to ask if living through the pandemic has prompted any big life decisions for you?

[BoxAndKnife]

I know there have been a few threads about shopping locally, flying less etc, but I've been wondering how many people are planning to make, or have made, even bigger life decisions due to the current situation?

It might sound a bit OTT but these last few months have made me really think about what is important to me, what I really want from life. I'm not quite there yet with the decision-making but getting off the treadmill of commute - office - commute - sleep - commute - office etc will definitely figure! I want to be able to spend more time doing things I actually enjoy rather than just working to pay the bills. I've also re-evaluated whether or not I want to go back to study - more stress, more deadlines, more expense. Instead DH and I have been talking about moving far away from London, working less, living much more cheaply / simply etc.

But the bills do still have to be paid!

Anyone else? It would be good to know I'm not alone in my midlife, pandemic-prompted crisis

I'm hoping to work from home more and spend more time with DD.

I'm also going to initiate my divorce.

And go to the pub less, and water my plants more!

Initiating divorce was one of the best decisions I ever made, you won't regret it 😁

We're buying a totally different house to the one we thought we were going to buy a few months ago- much larger but further away from London. Lots of decorating to do but really excited to move in and get going!

DH will now work from home permanently other than the odd meeting so this will change our 'normal' a bit. We've been cooking far more and eating less convenience food which we'll definitely carry on with. I'm so excited to bring DD up in a quiet area with a lovely park nearby. Not boasting- her childhood will be very different from my own and I've lived in 2 of the busiest cities in the world but I'm just done with it!

@elastamum Good luck and good wishes to you!
Yes , I too would love to just pootle in my garden and hope to very soon.

I’m loving going back to basics regarding food and I’m not missing shopping at all.

I realised I don’t want to work in the stressful corporate world the rest of my life, there’s no work life balance (usually work 12 hours a day, only get paid for 8). So I am aiming in the next few months to resign, so I can spend more quality time with the kids while starting my own self employed business.

I've lost my job so we are making the leap to move back near our families. I moved down south for work and always wanted to go "home" but could never manage it. Now there is nothing to keep me here and housing is so much cheaper there. We will be moving with no jobs but enough savings to keep us going for a year while we job hunt. I'm scared but excited. And I never want another management job, just something part time, low paid and that I can forget about when I get home. We've spent more time together as a family and I'm not giving that up for work.

I'll definitely be working from home more often than at the office. And I think I'm going to leave my husband. It's long overdue.

I have beaten my sugar addiction in lockdown. So far I'm only enjoying the occasional treat with the family on weekends rather than stress eating 100g of chocolate every day by myself.

I don't feel better, which is quite annoying. I feel bereft, actually. But I'm pounds lighter and I've realised the damage I was doing to my teeth.

This was slightly before the pandemic but I quit my job that was making me miserable. I have no plan b but to look for another one, which will be interesting now that there aren't any jobs going... However, stay at home parenting also sounds like a nice option that I hadn't actually considered since maternity leave, so I could definitely do that.

I have definitely decided to emigrate, hopefully in the next two years. This was the long term goal for ages, but I have realised that I'd rather go soon than just talk about it for years. My husband is on board and it seems that our family needs to start thinking about how to find jobs etc in our new destination soon (ish anyway).

Not a big life decision really, but I've gone vegan. I've been vegetarian for a while and have wanted to go vegan, but never felt ready to take the plunge. More time at home to look at recipes and cook from scratch has meant it's been really easy. I'm feeling a million times healthier and have lost a bit of weight too.

This will probably sound silly but I am going to be braver about saying no - especially if saying yes results in me having to do something I dont want to do. I've been pleasing everyone else for far too long. I'm perfectly happy with a quite life at home and wont be pressured into going on a night out etc when I'd be happier at home with an early night.
I also told a cold caller at my door that I didn't want to swap electricity providers when my dp failed to do so. I would usually crumble because I hate saying no.

Yes, it prompted me to start the process for IVF with a sperm donor. If I keep trying to find a nice man to have a relationship and a family with I’ll be too old...

@BlusteryLake

I have nailed the home workout. I doubt I'll ever go back to group classes. Also, I won't be so worried about my children doing lots of clubs. 2 each will be fine, if that is what they want.

Oh gosh yes. Home exercise all the way, and it's so much easier to have a shower afterwards! I know this isn't as big a decision as other people here, but I've realised just how much I hate gyms and yoga studios. It will save me a load of money too, but it's not even about the money - I'm so much happier exercising at home.

Not a huge life changing decision, but we've realised a lot of our money goes on crap (fast food/random days out etc) that we really don't need as we've survived fine without them, so DH is dropping to 3 days a week with less pay.
More family time

I have been battling with my loyalty to the NHS for years. The way I have been treated in these past few months has finally given me the push to work in a private role that is far better paid for fewer, easier hours and leaves me with energy left at the end of the day to enjoy my family.
We’ve also taken the plunge to move to a much bigger space with decent garden so that soft play being closed isn’t so painful!!

Lockdown has given me the opportunity to reflect on my job, which has become far more stressful in recent months - compounded especially by being told no promotions for at least 18months, very disheartening especially as I have been 'acting up' for 6months.

So, I decided to make a move - researched, applied and got a new job! I start in 7 weeks. 6 of work, one week off as accrued hol. Am delighted!

Congrats @8Track

@DDIJ do you mean to actually live in a car?? Are you okay? Do you mean going travelling in a car or camper?

That's great 8Track, best of luck with the new job!

Funnily enough, my yoga classes are the one thing from Before Times that I really, really miss - at-home practice just isn't the same!

A couple of frivolous ones - online workouts rather than a gym membership (massive savings in time, transport and fees) and I don't think I'll ever get my hair professionally coloured again .Adjusting to working remotely has been a challenge as I'm SE. My business was just starting to take off when lockdown started and so I'd agreed to get a cleaner. I didn't think I could justify it when I wasn't FTW. Lockdown has made DP & teenage DCs far tidier and more helpful. There's no reason to get outside help now. Overall, I've got more time to work on a new project which dovetails nicely with my existing work, and which might well support it going forward.

I know it's a cliche but realising that life really is too short. I've so enjoyed spending more time with my dc that it's made me rethink my job.In a usual working day I only see them for 2 hours&most of the wage goes on childcare anyway.

We have decided to deregister our daughter and home educate - at least for a year or 2 (she’s 7.) She had been so unhappy at school but since lockdown has been thriving and learning and being much more herself. I’d wondered about home Ed at the beginning of the year and it felt like a terrifying drastic decision. Now it feels like the natural thing to do!

I've realised I don't want a promotion, I simply want to stay in the job I enjoy. And maybe reduce my hours. Possibly start planning to get a dog.

Deffo getting a tattoo now....

I want to help people more ❤️