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

We have decided that once our oldest has settled into something after college or uni that we will sell up, make sure our children are sorted homewise and go travelling, living off the remaining equity and working when we need to, we both have skills we can use across the world. We both feel that the system in in this country screws those in the middle but more than anything I do not want to end up in a care home with dementia and everything we've worked for going to a private care home owner instead of our kids. I also want them to have somewhere to escape to should they want to exit the UK at any point in the future, which is highly likely given the bleak outlook here for their generation.

These all sound like such positive changes.

Lockdown has definitely made us want to move to a more rural location. We've started doing up our house ready to put on the market and looking at old do-er upper farmhouses with some land. The plan is to look into a small side business renting out an enclosed dog walking field and perhaps small-scale animal boarding. At the moment we run a very busy shop and we're thinking we may want to take a step back from being quite as hands on in the day to day running of it in the not too distant future. There's not been much work/life balance for us in the past 10 years!

Yes I have. Am taking a career break from my specialist nurse role after 22 years. I’m actually sceptical about going back. We as a family will be moving house more rurally once we find a suitable property.

Yes.

1. I've been drinking more gin - going to keep that up (had about 11 different ones from small producers round the country)

1. I've been doing less work - will carry on doing less

1. I've eaten a lot more cake and takeaways, really enjoyed supporting lovely cake and chocolate shops in London - will carry on getting those delivered

1. I've started weight training with Dh - love it, keeping that up - just 15 minutes, 4 times a week

1. I've written 10 more chapters of my novel, it's not shit so I'm going to carry on

1. I bought a robot vacuum and a robot mop - has made a huge difference - will definitely be keeping them going and buying spare parts when they break

1. I finally found the time to research DECENT COMPOSTABLE coffee capsules instead of the recycled ones - so much happier with my choice

1. And I've taken tentative steps to try to buy an office/gallery to do the same as I'm doing now but start something extra too

Yes. I'm going to take retirement from the NHS.

And think seriously about getting a dog when I've retired. A rescue.

No major life decisions but I’ve realised I’ve enjoyed a bit of a slower pace and more time at home instead of running round so much - home, work, activities, home, bed.

I have missed going out for meals but not the running round like an idiot

I’m hopeful DH will be able to carry on working at hone 2/3 days a week as this will mean he is around more (usually out of house long hours). This will be good for him as he may be able to pick DS up from school. It will benefit me and reduce my running round as i have always done 99% of all drop offs and pick ups.

It would also benefit DS who would get more time at home. I know he’s missed his friends but has definitely enjoyed more time with us and at home.

Like a previous poster, DP moved in temporarily during lockdown. He's now my fiancé & we're hoping to be able to make plans very soon.

I broke a very problematic (for me) habit. Drinking. I started at the end of Jan and thought I’d go to St Patrick’s day maybe, if I could.
And I could. Then I went to Easter. Then a big birthday. And here I am 5 months in. I’ll keep going.

We are moving out of central London - more space, more greenery, less costs, and closer to family. It's doable because the commute is going to 3-4 rather than 5 days / week now. I'm really excited!

At first I took the lockdown as 'permission' to eat and over eat all sorts of indulgences.

A week or so I finally had enough of feeling dreadful (indigestion etc) and started to eat better quality good and skip all the sugar/sweets/chocolate. I've joined a Facebook group walking for fitness and am honestly already starting to feel better.

It's much too soon for my body to actually have changed so maybe it's just the fact of cab looking after myself a bit.

Currently planning to make this my new normal and just wondering why I ever thought that eating rubbish was any way to make myself happy. It's going to take a while to repair the damage but I'm now on the case.

@Talksense good for you!

@CHIRIBAYA do you mind me asking what your plans are should you need care in your old age?

We’re another couple who moved in for lockdown and we have decided to make it permanent, it is a little early (we had our year anniversary in April) as we had originally decided to start seriously planning for it in Novemberish time if it was something we both still wanted.

It has gone well, we haven’t annoyed each other really, we haven’t argued, he has adapted really well to living with my son and my son to him.

Yes to slow down a bit in terms of work. In the past I've accepted long shifts, worked stressful shifts short-staffed of someone doesn't turn up, done all week with no day off, getting called in to a shift on my day off and then not asking for another day off in exchange. I've come home that exhausted at times I can't even shower and I'm just about emotional mess or I've not been able to enjoy my day off because I'm still so exhausted from the week. Never again will I put myself through it when I don't need to, I will be putting my mental and physical health first by demanding there is enough staff on at all times. I'd rather live a frugal life and work a few hours less than overwork myself

@ARoseInHarlem I think @CHIRIBAYA is saying she will spend it before she needs it so that the government pays for it. It means she'll use state care instead of having all her life savings pay for it. Not a bad plan I guess