Are there others who feel their lives ( or their way of being) is just not the same since lockdown?

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I am a key worker so worked during all lockdowns. But something has changed in me. I have not got that desire back to actually go and do things other than the mundane stuff.
I imagined simply going back to normal once everything reopened- but, in reality, I just haven’t.
I have had a lot of stress these last 2 years, mum died after long illness - other family issues and bought a house this month.
i feel like my world has closed in and I have lost all confident and get up and go.
many one else struggling?
my partner is also flat as a pancake and I do feel I am pulled down by his lethargy.
I need to kick myself up the arse.

Absolutely this. I thought covid had not affected me until I started thinking of pre covid me who walked the dog, did the ironing, cooked from scratch, went to the gym etc. Now the dog gets a wak maybe twice a week, I do not know where the iron lives, cooking is only done if I genuinely cannot afford a takeaway and I have not seen the inside of the gym in over a year. The kids dont even go places like they used to and we had hectic lives before.

I need to get back to myself. I actually only 'talked' to myself about it recently in my head that I need to get out of this rut. I feel like all i do is work and scroll mumsnet.

Poor dog.

Yes. But in the opposite way.

Being locked-down for months got me back into reading fiction in a big way. I read every night for an hour just before we watch TV, then for 20-minutes or so in bed before sleep. I get through 3-4 books a month and I'm part of a local book club where I've met some lovely women.

Me and DP were part of the ONS household survey so we used to get vouchers each month for doing Covid tests. We used to redeem these for take-away vouchers and got into the habit of having a take-away every 2-3 weeks and trying a new one each time. We've kept up that habit (though take-aways aren't as regular) and found some really lovely local restaurants which we still use often.

Over lock-down, I got lazy. I did no exercise. So when we came out of lock-down, I started a new gym to reverse the lock-down damage. I fell in love with weight-lifting and boxing. I do both of these twice a week still. I've never been fitter and by body's in the best shape of my life. I've also met some wonderful, wonderful people through the gym.

During Covid, my employer was big on the "take care of yourself" mantras which gave me space to reassess my relationship with work because they didn't actually expect us to do very much during those months. Since then, I have a very different attitude towards work. I have, simply speaking, stopped caring. I don't work hard, I don't think about work during non-work time, I don't put pressure on myself etc. I don't think I'd have gotten to that point without the lock-down pause.

Absolutely this.

Apart from wfh more, it’s my attitude and mental health that has changed more than anything I think.

I have PTSD from being treated like an animal during lockdown while giving birth. The further restrictions afterwards were also ridiculous. Not being allowed to have anyone over to help me after having an emergency c section. The one time I went out, being told off for sitting at a table outside with 3 other new mums.

So now, I just give much less of a fuck about stuff, I’m less understanding, and I put my interests and the interests of my son first.

Yes, because I have a critically vulnerable person in my household. And the number of comments that show how very many people would consider deaths of the vulnerable acceptable has been shocking. I think society has become much harsher and "I'm all right Jack"

I don't think people realise they're only one stroke of luck away from no longer being all right

The 'poor dog' has a very large garden to run around and is a tiny terrier not some massive dog who needs long walks. He doesnt even like to walk more than 20 mins without sitting down insisting on being picked up.

I think it’s a mental thing. I still exercises, go to work, get stuff done - but I am still ‘locked down’ in my head.
I was fortuitous because I kept working, had plenty of open space to take walks in. Tbh I quite liked the lack of interaction and pressure to be doing interesting stuff.
I need to get back into the swing of things otherwise I will end of depressed and lonely. I am probably going that way a bit tbh- this shorty summer weather has not helped.

I retired just before lockdown, I think I probably became quite withdrawn and reclusive during lockdown and I haven’t really changed since.
I do all my shopping online, I rarely go anywhere more than 10 miles from here.
I’m reasonably happy but feel I ought to get out more 🤷🏼‍♀️

Very much so. The world has shrunk alarmingly and I don’t like it, but lack the motivation and means to do anything about it

It was great for me in all ways except I gained two stone. Now struggling to lose it!

We used to go on really exciting holidays in often quite remote places all over the world.
Since covid, we’ve not been out of the country. I really miss what we used to do but just can’t get back into all the planning and anticipation, so much of which was cancelled. 🥲

I haven't returned to "pre-pandemic normal". I don't understand how everyone else has just switched off the threat of illness and I still wear masks in busy places.

However I'm also coming to terms with being quite a traumatised person overall. While I'm sure that my life is seen as sad, restricted, selfish or annoying to others, I'm just doing the best I can. 🤷‍♀️

Yes, because I have a critically vulnerable person in my household. And the number of comments that show how very many people would consider deaths of the vulnerable acceptable has been shocking. I think society has become much harsher and "I'm all right Jack"

I don't think people realise they're only one stroke of luck away from no longer being all right

This resonates.

I can see that my mums world became v small and she's never really come back out properly, but for me, no, I don't have this at all.
I was living in a flat in lockdown and felt like a caged animal. My usual quiet walks were crowded with people and it felt so claustrophobic.
It was a huge relief when things went back to normal and I really appreciate being able to go up on the moors or get on a train and go hundreds of miles on a whim any weekend I like. So I guess lockdown made me value my freedom and space more.
I do see that people I work with have not really mentally come out though, as so many now work from home most of the time, which is a bit sad.

My mum's world has become tiny and she has aged and become a lot more frail. I am sure COVID contributed as she was clinically vulnerable but now I don't think she is either confident or well enough to change it.

For me the increased WFH has been a huge blessing. I see my kids more, am more on top of things (although wouldn't say I actually am on top of things yet -never will be with young kids, full time job, lions share of housework and more caring responsibilities for aging parents) and so in many ways my life is better but I feel like I just don't care much anymore. Am a bit lethargic all the time. Don't know if it's perimenopause or hangover from lockdown.

I think that I am back to my old pre lockdown self despite suffering severe anxiety due to restrictions. I never worried about covid, had it twice and wasn’t particularly ill, in fact I felt worse after my vaccinations. However the restrictions and how people changed in their ways of acting towards others affected me badly.
A lot of lines were crossed due to restrictions and behaviour that was regarded as completely unacceptable before lockdown became the norm. Things such as keeping old people isolated in care homes, the terminally ill left to die frightened and alone with no visitors, life saving operations cancelled, women giving birth and forced to wear face masks. The list is endless and although society in Britain has reverted more or less back to normal, there’s still a feeling that previously socially unacceptable behaviour is somehow now OK. Online bullying has always existed since the beginning of the internet, but it seems much worse since lockdown. I’m not sure if the current media viewpoints of “brave and special” trans individuals and the erosion of biological women’s rights would have been so prevalent before lockdown.
On a separate topic,I should probably put this in Feminism Sex and Gender, does anyone else loathe the advert for Always sanitary products on Mumsnet? It’s pink and blue and talks about your “child”, not your daughter. Gives me the rage, this wouldn’t have happened in 2019.

I feel the same. It seems other people seem to get on with their lives as before covid but I don't. I'm not British and all of my family members and friends are living outside the UK. However before Covid I felt I was connected to them but since Covid I feel so distant to my own family and friends. My life and myself are not the same as before. I don't know what has changed but I feel void. Then again I tend not to adapt to new environment that easily.

I feel flat as a pancake as well. No energy.

I mean, I’ve had some pretty devastating losses as well, so I don’t know whether it’s just an overall overwhelming self devastation or …?

Every single person I speak to in my life says this. Things haven’t got back to normal have they? Things just feel less iyswim? People seem sadder and have far less patience - decent customer service non existent. To simplify I suppose it was a hugely traumatic experience and it’s taking a long time to recover. It’s left scars behind.

My slightly conspiracy theorist friend thinks that covid was cover to usher in new agendas eg subvert societal expectations around free movement, availability of produce and experiences etc. It’s hard to argue with sometimes as everything does feel slightly off kilter. I guess we will either recover or just get used to it and the next generation won’t know any different.

Nothing has returned to the world I knew before.
healthcare
inflation
cost of living
food banks
just sheer desperation in most people
it’s like we are still hunkered down because we are. Huge swathes of people are barely making ends meet and can’t get adequate help when they are unwell. They go to work and come home again.
I used to enjoy the pub- I still would but can’t afford more than an occasional trip.

I had a truly awful lockdown and worked long hours through it. I don't know if it was lockdown or my experiences during it that did me in.

I'm not the same. I've got less energy and less tolerance.

This really resonates with me.

I am still really anxious about getting covid - despite the fact I’m the most covid cautious person I know I’ve still had it 3 times. With all of the data coming out now about the negative longer lasting impacts and increased risk on heart health, strokes, dementia etc, I worry about what my future will look like. I can’t really comprehend people not worrying about this stuff!

However it’s highlighted how bad my health anxiety is (I had an OCD diagnosis 12 years ago and it’s only now I realise that part of that is health anxiety) and I find it hard to be motivated to do anything. I walk a lot, work, do stuff with the kids, but I feel like I’m on anxious autopilot and there’s not a lot of joy any more. I don’t think I’m depressed. I’m just joyless.

I know this is a very controversial thing to say and others have been flamed in the past for saying it but I felt a lot safer and happier during lockdown.

I feel I am back to normal in terms of my attitude to going out etc.. if anything I go out more now, but things aren't the same. Some people seem more flaky about organising and attending things now. Work is more functional and less fun/social these days, I often feel quite lonely.

I have virtually lost touch with two very good friends, we would see each other at least every couple of weeks pre covid and they would always be one of the first to say yes to attending any group event. This is because one half of the couple (no underlying health issues or vulnerabiltiies) basically had a breakdown during lockdown and has developed such severe health anxiety/OCD - they won't meet anyone, won't go out, refuse to go in to shops etc.. and the one time we have managed to organise a meet up they just went on and one about how selfish every one for going back to normal and not wearing masks (for context this was this summer) it makes me really sad as I am not sure if the relationship can be salvaged.

It's not the same for me, most of which is down to wfh most of the week, which works for me. Though I recognise many never had the option, and for many it does not work well.

The impacts could have been so much less had there been a competent government, and I want to see justice for the corruption and in my opinion corporate manslaughter that took place.