Positives about life in Lockdown ** Title edited by MNHQ**

[Parmavioletmum]

The media and everyone seems to be focused on the terrible and understandably worst case stories about corona so I thought why not start a positive thread so we can all feel a little more upbeat as I dont know about you but I've felt nothing but anxious, scared and vulnerable being in a high risk group.

So what positives have you all found? What are you grateful for? Anyone been through having corona and have now recovered?

I'll start. I'm incredibly grateful for my health and my families health right now and am enjoying spending more time with my partner and the kids than normal.

Spending so much time in the garden. Watching the birds. Having a G&T.

I'm grateful to be on the mend at day 25 of covid symptoms. Even more grateful that DH and DS are recovering well too. I am grateful to be eating all my meals at home with my family which I couldn't do when I was working. I am grateful for the sunshine and knowing the NHS is there for us. I'm grateful I can work from home now and that I am in a position where I won't be forced back into the office (whatever my employer might think!) I was grateful for every day before, and I still am now

@Parmavioletmum I’m sorry my post was so negative I’m currently planning funerals and not feeling very positive. I’ll ask for it be removed as it’s totally missed the point of the thread.

My positives are a restored hope in the kindness of people, more time with my dc and dog, and a genuine gratitude for so many things I can no longer take for granted like seeing my parents, a Much needed cup of tea with a friend or a hug.

So, so grateful and relieved that I split up with ex a couple of years ago and was able to buy my own place, so that I'm not having to lockdown with him, and also because the kids go to him some days, making this so much easier. Also that I happened to be in a good place with my self-employed work projects, with work to do and payments coming in, but also able to work a bit less with the kids at home.

I'm normally very type A and always feel like I'm running around with seconds to spare and too much to do. Lockdown has forced me to take a break and just be lazy and ineffectual sometimes, which I think I really needed. It's also made me think a lot and take stock and see how lucky I am. Sometimes I feel sad that I'm a 50-ish single mum with not much chance of being in a relationship again. Right now I'm so happy not to be in one and feel like I have everything I could want.

I’ve had so much time back each day being able to WFH and not having to drive into work. I feel so much less stressed and tired. Probably because I now have time each day for a lovely long walk.

I really hope this might change employers attitudes when it comes to WFH and that more people will be allowed flexible working and to try and continue this slower pace of life. But I expect it won’t!

Seeing how quickly the human race can make changes which positively impact the environment.
It proves we CAN do it when we work together.

FrogsandSheep, there’s no need for apologies and having your posts removed wasn’t necessary either. You’re going through a horrible time of it and it’s ok to say so. 💐

I’m grateful for the slow down, the chance to go back to simple things. I really hope we carry on with some of this slow down forever. The noticeably cleaner air, the much reduced aircraft noise (we live near an airport) the 60% reduction in pollution. Realised how much better it is to do a big shop and plan meals rather than - oh we will just have a take away.

Chance to spend time with my little family rather than chasing across the country to meet the demands of extended family. Started some of the free Ou courses. The chance to read.

Hearing the birds sing more without the constant noise of traffic. Being able to ride my bike in the road without risk of being mown down.

Loving the home schooling as my DS has gained loads of confidence.

People not invading my personal space.

Lack of focus on looks, the usually Kempt NDN is slowly morphing into the wide woman of Borneo. Women are shopping with less make up, in joggers, hair scrapped up, think I’m starting to see the benefit of inability to maintain those bloody awful trout face lip fillers too.

People seem more chilled, kids seem happier and better behaved.

More people seem to be able to separate needs and wants.

Apart from the deadly virus and economic implications it’s a rather idillic life tbh.

My children have become friends, at last! 4 and 7, I think it was on the cards as the younger has got less irritating/the older more tolerant. It's lovely to see.

I'm slowly beating the utter bastard that is bindweed. I'm obsessed with the stuff - I can now recognise a bindweed root from 100 paces. I can tell the cats think I'm insane but that's a small price to pay.

The garden is looking lovely (and I'm so so lucky to have it), I miss the 2 DCs who aren't with me but technology exists which means I can see them, I'm ahead of the game workwise because I have the extra time not spent travelling. Both DH and I can work from home and we're extraordinarily lucky to have that.

A deeper appreciation of how amazing, capable, helpful, driven and loving my two children are.

@Frogsandsheep dont be silly! It must be such a terrible time for you. We're all here and willing to listen! We're all in this together. Sending a mumsnet hug, flowers and wine!!

Quiet walk to the river ,hardly any traffic about! Nice to watch a fair bit of TV and not feel guilty. Also being spoiled by BBC I Player and C 3 and 4 with everything there is from their Archives! Air smells fresher too

I am grateful for so much. Mostly it is stuff that everyone can relate to like gardening and spending time with family.

But the biggest thing I am grateful for is the time in my life that this happened. I could have still been with my violent ex. In that situation I may not have lived through it.

I’m in the shielding group but lucky enough to have outdoor space far away enough from other people that I can still sit outdoors. Today has been lovely, birdsong, the bock-bock of the chickens and the smell of the pink bushes (never know their name) and clean laundry in the breeze.

I’m enjoying having my husband and kids all around me, and in other news, my eyebrows have not been this full since 1989.

I made one of my many many attempts to give up smoking in January. I am still off the cigarettes - this is the longest I have ever managed. Fear of Coronavirus and it's more serious impact on smokers means that I have finally conquered the addiction.

I think that knowing the NHS is there is the greatest comfort of all at this time. Blessings to all frontliners.*

To those of us doing our bit at home; a slower pace, enjoying a walk - as in REALLY enjoying it, sitting in the sunshine with no pressure to "be" anywhere or do anything, playing board games with the DC when they can be extricated from Fortnite, hotly anticipating Masterchef nights.

*sadly you may be meeting three sets of my neighbours in about 10 days time as they're presently sitting on one side of their drives having a BBQ

I was commenting to DH this afternoon how nice it is to feel no obligation whatsoever to do anything. I normally find it very hard to really sit around and relax, I always feel guilty that I should be doing something productive. Usually on a lovely sunny day I feel like we should be seeing people and doing something amazing to make the most of the lovely weather. Today we've literally lazed around in the garden and I feel more relaxed than I have in ages. There's definitely things I'll miss about lockdown which I never thought I'd say

The garden is beginning to look less like a jungle but some way to go, I no longer need excuses for my chronic fatique as rest and stay home is what we need to do
enjoying more baking we have less money so have to be a bit more inventive with food but no longer need takeaways / fast food as i'm too exhausted after trying to do too much
because of hearing loss I find zoom difficult and am missing church today but I appreciate more that real time contact is really important and to make time for people as so much we sometimes fill our lives with doesn't actually need to be done
I'm getting more reading and thinking done

I'm grateful that the lockdown has only served to highlight how utterly content I am with my life. Adore where I live, grateful I married a splendid man who I get on with and who doesn't annoy me, grateful for my little boy, and the joy of all this extra time messing about with him. Grateful for how lucky I've been. Grateful for my garden and the weather, and for access to food and wine. And enjoying life being one long Saturday afternoon.

@choli Oh my gosh that's amazing! You must be so proud of yourself!! Yes, this is a really good time not to be a smoker.

Although I'm still working as an NHS nurse it's been lovely on days off not to feel the need to be anywhere or do anything. My dc are 16 & 15 and are loving waking up when they want, no school pressure anymore for Dd doing GCSEs.

I love that the roads are much quieter and people are appreciating the NHS staff which gives me a warm glow inside, plus my colleagues have pulled together.

There’s an air of contentment in my house. Everyone is calm. There’s more laughter. It’s like we’re in a bubble. I cook meals from scratch everyday.

Usually we’re all so tense and snappy and in a rush. I was dreading being in lockdown with my kids. But just being allowed to ‘be’, without alarms and schedules has allowed the best in them to shine through.

I have a huge garden which I usually hate, because I’m never on top of it and it stresses me out. Realising than none of that matters, that just having the privilege of access to an outside space has made me appreciate it.

Also, I am completely in awe of the ordinary people such as refuse collectors, bus drivers, delivery drivers, supermarket workers, pharmacy staff etc who have found themselves on the frontline having never expected to be in that position. I’ve always admired NHS staff, but I never thought I’d be so grateful to the staff at my local coop. They really have been amazing.

Having worked in minimum wage jobs myself in the past and feeling completely invisible, it’s lovely to see their important role recognised. These workers are holding the country together and I am grateful to them all.

Time for us really.

I have more time with my son which I’m enjoying (he has only had one bad day so far, miraculous). But it’s also time with my boyfriend, usually he stays one night a week and we see each other one afternoon for lunch, so having him here is nice, we’re getting on surprisingly well, we both thought we’d be irritating each other by now.