've been working f2f in education since 2020 that was never an option really anyway.

But yes, my life has changed in terms of they type of socialising I can be arsed with. And I don't necessarily think that's a negative thing. Most of my socialising now is a regular 5 mile walk around the lake with a good friend and dog really, properly catching up one to one with no distractions like ordering from menus or sorting out who is driving, no paying for anything.

Just good, honest, human interaction early on in the day and then I get to sit at home in the evening and decompress from my day later on or go to the gym or do whatever with my evening.

Life isn't more isolated generally, it's just calmer. I would say I 'dropped the rope' on a few friendships in the last 6 months and decided that I wasn't going to be the first to initiate contact any longer, and that those people have not contacted me.

I'm ok with that. Clearly they are, too. I have teens to look after with their various challenges, I'm not going to chase after friends who expect me to do all the running. I keep my circle small and reciprocal and I really thank these last few years for teaching me how to do that instead of constantly running around after other people's needs.

My life's pretty much back to normal but my teen dd developed an eating disorder during the first lockdown which we're still dealing with now.

I'm so sorry. This is part of the hidden legacy of COVID. Crap stuff that would not have happened in normal life. I hope your daughter can navigate her way back to health.

I went out to work throughout Covid and my DC were able to go to school some of the time. So, I am still doing the same job, they are still going to school, I didn’t have much of a social life anyway so in some ways things haven’t changed. But DH died, not from Covid, and so things have also changed immeasurably since early 2020.

Not back to normal at all

just posted a related matter in mental health

I seem to get most of my happiness from nostalgia and music. My life is unrecognisable. I am very very grateful for the life I had before though. I was thriving in 2019.

So it's obvious it's not just me being old and lazy. Sounds like a lot of people have either consciously or subconsciously stepped back from socialising.

I should stress I'm not worried about COVID. I don't stay home because I'm afraid.

Our life is completely back to normal. I worked through the pandemic, DH furloughed, DS the first year that didn't take GCSE's. He's in his first year at uni now, and determinedly making up for lost time 😉

It took longer than I imagined for everyone to get back into it, but now it's hard to believe the lockdown period actually happened.

DM OTOH (who had a very small world anyway) seems to lead a very diminished life, but her own choice. I think the naturally more introverted / less gregarious people have found it harder to get back "out there"

We were lucky during Covid in that, like OP, we didn't lose anyone. Both DH and I.could WFH although he had the 20% pay cut initially. DD missed some schooling but she was at 6th form and her school and friends were excellent. They did usual lessons via zoom. Even DS who was at University managed to go back after the first lockdown so spent it with friends. Again, Uni were great and not much was lost. Most importantly we spent DDog's last few years with him 24/7.

But the peace of WFH spoilt me. I hate hate hate the office now. So bright and noisy. I used to me more sociable but now I try to book a seat as far away as I can and put headphones on. I've lost my tolerance for listing to yakking and crap! I'm struggling to fake interest in my colleagues' conversations. Which is making work more difficult!

If you don't mind me asking, do you think there are people out there really missing you? I did tell my (former) friends that but perhaps I shouldn't have said anything. People seem to have turned inward quite happily.

EmmaEmerald I asked the question because I have an old friend that I love who still wants to meet up regularly but I struggle to find the energy and I feel like I am letting her down.

Other than her, it's hard to know if anyone is missing me. A lot of my friends have been dealing with elderly parents, so they are not around as much. Some we still see fairly regularly because they are no fuss, easy company; happy to eat simple food at home and put a film on.
We were part of a group who met at the pub once a week - very low key, just turn up if you are free, but that stopped in lockdown and never got going again. I miss that coz it was so relaxed and easy.
COVID also changed my family relationships because I broke the habit of feeling obliged to invite people round that I no longer like very much. So that's a positive. I think they miss the fact that I would cook and do all the work so they could see other family members without paying for anything. I don't think they miss me personally, just my free food and wine. They now complain about not being invited round any more, but would never think to invite me round to theirs or out for a meal.

I've always been introverted and a bit of a homebody but I did also enjoy going out to the cinema, the theatre, gigs, travelling etc. I still enjoy those things but don't do them quite as much as pre 2020. That's due to increasing costs as much and trying to avoid covid. I have several close relatives who are extremely vulnerable and there is mounting research that suggests covid has serious long term implications more so than the colds and flu we've previously had and it's far more contagious than other circulating virus's.

A close friend who I went to things with lost a parent to covid and their sister became very after her relationship broke down in 2020 and they attempted suicide. Dealing with that and having two small kids means they aren't as available. I have had two family members die with covid as well.

My husband was promoted during the pandemic and although he works mostly from home his job is very stressful and getting time off can be a struggle.

In other ways life is good and we're very happy at home but I'd like to reintroduce more activities and trips out because I think you can get habituated to a smaller and smaller world without realising and you can end up isolated.

OP thanks

I think a lot of former close friends cba either and I need to stop blaming myself

I'm shocked that your family have the gall to complain but don't invite you round!

Back to normal, if not slightly better. Back at work after a few years lay off due to COVID, busy as ever and loving it. DH got a new job, better work/life balance and more money. Was able to relocate to somewhere cheaper and buy our first home. Just as socially active, making the most of the missed years.